*Avenue Utd players celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Joe Buckley
AVENUE UTD have retained their league title after overcoming Bridge Utd in their dramatic final day winner take all showdown.
Avenue Utd 2
Bridge Utd 0
Venue: Roslevan
Second half goals from Seán O’Callaghan and Eoghan Thynne helped Avenue finish the season by retaining the Premier Division title. It is the third time in four seasons that the David Russell managed outfit have lifted the league trophy.
In such a high stakes game there was always going to be tension and drama but before a ball was kicked there was controversy regarding the appointment of match officials for the league decider.
As reported by The Clare Echo, Bridge Utd lodged a complaint to the FAI citing a “conflict of interest” for the proposed referee Shane Hayes due to his involvement with the Avenue Utd academy.
Officials within the Clare District Soccer League (CDSL) met on Thursday evening to consider this but the original appointment was to remain until a meeting took place on Saturday evening and according to sources within the CDSL they were instructed by the FAI to change the referee resulting in the appointment of Paudie Hayes with sideline officials Trevor White and Barry McCarry.
On Sunday morning, Shane Hayes arrived expecting to officiate the contest but was advised his namesake Paudie Hayes was the man in charge. Both sideline officials departed in solidarity leaving Paudie without match officials for the biggest league game of the season. In a pressurised situation, the referee handled the game very well on his own.
When it came to matters on the field, an injury to Bridge Utd goalkeeper and captain John Mulready ended his involvement after a quarter of an hour. He was involved with a collision with Jack Ryan and hit the ground quite heavily after heading the ball away in the collision. There was concern with Mulready’s condition, fortunately Bridge Utd had a medic as part of their set-up which ensured he was treated promptly and removed to hospital for further treatment.
He was replaced by veteran goalkeeper Darren Whelan who could not have been faulted for either of the goals. The loss of such a key player was a blow to Bridge Utd, more from a psychological and restart perspective rather than a shot-stopping one.
Fifty six minutes were played for the opening half given the stoppages for Mulready’s injury and a blow sutained by Avenue Utd midfielder Nnabuike Nneji.
By half-time the sides were tied with spectators aptly describing it as ‘nil nil but mayhem’ in what was an entertaining and even opening half. Elias Kunz was lively from the off, he came close to getting them off the mark with only forty five seconds played after beating Liam Buckley but was denied by a Mulready save.
Next it was Mark Roche who came close, Liam Flynn fumbled the ball gifting Avenue a throw with Kunz then crossed into the box, a volley from captain Ronan Kerin was blocked and Roche’s rebound was then saved.
Composure was needed from Avenue Utd netminder Kuba Ruminowicz after a back pass from Eoghan Thynne put him pressure and led to the concession of a throw. Bridge Utd kept the ball up here and had two corners in quick succession but were unable to cause any threat from these chances.
Whelan was not peppered with shots on his introduction but he was busy. First he caught a delivery from Dylan Casey following Nneji’s injury on twenty eight minutes.
Within a three minute window there was a flurry of activity with an abudance of Avenue chances but somehow the deadlock remained intact. A shot from Nneji was deflected out for a corner, the chance arising after a Conor Mullen long-throw entered the box but Bridhe cleared only as far as the centre midfielder.
Then the post kept out an effort from Eoghan Thynne and the ball bounced across the line but not over it and a rebound from Roche was kept out by Whelan.
He had another save to make before half-time, this time stopping captain Kerin. Centre-half Liam Flynn made a vital block to stop a potential Mark Roche goal on forty three minutes.
David Russell’s Avenue went ahead on fifty one minutes through one of the more unlikely suspects. Sean O’Callaghan headed home when finishing a Conor Mullen cross to the net, the centre-half pairing putting together to move to put them on their way to glory. O’Callaghan followed the header with a unique celebration.
Bridge Utd managed a single shot of note in the second half but Kyle Kirby’s header was pushed out for a corner.
Mark Roche was once again denied by the post but Eoghan Thynne who had a first-half goal stopped made no mistaken when giving another opportunity, a precision pass from Elias Kunz left him with Whelan to beat, he duly obliged to seal the deal on ninety five minutes.
A minute’s silence was held before the game for Carmel Russell McGann, mother of Avenue Utd’s Steven McGann. Injury curtailed his involvement in proceedings, he was introduced in the second half but was forced off after twenty one minutes of action but his role this season has been central to Avenue Utd retaining the title.
On this occasion, the hosts were the stronger side, they didn’t have it all their way as when they met in Sixmilebridge three weeks ago but defensively they tightened up on matters massively. Dylan Casey excelled at left-back and nullified the threat of Bridge’s player of the season Jack O’Halloran who was unable to get into the game.
Alongside Casey in defence, Conor Mullen and Seán O’Callaghan didn’t give away an inch with Cullen McCabe’s new lease of life over the past month evident again.
Elias Kunz and Nnabuike Nneji once again stood out for Avenue who will be pleased and relieved to have ensured they finish the campaign with some silverware. CDSL Chairman, Jason Ryan presented the league trophy to winning captain Ronan Kerin after the game.
Mark Culbert’s Bridge didn’t show the attacking flair which they had in abundance on Wednesday evening when everything they kicked resulted in wonderful goals in a 6-0 win over Tulla. Defensively they were under pressure and were smart on the ball with Aidan Moloney impressing at right-back. Their standout men in Jack O’Halloran, Scott Kirkland and Ger Myles were not as prolific as they have been this season. A second place finish is progress for Bridge who were just ninety minutes from league success.
Avenue Utd: Kuba Ruminowicz, Cullen McCabe, Seán O’Callaghan, Conor Mullen, Dylan Casey; Nnabuike Nneji, Eoghan Thynne, Jack Ryan, Mark Roche, Ronan Kerin, Elias Kunz.
Subs: Jamie Roche for Ryan (64), Steven McGann for M Roche (68), Jack Dunleavy for Kerin (79), Owen Hadden for McGann (89) (inj).
Bridge Utd: John Mulready, Aidan Moloney, Liam Buckley, Liam Flynn, Lee Mulready; Mikey Guerin, Scott Kirkland, Jack O’Halloran, Filip Mostowy, Witness Odirile, Ger Myles.
Subs: Darren Whelan for J Mulready (19) (inj), Brian Monaghan for Mostowy (56) (inj), Kyle Kirby for Guerin (57), Brian Corry for Odirile (61), Dominic Griffin for L Mulready (77).
Referee: Paudie Hayes
