*Photograph: Joe Buckley
LAST FOUR pairings have been confirmed for the penultimate stage of the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup.
Ennis Carpets showroom in the Quin Rd Business Park was the setting for Thursday’s draw which was officiated by CDSL PRO, Denis Collins and MFA delegate Mickey Guilfoyle in the presence of sponsor Pat McDaid.
New champions will be crowned for 2025 after Newmarket Celtic eliminated current holders Avenue Utd in the quarter-final thanks to a wonderful strike from winger Dean Hegarty.
Newmarket Celtic who were the most recent champions prior to the three in a row Avenue Utd side will face First Division side Fair Green Celtic who are currently sitting behind Celtic’s B team in second spot.
It will be a second ever Clare Cup semi-final for Fair Green who are managed by Richie O’Grady and qualified for the last four by overcoming Premier Division Shannon Olympic with a convincing 4-0 win.
Munster Junior Cup quarter-finalists Bridge Utd will meet Tulla Utd in the other semi-final. Bridge Utd reached the semi-finals of the competition last season but were defeated by Avenue Utd in controversial circumstances, Mark Culbert’s charges will be looking to go one step further.
For their second semi-final in three seasons, Mike Moloney’s Tulla know they face a difficult task but will be buoyed by the club winning the Youths Premier Division title for the first time when they overcame the Sixmilebridge club in a penalty shootout.
Ennis Carpets Clare Cup semi-finals:
(to be played 25th/26th April)
Newmarket Celtic vs Fair Green Celtic
Bridge Utd vs Tulla Utd
