*Avenue Utd’s Eoghan Thynne. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
AVENUE UTD just about had time on their side to shake off the challenge of Shannon Town Utd, Tulla Utd proved too strong for Fair Green Celtic in the latest round of games in the Maloney Hardware Premier Division and Kilrush Rangers reigned supreme in the West Clare derby in the Cup.
Two of the three scheduled Premier Division ties went ahead while Bridge Utd’s clash with Ennis Dons was postponed.
In the second round of the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup, the fixtures between Hermitage FC B and Ennis Dons B plus the meeting of Rhine Rovers and Shannon Town C were also called off.
Frank Healy Park remains unplayable which prompted Thursday’s Cup tie of Newmarket Celtic and Manus Celtic to be called off. The fixture is now due to go ahead on Thursday at TUS’ Moylish Campus in Limerick.
Avenue leave it late against Shannon Town
Avenue Utd 3
Shannon Town Utd 2
Venue: Roslevan
Avenue Utd moved to top of the Premier Division with a late Eoghan Thynne header seeing them claim full points at home to Shannon Town on Sunday morning.
After overcoming their B team in the Cup at the same venue a week previous, Avenue Utd had a tougher challenge from Shannon Town Utd and were made sweat to the finish.
Kuba Ruminowicz returned between the posts for Avenue and within twelve minutes, he was picking the ball out of his net. Ben O’Neill got power behind his shot which managed to take a deflection to evade the goalkeeper.
By half-time, Avenue had moved themselves in front. Two goals in the space of five minutes saw them take the lead.
Elias Kunz in only his second appearance of the year for Avenue got their equaliser. His shot on nineteen minutes hit the post and deflected off Shannon Town goalkeeper Kyle McInerney and into the back of the net.
Former Shannon Town striker, Jack Ryan had the assist to help Ronan Kerin finish from close range as they punished the visitors inability to clear their lines. The hosts had further chances to boost their lead before the interval.
On the restart, Kerin was denied by the crossbar but there was renewed life in the Shannon Town challenge with the introduction of Kai Khetan, his first appearance of the entire season brought pace and energy to their attack.
Khetan troubled the Avenue defence with his speed, he was fouled and took the subsequent free kick which Eoghan Gough headed to the back of the net to leave the sides level with eighty two minutes on the clock.
While a draw looked to be on the cards, the playing of six minutes of additional time allowed Avenue to claim a winner with Eoghan Thynne heading to the net on ninety six minutes to the relief of the home support.
Avenue Utd: Kuba Ruminowicz, Conor Finnucane, Gary O’Connell, Jamie Roche, Seán O’Callaghan, Jack Joyce, Elias Kunz, Eoghan Thynne, Ger Myles, Ronan Kerin, Jack Ryan.
Subs: Chuks Obadeyi for Roche (HT), Ryan Corcoran for Myles (58), Conor Mullen for Ryan (80).
Shannon Town Utd: Kyle McInerney, Cody Waller, Brian Monaghan, Steven Carroll, Aaron Shinners, Luke Keating, Sean Aylmer, Cian Johnson, Ben O’Neill, Eoghan Gough, Jamie Doyle.
Subs: Kai Khetan for O’Neill (56), Colin Curran for Keating (65), Jacub Setkovicz for Aylmer (75).
Referee: Michael Rock
Ten man Tulla trounce Fair Green
Tulla Utd 6
Fair Green Celtic 1
Venue: Lees Rd, Ennis
Tulla Utd sit in second spot of the Premier Division, a strong second half showing saw them put four goals past Fair Green Celtic on their way to a 6-1 win.
With six league games remaining, every point is vital for Tulla and they put three more on the board with a dominant display.
Only a goal separated the teams at half-time but the greater strength in depth of Tulla was among the factors in Mike Moloney’s side pushing on in the second half.
Dan Withycombe put Tulla in front on thirteen minutes and they doubled their advantage via the experienced Daragh Corry on twenty one minutes.
In additional time of the first half, Shane Browne pulled a goal back for Fair Green.
However their chances of getting back on level terms, quickly evaporated in the second half with Tulla striking for two goals in the first five minutes of the second half.
Ayoub Aguerram and Éanna Culloo both hit the target to put Tulla 4-1 in front by the fiftieth minute.
Aguerram’s involvement ended soon after when he picked up a straight red card on fifty seven minutes.
Sealing out the win for the East Clare side, Corry picked up his second goal of the morning and Seán Withycombe also got in on the act to push them to second place in the table.
Tulla Utd: Simon Kilker, Fiachara Hale, Adam McNamara, Diarmuid Molloy, Dara Ryan, Adam Kilker, Éanna Culloo, Ayoub Aguerram, Daragh Corry, Dan Withycombe, Callum Casey.
Subs: Seán Withycombe for Casey (29), Ian Macnamara for Withycombe (59), Conor McFadden for Molloy (62), Billy McNamara for Culloo (73).
Fairgreen Celtic: Liam Deasy, Stephen Ogundare, Seán Perrill, Hubert Kantecki, Shane Brown, Etnik Aliu, Lee Clohessy, Jashar Aliu, Bruce Piggot, Dean Coughlan, Eoghan Fox.
Subs: Pa Sherlock for Brown (58), Viachelav Nikolenko for Fox (58)
Referee: Pa Gleeson
Kilrush kill off Callan Utd in Cup derby
Kilrush Rangers 8
Callan Utd 3
Venue: Gallery Park, Kilrush
Talk of a potential upset in the second round of the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup were strongly dismissed by Kilrush Rangers who showed they are the top side in West Clare when bagging their highest tally of the season.
Third Division leaders Callan Utd would have been hoping to put together a decent Cup run, they would have quietly fancied their chances of upsetting Kilrush on Sunday but such plans quickly went out the window.
Kilrush had five goals scored in the first half, effectively sealing their place in the last sixteen long before the final whistle.
Ashan Badakhsi had a hat-trick in the opening half for Kilrush with Ronan Browne and Seán Madigan also on target.
Kevin Tubridy had goals in either half for Callan, Joe Campbell had their third and final goal on sixty seven minutes to make it 5-3.
To prevent any scare, Kilrush finished the final twenty minutes with three goals, Norbert Knucki, Browne and Gary Cunningham rounding out the win.
Sunday’s tie between Fair Green Celtic and Sporting Ennistymon will determine who faces Kilrush in the last sixteen.
Kilrush Rangers: Conor Downes, Robert Burns, Scott Greaney, Jack McNamara, Seán Madigan, Gary Cunningham, Norbert Knucki, Ronan Browne, Godwin Chigbo, Ahsan Badakhsi, Cathal Killeen.
Subs: Dylan O’Brien for Killeen (56), Ben McKiernan for Chigbo (83), Anas Maalin for Knucki (87)
Callan Utd: Tom O’Flaherty, Matthew Campbell, Cian Coughlan, Cian O’Mahoney, Daniel McAlinden, Paul Murphy, Joe Campbell, Shane Kavanagh, Kevin Tubridy, Conall Meade, Martin O’Leary.
Referee: Brian Punch
In the Munster Junior Shield, Shannon Town B prevailed against Crusaders 5-1. Daniel Riordan, Eoghan Maxwell x2, Kevin Cahill and Aaron Markham were their scorers to qualify for the semi-finals.
