Corofin Harps’ Jack Keane controls the ball and eludes the challenge of Cian Geoghegan. Photograph: Burren Eye Photography
After a month’s break over the Christmas and New Year, Clare soccer league action returned at the weekend and after Sunday’s games in the Premier Division, the positions at the top of the table remain unchanged.
Reigning champions Newmarket Celtic, Avenue United and Shannon Town A all won on Sunday as they continue their challenge to win this season’s title.
Lifford 0
Avenue United A 2
Venue: Tom Steele Park, Ennis
Avenue United got off to a great start in this Ennis derby tie with Lifford when they hit the front after just one minute. Great play by Mark Roche down the left ended when his cross was finished to the net by Elias Kunz.
The winners dominated the opening twenty minutes and they doubled their lead when Eoghan Thynne volleyed home after good work by Tomás Hehir. The winners would have been further ahead by half time but for outstanding play from Lifford goalie Rhys Phillips who produced two excellent saves from Hehir and Mark Roche before the break.
No real chances were created in the second half when the winners continued to hold the upperhand on their way to a merited win
Lifford; Rhys Phillips; John Maher, M. J. Junaid, Dara Kerins, Dan Daly, Paul Martyn, Sean Corry, Gary McNaboe, Ethan Cronin; Dean Coughlan, John Keogh;
Subs; Nathan Redezde for Coughlan; Matthew Davenport for Keogh; Lucas Felipe for Cronin; Keith Shea for McNaboe; Dylan Ryan for Corry
Avenue United A; James Tierney; Cullen McCabe, Conor Mullen, Dylan Casey, Shane Browne; Stephen Jordan, Mikey Dinan, Eoghan Thynne, Mark Roche; Elias Kunz, Tomás Hehir;
Subs; Jamie Roche for Browne; Dylan Barry for Dinan; Callum Barrett for Jordan, Gary Roche for Kunz; Philip Talty for G. Roche.
Newmarket Celtic 3
Shannon Olympic 0
Venue: McDonagh Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Title holders Newmarket Celtic recorded a comfortable win over Shannon Olympic on Sunday morning.
After a scoreless first half, the winners took the lead shortly after half time through Ronan McCormack and further goals followed from Gearoid O’Brien and Daithi O’Connell.
Newmarket Celtic A: Shane Cusack; David O’Grady, Paddy Purcell, Stephen Kelly, Darren Cullinan; Cathal Hayes, Alan Kelly, Dave McCarthy, Daithi O’Connell, Gearoid O’Brien, Ronan McCormack;
Subs; Conor McDaid for C. Hayes; Caeleb Gaffney for Cullinan; James Fahy for O’Grady; Davy Lennon for R. McCormack.
Shannon Olympic; Zsolt Lakos; Benjamon Cantillon, Dan Clair, Dean Power, Rob Clair, Pa Madden, Rachid Amaliah, Sean McDonald, Ray Quigley, Jay Regan, Declan McDonald;
Subs; Wayne Regan for Madden; Piotr Kaluza for Amaliah
Bridge United A 4
Shannon Hibs 1
Venue: Sixmilebridge
Bridge United A got 2022 off to a winning start when they recorded a comfortable win over Shannon Hibs on Sunday. Brian Corry, Liam Buckley from the penalty spot, Jordan Downes and Kieran Quinlan were the goalscorers. Gary Leahy was the Shannon Hibs goalscorer, converting from the penalty spot.
Bridge United A; Paul Tuohy; Dan Larkin, Jason Loughnane, Alan Mulready, Storm Devanney, Jonathan Downes, Leon Kelly, Liam Buckley, Jordan Downes, Kieran Quinlan, Brian Corry;
Subs; Leon Daly for Corry; Enda Boyce for Jonathan Downes; Michael Carr for Loughnane; Conor Deasy for Kelly; Stephen Stewart for Buckley;
Shannon Hibs; Damian Casey; Ciaran McKee, Julien Woods, Bobby O’Connell, Darragh McDade, Liam Delaney, Lee Wall, Dean Devanney, Mikey Wall, Gary Leahy, Billy Connors;
Subs; Stephen McInerney for Woods; Cian O’Rourke for McDade; Darren O’Loughlin for L. Wall; Stephen Tuohy for M. Wall; Sean Costello for G. Leahy
Shannon Town A 5
Sporting Ennistymon 3
Venue: Lynch Park, Shannon
Shannon Town A came from behind three times in this with Sporting Ennistymon at Shannon on Sunday.
The winners trailed by a goal at half time when the score was 1-2 with the Shannon goal coming from a Brian Monaghan penalty. Kieran Hackett levelled the game at 2-2 while substitute Jack Ryan tied up the game at 3-3.
Town went ahead for the first time when Brian Monaghan scored from a free kick before Jack Ryan struck for his second to seal a deserved win.
Scorers for Sporting Ennistymon were Nikolai Jug, Ciaran Monahan and Darren McNamara
Shannon Town A; Darren Whelan; Aidan Leahy, Colum Treacy, Darren Griffin, Steven Carroll; Brian Monaghan, Robert Wall, Jack Kelly, Gary O’Connell, Brian O’Connor, Kieran Hackett
Subs; Jack Ryan for Carroll; Chris Dunning for K. Hackett; Ian Collins for A. Leahy; T. J. O’Dwyer for R. Wall; Liam Boland for B. O’Connor;
Sporting Ennistymon; Joe Gallagher; Dara Flynn, Jack O’Dea, Michael Leigh, Ciaran Monahan; Thierry Bouton, Eoin Marrinan, Nikolai Jug, Jamesy McConigley, Darren McNamara, Sean McConigley.
Richie Fitzgerald Electical U17s League Group 1
St Pats BYE
Newmarket Celtic OFF Bridge Celtic
Mountshannon Celtic 2 – 1 Shannon Hibs
Richie Fitzgerald Electical U17s League Group 2
Tulla Utd 3 – 4 Avenue Utd
Coole FC OFF Connolly Celtic
Corofin Harps 2 – 3 Shannon Town
Ennis Carpets U19 League Group 1
Bridge Utd 7 – 0 Manus Celtic
Moher Celtic 1 – 0 Avenue Utd
Ennis Carpets U19 League Group 2
Shannon Town 2 – 1 Newmarket Celtic
EI Electronics Womens Senior League:
Bridge Utd 1 – 0 Burren Utd
First Division results:
Avenue United B 0-6 Moher Celtic A
Bridge United B 1-1 Tulla United
Kilrush Rangers 2-1 Hermitage
Turnpike Rovers 2-3 Coole FC
Newmarket Celtic B 2-2 Shannon town B
Second Division results:
Corofin Harps 2-3 Kiladysert Celtic
Kilkishen Celtic 4-1 Shannon Hibs B
Manus Celtic A 2-1 Rhine Rovers
Inch Crusaders 2-0 Connolly Celtic
Third Division results:
Bunratty Cratloe 1-3 Shannon town C
ST. Pats 1-3 Ennis dons
Fern Celtic P-P Manus Celtic B
