*Liam Meaney celebrates with teammates at the final whistle. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
FERN CELTIC claimed the last of the semi-final places in the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup when accounting for Avenue Utd B.
Fern Celtic 1
Avenue Utd B 0
Venue: Roslevan
A volley from Keith Shea on the hour mark was enough to send Fern Celtic into the penultimate stage of the Clare Cup where they will meet Newmarket Celtic.
In a tight encounter with Avenue Utd B, the Tiermaclane club created the majority of the chances and fortunately one for them, one hit the target and that ultimately was the difference to help them see off Avenue’s second string.
Shane Talty’s effort on the seventh minute took a deflection in what was the most threatening encounter to start the game. Fern Celtic continued to press with two chances from Shea in a two minute spell.
Avenue were also beginning to push for an opener and an important header from opposing centre half Tadhg Murphy who formerly lined out with the club cleared the danger on thirty five minutes.
An interception paved the way for Shea to break the deadlock on sixty minutes when full-back Dario Fernandez was intercepted and the resulting volley was impressively executed by Shea who joined the club during the January transfer window from Newmarket Celtic.
Richie Fitzgerald who was Avenue’s most impressive on the day was narrowly denied an equaliser on seventy eight minutes when his shot went over the crossbar. George Quinn also had an opportunity for the hosts but Fern Celtic held on.
They were certainly made sweat for the win with all the play in the closing minutes at Avenue’s feet, they had four chances in the final five minutes but Rhys Phillips left Roslevan with his clean sheet intact and Fern advanced to the semi-finals.
For this outing, Alan Murphy’s side will know their biggest test of the season awaits but they have nothing to lose.
Three of Avenue’s starting eleven were under seventeen and their run to the quarter-finals is the highlight of the B team’s season. Now competing in the Second Division, Avenue’s B team is a pale shadow of the side which reached the 2020 Cup final, notably there are no members of that team lining out with the B team.
Fern Celtic: Rhys Phillips; Ben Mungovan, Adam Fleming, Tadhg Murphy, Noel Frawley; Liam Meaney, Sean Culligan, Matt Fahy, Aidan Clancy; Keith Shea, Shane Talty.
Subs: Sean Meaney for Clancy (67), Josh Healy for Culligan (67), Ray Maher for Fahy (77)
Avenue Utd B: Gary Flynn; Dario Fernandez, Simon Cuddihy, Hubert Katnitt, Richard Neylon; Dean D’Auria, Owen Hadden; Josh Akinnagbe, Richie Fitzgerald, Gavin D’Auria; Etnik Aliu.
Subs: Steve Ogundare for Akinnagee (69), George Quinn for Fernandez (80), Mark Myers for Fitzgerald (84).
Referee: Pa Gleeson
Newmarket Celtic return to winning ways
Newmarket Celtic 3
Kilkishen Celtic 0
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park
Aaron Rudd helped Newmarket Celtic to take the lead on twenty minutes and this was a lead they maintained all the way to half-time, the advantage almost doubled only for the crossbar to deny Eoin Hayes.
Shane Cusack made an early save in the second half from Oisin Kavanagh but it was the crossbar which Newmarket were later thanking when a Paddy Fitzgerald volley was kept out, Cian Mulqueen and Mark Pewter linking up well to set up the Bodyke man.
Avondale duo Eoin Hayes and Tadhg Noonan added goals on the seventieth and eighthy second minute respectively to wrap up the win for Newmarket Celtic as they continue to clock up points in their bid to catch Avenue Utd.
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack, Conor McDaid, Colin Smyth, Harvey Cullinan; Eoin Kelly, Jack Kelly, Aaron Rudd, David O’Grady, Darragh Leahy, Eoin Hayes, Cian Foley.
Subs: Davy Lennon for O’Grady (60), Ronan McCormack for Cullinan (65), Nathan Boaventura for Foley (65), Tadhg Noonan for Rudd (75), Kevin Harnett for McDaid (80).
Kilkishen Celtic: Paul Tuohy; Cathal MacNamara, Christy Philpott, Denis Fahy, Cormac Murphy; Mark Pewter, Oisin Kavanagh, Cian Mulqueen, Fionn Hickey Paddy Fitzgerald.
Subs: Colm McInerney for Hickey, Johnny Fern for Mulqueen, Decky O’Reilly for Pewter.
Referee: Julian Sandford
Super six for Avenue
Avenue Utd 6
Kilrush Rangers 0
Venue: Gallery Park, Kilrush
Avenue Utd remain on course to be crowned Premier Division champions, they put six goals beyond Kilrush Rangers on their travels to West Clare.
Steven McGann set the way and had two of the goals by the half-time whistle. David Russell’s charges hit Kilrush on the restart with Nnabuike Nneji netting on the forty ninth minute while McGann had his hat-trick soon after.
Stephen Jordan and Ronan Kerin closed out the game with further goals as another dominant display sees them in line for further glory.
Avenue Utd: Luke Woodrow, Cullen McCabe, Conor Mullen, Dylan Casey, Jamie Roche, Stephen Jordan, Eoghan Thynne, Nnabuike Nneji, Mossy Hehir, Steven McGann, Ronan Kerin.
Subs: Dylan Barry for Hehir (60) (inj), Mohamad Annane for Jordan (66), Conor Hehir for Nneji (67).
Kilrush Rangers: Harry O’Gorman, Tomak Zajas, Kirill Antonov, Sean Mangan, Jack Cleary, Dean Neary, David Tubridy, Pat Clair, Richie Gadjecki, Jamie Griffin, Norbert Knucki.
Subs: Karl Murphy for Gadjecki (62), Thomas Clair for Antonov (73), Robbie Burns for Cleary (73).
Referee: Michael Rock
