*Jamie Halpin and Conor McDaid clash. Photograph: Joe Buckley
NEWMARKET CELTIC have been knocked out of the Munster Junior Cup losing to the Declan Farmer managed Aisling Annacotty in Saturday’s semi-final.
Aisling Annacotty 3
Newmarket Celtic 2
Venue: Jackman Park, Limerick
Winners of the Munster Junior Cup in 2020, Aisling Annacotty are ninety minutes away from regaining the provincial crown after overcoming 2023 finalists Newmarket Celtic in the penultimate stage of the competition.
Annacotty were the better side across the course of ninety minutes in Jackman Park on Saturday evening, playing with energy and purpose while their transition from one end of the field to the other was done at an impressive pace.
That said, Newmarket Celtic suffered a very early blow when losing the experienced Eoin Hayes to injury. The 2019 FAI Junior International of the Year had picked up a hamstring injury in training prior to the semi-final and was a doubt heading into the game, he was forced off after four minutes. Kieran Mahony was a more than able replacement for Hayes but his experience and ability to read breaks off striker Darragh Leahy was sorely missed.
With Hayes departing so early in the contest, it was surprising that David McCarthy was introduced so late in the game. The two-time Oscar Traynor winner was the playmaker they needed to influence proceedings but it wasn’t until the sixty seventh minute that he was brought on and was only their second substitution. He needed to be on the pitch much earlier in the second half to try reignite their cause after falling behind for the second time.
Referee Robert O’Leary got one of the big calls wrong in the opening half when instead of awarding Dean Hegarty a penalty, he instead gave him a yellow card for diving with twenty seven minutes played. Two softer frees were awarded to winger Hegarty before the half-time whistle but it was this big call which O’Leary failed to point to the spot, causing great annoyance and anger among the Newmarket Celtic support.
This aside, there can be little complaints with the outcome as Annacotty were the stronger and sharper of the two teams. They looked capable of scoring a goal with every attack and really had Celtic under pressure. The pace at which they broke from defence to the other end of the field was remarkable and put their opponents on the backfoot.
Hesitating instead of committing to attack the ball was too common across the board for Newmarket Celtic, it allowed Aisling to not alone claim possession but create chances and was clear to see in the lead-up to their goals.
It was Newmarket that had the first chance to open the scoring, Seanie Ó hAodha gifted possession to Dean Hegarty, he did a 1-2 with Darragh Leahy but an excellently timed tackle from Raid Mouras cleared the danger after Hegarty took a second too long to decide what to do.
Hegarty’s corner was cleared down the other end of the field and Newmarket too long to get organised which gave Joel Coustrain a chance but his effort went narrowly wide.
Annacotty were beginning to string opportunities together as they gained a grip on proceedings. Adam Foley had a shot comfortably saved by Shane Cusack before Sean Ezekannagha on the left wing got away from Cian McDonough only for an offside Foley to be penalised. A well-timed Harvey Cullinan tackle on Donncha O’Leary helped Celtic wipe the sweat from their brow once again.
Persistence paid off for Aisling Annacotty who went in front with twenty five minutes played. Joel Coustrain finished to the back of the net after Adam Foley’s free was swung into the box and headed across the danger area with Coulstrain only glad to fire home.
In the next attack, Hegarty was somehow booked and denied a penalty all in the one sequence depriving Celtic a chance of an immediate equaliser. Annacotty put together the next three chances with Foley and Ezekannagha on the double threatening for their second goal.
Newmarket finished the half strongly, they had a cross from Hegarty intercepted when they had a numerical advantage but got back on level terms with forty minutes on the clock. Darragh Leahy controlled the ball and passed out wide to Hegarty, his cross was finished to the net by Conor McDaid to bring his tally to four goals in the space of six days.
Fresh from equalising, Celtic got to stick their chests out heading in at half time with a superb tackle from Éanna Crimmins on Ezekannagha managing to lift their supporters before they retreated for half-time.
Now playing with the aid of the breeze, Annacotty struck for a second goal on fifty one minutes in a perfect start to the second header. Coulstrain doubled his tally when heading a Foley cross to the net, for the second time the Ardnacrusha man who signed for Sheffield United at the age of fourteen, was unmarked and duly obliged with the opportunity thrown his way.
Adam Foley struck for Annacotty’s third goal on sixty two minutes when Ezekannagha won the ball from Crimmins and McDonough before passing to Foley for a fine finish to the net.
Now leading by 3-1, Shannon’s Jamie Halpin had a rush of blood to the head and five minutes after his side went two goals in front, he was given a straight red card after clashing with Conor McDaid.
Still pushing for a fourth, Annacotty were denied, first with Harvey Cullinan flicking the ball from Foley and then Shane Cusack saving from Conor Carew on eighty one minutes.
Cullinan ventured forward and there was more shouts for a Newmarket penalty but it was less clear-cut than the first half incident. Frustrations resulted in coach Mark McKeogh picking up a red card from referee O’Leary with manager Alan Gough booked earlier in the game.
In the seventh minute of additional time, Newmarket did pull a goal back when Leahy managed to reach out and flick the ball to the back of the net.
For an excellent and impressive Annacotty, Jack Aherne, Joel Coulstrain, Adam Foley and Sean Ezekannagha were standout performers. Harvey Cullinan did well for Celtic who will be disappointed with how they fared when they watch back the game. This was their eighth Munster Junior Cup semi-final appearance and is their fifth time losing at the penultimate stage.
All photographs by Joe Buckley
Aisling Annacotty: Arron Curtis, Jamie Halpin, Seanie O hÁodha, Raid Mouras, David Moloney; Jack Aherne, Isaac O’Sullivan, Donnacha O’Leary, Sean Ezekannagha, Joel Coulstrain, Adam Foley.
Subs: Conor Carew
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack; Cian McDonough, Éanna Crimmins, Harvey Cullinan, Cathal Cullinan; Jack Kelly, Kevin Harnett, Conor McDaid, Dean Hegarty, Eoin Hayes, Darragh Leahy.
Subs: Kieran Mahony for Hayes (4) (inj), David McCarthy for McDonough (67), Aaron Rudd for Hegarty (70), Nathan Boaventura for Mahony (70), Ian Collins for Crimmins (84)
Referee: Robert O’Leary
