*Newmarket Celtic defender Éanna Crimmins. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
NEWMARKET CELTIC moved into second place in the Maloney Hardware Premier Division when overcoming Ennis Dons for the second time this season.
Newmarket Celtic 5
Ennis Dons 2
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
With so many games called off on Sunday, it was testament to the excellent work of Newmarket Celtic Chairman Jody Halpin and his committee that McDonough Memorial Park was once again in excellent condition with all the rainfall.
It was a late winner which saw Newmarket Celtic avoid an upset against Ennis Dons when they met in St Flannan’s College at the beginning of the season.
There’s been much change within the Dons lineup since then as they’ve lost starting players such as Ethan Cronin and James Tierney to Avenue Utd and Corofin Harps.
Declan Ensko’s have produced some spirited displays in their first season in the top flight to remain on course to stay in the Premier Division, but they know they need to start picking up points over the coming weeks.
Points have been rarely dropped by Newmarket Celtic this season who remain unbeaten in all competitions and are preparing for a Munster Junior Cup semi-final tie.
Consistency and a settled starting eleven appears to be one of the issues for Alan Gough’s side as they struggle to define what their best team is, this is of course a complaint all managers in the Premier Division would be envious to have.
Visiting Dons got off to a dream start when Kingsley Makombe fired one of the goals of the season with just four minutes on the clock.
Within ten minutes, Celtic were back on level terms, Darragh Leahy made the hard yards and Kieran Mahony showed his clinical side when finishing to the net.
Mahony had the assist when Newmarket went in front on the restart, Eoin Hayes bagging the goal on fifty three minutes.
Another combination between Leahy and Mahony led to the Ennis native collecting his second and Newmarket’s third goal on seventy four minutes.
Substitute Liam O’Connor ventured forward as Newmarket swung a delivery into the box and he was on hand to head beyond Mark Cleary.
Injury time saw goals at either end, Jack Devitt pulling a goal back for Dons before Leahy after providing two assists got his own name on the scoresheet.
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack, Éanna Crimmins, Conor McDaid, Harvey Cullinan, Tadhg Noonan, Jack Kelly, Cathal Cullinan, Kevin Harnett, Darragh Leahy, Eoin Hayes, Kieran Mahony.
Subs: Aaron Rudd for Harnett (69), David McCarthy for Hayes (69), Nathan Boaventura for Mahony (78), Ian Collins for McDaid (78), Liam O’Connor for Noonan (78).
Ennis Dons: Mark Cleary, Stephen Jordan, Aaron Duggan, Alex Akujobi, Cillian Roughan, Barry Woods, Philip Talty, Conor O’Halloran, Donal O’Halloran, Kingley Makombe, Emmanuel Obadeyi.
Subs: Eoin Keenan for Woods (53), Michael Akujobi for Obadeyi (59), Jack Devitt Stubbs for D O’Halloran (75), Kosi Ugwueru for Roughan (82), Peter O’Brien for Makombe (84).
