*Avenue Utd’s players and management celebrate. Photograph: Joe Buckley
AVENUE UTD have won the CDSL Maloney Hardware Premier Division by defeating rivals Newmarket Celtic on Sunday morning to become league champions for 2023/24.
Avenue Utd 3
Newmarket Celtic 2
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
It’s a second league title in three seasons for Avenue Utd and fourth in fourteen seasons after they overcame last year’s league winners Newmarket Celtic.
A draw would have done the business for Avenue but they came from behind twice to leave Newmarket-on-Fergus as league champions but they’ll have to wait until next weekend to be handed the silverware.
Goals from the Roche brothers, Mark and Jamie together with Eoghan Thynne’s winner helped Avenue to a deserved victory and an equally as merited league title.
Thankfully there was no off-the-field drama from this encounter, a trend which has become regrettable common in recent meetings between the sides, helped by how the Newmarket-on-Fergus grounds were set up but also by those not lining out remembering that they have no business being on the field of play unless called upon.
Matters were still competitive and a total of seven yellow cards were dished out over the course of the ninety plus minutes.
Both sides were well aware of the permutations and from Newmarket’s perspective they had the dream start when Eoin Kelly scored, ninety seconds from the kick-off. Attacking right-back Davy Lennon managed to win a corner for the hosts, the delivery from Conor McDaid spilled to centre-half Kelly who manufactured a volley that went all the way to the back of the net.
This put the pressure on Avenue but they didn’t shirk from the challenge. A mix-up in the Celtic defence almost allowed Steven McGann to pounce, he didn’t but the collision between him, Shane Cusack and Colin Smyth saw the netminder pick up a knock after coming off his line.
Mark Roche’s first header of a day came close on nineteen minutes, the winger got on the end of an incoming Avenue free but didn’t manage to trouble Cusack.
Aaron Rudd had only Newmarket’s second chance of note on twenty minutes and their first since the goal on twenty minutes but the shot was dealt with by Luke Woodrow.
Roche had better luck with his next header, Avenue won a corner after Newmarket Celtic appeared to have cleared the danger, Eoin Kelly headed the ball away from goal but left-back Conor McDaid’s clearance went straight to the opponents, their build-up play led to a corner which Jamie Roche swung into the box and his older brother Mark got a head to at the front post after shaking off McDaid and suddenly they were level.
Newmarket Celtic had their noses back in front on twenty eight minutes, a long throw from Eoin Kelly was spilled to the net by Woodrow but the goal didn’t stand, much to the frustration of home supporters and management.
They didn’t have to wait long to celebrate though as Davy Lennon struck a bullet to the top left corner of Woodrow’s net on the half hour mark and with that the lead was restored in their favour. A long-range free from Cusack after Jack Kelly was fouled kick started the move for Lennon’s strike and arguably his greatest ever goal.
Before the half-time whistle, Avenue almost equalised. Nnabuike Nneji was the provider, he set up Ronan Kerin but the captain hesitated when a first-time shot would likely have led to a goal, the ball then fell to McGann but his shot sailed over.
Six minutes into the second half, Avenue were back on level terms. A long-throw from Conor Mullen was not dealt with in the Newmarket defence and the ball was put straight to Mark Roche, his shot was stopped but Shane Cusack and Colin Smyth appeared to get in each other’s way which resulted in the ball spilling to Jamie Roche and he duly tapped to the net to make it honours even.
Intensity in the contest waned for a spell from here with Newmarket Celtic then dealt a massive blow as goalkeeper Cusack was forced off with injury.
This gave Avenue Utd further momentum and they began to dominate. They had three corners in a row, the best chance arising when a Jamie Roche corner was headed into the six yard box by McGann but Kerin’s shot was blocked by Thynne much to the relief of Newmarket Celtic.
Cusack’s substitute Dermot Gannon was a steady pair of hands, he made two excellent saves in three minutes from McGann, one a free and the other after he was bearing down on goal having stole possession from Eoin Kelly.
Calls for a penalty then came from the Avenue faithful after the ball touched the hand of Davy Lennon but they had reason to shout in a more joyous manner seconds later. After avoiding the concession of a penalty, Newmarket instead gave away a throw but this was the beginning of a move which finished with Eoghan Thynne slotting the ball past Gannon on sixty nine minutes.
Experienced duo David McCarthy and Kevin Harnett were introduced to proceedings for Newmarket and they made a difference. The time at which it took Celtic to make some changes in the second half when they were under pressure and in trouble was baffling.
They received an immediate impact from McCarthy and Harnett. Within a matter of time they had three corners in a ninety second window, McCarthy helping to create those chances while Harnett won back possession when the odds were against him on two occasions.
With ten minutes remaining, a long Celtic throw was headed on by Tadhg Noonan but there was nobody alert or in the danger zone to get an extra touch on this to try pull back an equaliser.
Although it was Newmarket that finished the stronger, they didn’t make the most of their possession or chances in the Avenue box with Dylan Casey standing tall in leading the way to clear the danger on several occasions.
Newmarket’s inability to pull a goal back ensured that Avenue prevailed and win the league title but the trophy was not lost on this outing for Paddy Purcell’s charges but rather it was the dropped points when they lost to Bridge Utd and drew with Tulla Utd and Kilrush Rangers in the past two months that served as their stumbling block. During the second half they really struggled to get the ball into the attack and would certainly have benefitted from making substitutions closer to the hour mark rather than with fifteen minutes to go.
There was better luck for the Newmarket Celtic B team who won the Banner Fire First Division when recording a 5-0 win against Shannon Town B with Ché Burke and Garry Higgins setting the way on the scoring front for Gavin O’Donnell’s side.
Unbeaten throughout the entire league, the title of league champions has been well earned by David Russell’s Avenue. They’ve been the most consistent team in the Premier Division this season and only dropped points in two league games all year. Best for the winners included the Roche brothers, Mark and Jamie, Steven McGann was a threat throughout with Nnabuike Nneji and Dylan Casey also leading the way.
Avenue Utd: Luke Woodrow; Cullen McCabe, Conor Mullen, Dylan Casey, Conor Hehir; Nnabuike Nneji, Eoghan Thynne, Mark Roche, Jamie Roche; Steven McGann, Ronan Kerin.
Subs: Mossy Hehir for M Roche (84), Philip Talty for J Roche (89), Dylan Barry for Thynne (93).
Newmarket Celtic FC: Shane Cusack; Davy Lennon, Colin Smyth, Eoin Kelly, Conor McDaid; Jack Kelly, Aaron Rudd, Gearoid O’Brien, Darragh Leahy, Tadhg Noonan, Eoin Hayes.
Subs: Dermot Gannon for Cusack (55) (inj), David McCarthy for Rudd (74), Kevin Harnett for J Kelly (74), Dean Hegarty for Leahy (86), Nathan Boaventura for Noonan (86).
Referee: Mark Rellis
