*Jack Ryan celebrates as Avenue Utd strike for their second goal via Elias Kunz. Photograph: Joe Buckley
AVENUE UTD have put Newmarket Celtic out of the Premier Division title race and kept their bid for successive league honours on track.
Avenue Utd 3
Newmarket Celtic 0
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
A dominant display from David Russell’s side saw them leave Newmarket-on-Fergus on Sunday morning with a vital three points in the bag to keep their quest for back to back titles on track but they also ruled rivals Celtic out of the reckoning for league success.
What was Newmarket Celtic’s second league defeat in the space of five days has them out of contention to complete a double and now at real risk of finishing outside the top two.
Played in glorious sunshine and surprisingly warm temperatures for 11am, tensions thankfully didn’t surpass boiling point between the sides, the quality of the contest was also not on par on their previous battles.
Two goals from Elias Kunz before half-time had Avenue on their way to success with Newmarket lacking an ability to create chances to really force their way back into proceedings.
Mistakes from the hosts were punished as Avenue showed glimpses of the clinical side they were earlier on in the season before their quest for glory outside of the county was derailed in February. They still greatly missed the presence of Steven McGann who has the ability to make something arise from nothing when in possession.
That said, they were the team in control and quenched any potential fire thrown at them by their opponents.
Ian Collins made an exceptional tackle to stop Elias Kunz from opening Avenue’s account on thirteen minutes, the striker never managed to get sight of a free Eoghan Thynne on his left after the midfielder powered forward as an option. Collins’ slide-tackle diverted the danger and it wasn’t the only time the right-full was called on to make a last-stitch intervention.
With twenty four minutes on the clock, Newmarket had their first chance of the game but Tadhg Noonan blazed over.
In the next attack, Avenue broke the deadlock through striker Elias Kunz. The hosts called for an offside but there was no budging from the match officials but regardless they only had themselves to blame on this one, a Harvey Cullinan free fell straight to Ronan Kerin, he passed outwide to Jack Ryan who played Kunz through and he struck the ball beyond Shane Cusack.
What was Newmarket’s best-worked move on the day saw them come close to nabbing an equaliser. Collins played the ball to Cian McDonough who found Aaron Rudd, the right-winger made a tremendous run but the danger was averted.
Goal number two for Avenue arrived on forty minutes. In a fifty fifty battle for possession between Tadhg Noonan and Nnabuike Nneji, Newmarket ended up conceding a throw when they should have cleared the ball down the line. Centre-half Conor Mullen took the long throw, Celtic failed to evacuate harm’s way, the ball spilled to Mullen and the defender not noted for his crosses delivered a precision ball into the box which was headed home by Kunz.
On the ball, Avenue were superior in linking up with their teammates as evident by their third goal which saw Nneji, Mark Roche and Elias Kunz all link up in a move that was finished to the net by Eoghan Thynne on sixty five minutes.
Two home defeats in the space of a week have ended Newmarket’s chances of league success. They appeared to get the balance wrong when it came to team selection, effectively lining out with three 6s in their midfield, Jack Kelly, Conor McDaid and Cian McDonough, all hard-working and industrious players but they may have been better served by keeping two of them alongside David McCarthy who would have added a spark of creativity on the ball. Similarly, Eoin Hayes’ experience and skill up front would have posed more questions of the Avenue defence. For Eoin O’Brien’s side, Shane Cusack, Ian Collins, Cathal Cullinan and Jack Kelly did best. The challenge for them is to now shift their focus completely on the upcoming Clare Cup final and lift their performance considerably.
Ninety minutes will now determine if Avenue Utd retain their crown as Premier Division champions and they are firmly in the driving seat. They face Bridge Utd on Sunday to determine who wins the league. Since overcoming Bridge in Sixmilebridge two weeks ago, Avenue have regrouped very well, appearing as a much more focused outfit, aided of course by the returns of Elias Kunz and Eoghan Thynne.
Dylan Casey excelled at left-back throughout the course of ninety minutes through his tackling and use of the ball. Elias Kunz is also tuning up and giving a reminder of what he brings to the fold. Nnabuike Nneji again dominated in the middle of the park with Conor Mullen and Eoghan Thynne also impressing for the winners.
Avenue Utd: Jakub Ruminowicz; Cullen McCabe, Conor Mullen, Sean O’Callaghan, Dylan Casey; Nnabuike Nneji; Eoghan Thynne, Jack Ryan, Ronan Kerin, Mark Roche, Elias Kunz.
Subs: Jack Dunleavy for Ronan (68), Jamie Roche for Roche (78), Owen Hadden for Ryan (82), Philip Talty for Elias (86), Mikey Dinan for Thynne (90).
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack; Ian Collins, Antony Dabyrntes, Harvey Cullinan, Cathal Cullinan; Jack Kelly, Conor McDaid, Aaron Rudd, Cian McDonough, Dean Hegarty, Tadhg Noonan.,
Subs: Eoin Hayes for Noonan (53), David McCarthy for McDaid (53), Brian O’Connor for Rudd (53), Billy McNamara for Dabyrntes (74) (inj), Nathan Boaventura for Hegarty (80).
Referee: Shane Hayes
