Jamie Roche clears his lines under pressure from Lee Clohessy. Photograph: Joe Buckley
AVENUE UNITED’s bid to win back to back Clare Cup titles remains firmly on track after they expectedly dispatched of the challenge of Fair Green Celtic on Saturday evening.
Avenue Utd 3
Fair Green Celtic 1
Venue: Frank Healy Park, Doora
First half goals from Mark Roche and Ronan Kerin laid the foundation for the reigning champions, the concession of Roche’s penalty in the opening ten minutes and Kerin’s strike two minutes before half-time coming at vital junctures in zapping any bit of self-belief from the challengers.
Within thirty seconds of the kick-off when referee Mark Reilis had to give a warning to both Nnabuike Nneji and Sean Corry as tempers flared, such levels of intensity would not be sustained and this didn’t set a marker in how proceedings would pan out.
As Clare’s newest club, Fair Green Celtic who were founded last February welcomed a lot of individuals who for various reasons defected from Avenue Utd. Among them, Chairman Declan Ryan and manager Richie O’Grady while Pa Sherlock, Ross McCarthy, Aidan Jordan and Eddie Shaw would all have lined out with Avenue, centre-half Shane Brown was even part of the double winning Avenue squad from last season.
So there was a sense of familiarity in this Ennis derby, the first time that Fair Green Celtic clashed with Avenue Utd’s first team in any competition, this being the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup.
It was Brown who brought down Roche on the eight minute mark which saw the school teacher send Aidan Jordan the wrong way as he nestled his penalty in the bottom left corner of the net. The spot kick arose following two corners in a row, the first arising from a well-worked move involving Nna, Dylan Casey and Dylan Barry showcasing how they effectively move the ball through one touch football.
Chances to double the advantage fell to Elias Kunz on twenty one minutes while Mossy Hehir will be kicking himself for failing to capitalise on a one on one chance when Kunz put him through and he fluffed the chance a minute later.
It took twenty five minutes for Fair Green Celtic to threaten, Lee Clohessy swung a cross in but Dean Coughlan although he managed to control the ball, was unable to get a shot away so the danger was swiftly averted.
Straight from this, Avenue worked the ball up field with Kunz again threatening but his attempt was saved by Jordan.
Their pressure paid off when Ronan Kerin doubled the advantage on forty three minutes. Unexpectedly the ball broke to him on the edge of the box and he somehow managed to end up sticking the ball in the top left corner of the net to leave Avenue in a very healthy position.
Jordan managed to get down to a cross-field shot from Kunz moments later and almost fumbled the ball away but regained control in the scramble. The last opportunity of the half came at the other end when Luke Woodrow had to punch possession away but Fair Green lacked composure and full-back Ruairi Norrby saw his effort go well wide of the posts.
Goal number three arrived via Vincent Onouha’s first touch, the winger benefited from Elias Kunz showing strength and vision to deliver a cross field delivery which he controlled and tapped past Aidan Jordan to wrap up matters on sixty two minutes.
Frustration and indiscipline then boiled over with an exchange involving Nnabuike Nneji and Patrick Sherlock, it resulted in a yellow each for both men but Sherlock had already picked up a card of this colour on nineteen minutes and thus a second yellow card ended his involvement and brought Fair Green down to ten men.
Surprisingly, intensity levels dipped dramatically after this. The Third Division champions began to play better football and had Lee Clohessy denied by Woodrow resulting in a corner kick, this effort swung in by Shane Brown met the head of Dean Coughlan who connected well and dipped the ball to the back of the net.
Coughlan had a chance to pick up his second goal but Woodrow kept it out and the rebound from David McMahon just missed the target.
A first season in existence for Fair Green draws to a close following their exit from the Cup. It is only their second defeat, the first being their elimination from the Munster Junior Cup at the hands of Newmarket Celtic in October. More competitive games as they climb up the ranks will aid their development.
On this occasion, the gap between Premier Division and Third Division was noticeable but it is something Fair Green can learn from. Decisions not to start the very promising Eddie Shaw and to substitute Ross McCarthy were questionable while their wingers Dean Coughlan and Lee Clohessy certainly caused problems for their opposing full-backs for the entirety of the game.
Keeping focused on the job at hand has been a strength of Avenue’s in this season and last. They are still in contention to keep their Clare Cup and Premier Division titles. In comparing the sides, their fitness levels were far superior across the board while they had more players who were comfortable on the ball, the developing partnership between Dylan Casey and Dylan Barry and how quickly they move the ball being a key example of this.
A final date against either Lifford FC or Tulla Utd awaits David Russell’s men who continue to move in the right direction. Along with the centre-half duo, their best players included Nnabuike Nneji, Mark Roche and Elias Kunz.
Avenue Utd: Luke Woodrow, Jamie Roche, Dylan Barry, Dylan Casey, Conor Hehir; Eoghan Thynne, Nnabuike Nneji, Mark Roche, Mossy Hehir, Ronan Kerin, Elias Kunz,
Subs: Vincent Onouha for Kerin (60), Cullen McCabe for C Hehir (66), Mikey Dinan for Thynne (85), Calum Barrett for M Hehir (87),
Fair Green Celtic: Aidan Jordan; Jack Walsh, Patrick Sherlock, Shane Brown, Ruairi Norrby; Ross McCarthy, Ethon Considine, Dean Coughlan, David McMahon, Lee Clohessy, Sean Corry.
Subs: Eddie Shaw for McCarthy (60), Graham O’Connor for Norrby (66), Shane Ryan for Corry (73)
Referee: Mark Reilis
