*Daragh Corry of Tulla Utd tackles Bridge Utd’s Adam Fitzpatrick. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
TULLA UTD caused the biggest shock of this season’s CDSL Premier Division when overturning Bridge Utd in Sixmilebridge.
Bridge Utd’s unbeaten run in the top flight came undone and they drop off top spot with Tulla Utd, Avenue Utd and Newmarket Celtic all now unbeaten and sitting at the top with four wins from four games.
In the first-ever Ennis derby between Ennis Dons and Fair Green Celtic in the Premier Division, it finished all square in Lees Rd on Sunday morning.
Tulla upset the odds in Sixmilebridge
Tulla Utd 3
Bridge Utd 1
Venue: Shannon Rd, Sixmilebridge
In April, Tulla Utd made history when overcoming Bridge Utd 4-3 to qualify for a first Clare Cup final.
Though not as seismic, Sunday’s victory over the same opposition has certainly strengthened their aspirations this season and could yet come back to bite Bridge Utd.
With nine minutes on the clock, Tulla Utd took their first drop of blood. Daragh Corry pounced on a goalmouth scramble to give them the lead.
This put the pressure on the hosts and within ten minutes, mentor Albert Finnin picked up a yellow card.
So too did Seán Withycombe but he made sure to step up on the field and he bagged Tulla’s second goal with thirty five minutes played, finishing inside the six yard box from a long throw by Diarmuid Molloy.
Not even the introduction of former Tulla Utd man Conor Whelan could lift the Bridge side. Ironically his only two appearances for the Sixmilebridge outfit since signing in August have been against his former club.
Poor defence by Bridge certainly aided the visitors and another long throw caught them on the hop, the ball fell to netminder John Mulready but slipped from his grasp and into the path of Ayoub Aguerram who tapped home their third and final goal on fifty eight minutes.
Substitute Brian Corry pulled a goal back for Bridge Utd on ninety one minutes, Kyle Kirby’s cross was finished to the net by a header from the secondary school teacher.
While they have claimed the Hugh Kelly Cup already this season, Mark Culbert’s Bridge Utd appear to be missing the goal-scoring threat of Ger Myles with Caleb Lategan yet to catch fire as their main striker. They also need Jack O’Halloran to return to his strong form of last season if they are to get their campaign back up and running.
For Mike Moloney’s Tulla it is an important three points, their focus is solely on domestic matters for now so every game matters. This is four league wins from four but they must keep their winning run going.
Tulla Utd: Simon Kilker; Adam McNamara, Dara Ryan, Diarmuid Molloy, Glen McNamara; Adam Kilker, Fiachra Hale, Ayoub Aguerram, Ian Macnamara, Seán Withycome, Daragh Corry.
Subs: Frankie O’Sullivan for Withycombe (67), Jack McSweeney for Aguerram (77), Jashar Aliu for Hale (82), Cormac Hale for Macnamara (85), Raymond Bane for Corry (88).
Bridge Utd: John Mulready; Darragh Whyte, Liam Buckley, Liam Flynn, Adam Fitzpatrick, Scott Kirkland, Kyle Kirby, Jack O’Halloran, Witness Odirile, Filip Mostowy, Caleb Lategan.
Subs: Conor Whelan for Lategan (HT), Luc Fitzpatrick for Flynn (55), Dean Neary for Odirile (55), Brian Corry for Kirkland (60), Patrick Lonergan for A Fitzpatrick (75).
Referee: Patrick Gleeson
(Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill)
Dons & Fair Green finish all square
Fair Green Celtic 1
Ennis Dons FC 1
Venue: Lees Rd, Ennis
A first-ever Premier Division meeting between Fair Green Celtic and Ennis Dons also brought with it the first draw in the top flight this season.
Both sides scored in the first ten minutes but failed to hit the net for the remainder of the tie.
Lee Clohessy set up Bruce Piggot when putting the ball across the box to send Fair Green into the lead with the game a mere two minutes old.
From the penalty spot, Ennis Dons equalised. Fair Green netminder Alan Reidy committed the foul which prompted Brian Punch to award a spot kick with centre half Ethan Cronin produced a composed finish to get Dons back on level terms.
An element of tetchiness between the clubs is evident and their continued presence in the Premier Division will only strengthen their rivalry. A small glimpse of it was visible to see by the seventieth minute when Ethan Fox’s header just went over the cross bar, the Fair Green faithful mistakenly celebrated only to be jeered at by the Dons when the penny dropped.
For the closing stages, Dons looked more likely of claiming the spoils. Donal O’Halloran had an effort saved by Reidy, moments after Johnson Mununkum looked for a penalty at the other end.
Substitutes did add to the Dons challenge, Finn Whyte at full-back made a vital clearance when Bruce Piggot came close to doubling his tally while Kaylan O’Loughlin linked the play well and tried to do the right thing on the ball in the middle of the park.
Whyte managed to win a corner on eighty two minutes which almost resulted in Cronin heading to the net while further chances fell to Philip Talty and O’Loughlin. The Dons would have been better served if Cronin went for his own shot instead of offloading to Talty on eighty seven minutes.
Fair Green move to fifth spot in the table while Ennis Dons are just behind them in sixth. The clubs are level on points but Fair Green have a game in hand which Richie O’Grady’s side will aim to win in order to shake off their nearest and dearest.
Fairgreen Celtic: Alan Reidy; Dario Fernandes, Johnson Mununkum, Hubert Kantecki, Seán Perrill; William Bello, Pa Sherlock, Lee Clohessy, Bruce Piggot, Dean Coughlan, Eoghan Fox.
Subs: Stephen Ogundare for Sherlock (41).
Ennis Dons: James Tierney; Stephen Jordan, Alex Akujobi, Ethan Cronin, Aaron Duggan; Peter O’Brien, Michael Akujobi, Thomas Collins, Emmanuel Obadeyi, Philip Talty, Donal O’Halloran.
Subs: Finn Whyte for Jordan (HT), Kaylan O’Loughlin for O’Brien (HT), Kingsley Makombe for Obadeyi (63).
Referee: Brian Punch
(Gallery of photographs by Gerard O’Neill)
Leisurely win for Newmarket over Lifford
Newmarket Celtic 6
Lifford AFC 2
Venue: Tom Steele Park, Drumcliffe
Newmarket Celtic had it all their own way when storming to a fourth successive Premier Division win over Lifford AFC on Sunday morning.
Matters were more or less wrapped up at half time when the visitors had four goals tucked away. In their own honest assessment, Newmarket will admit they could have scored ten goals over the ninety minutes but nonetheless it was job done and three points collected.
Goal number one arrived on four minutes when Harvey Cullinan yet again provided the assist for Aaron Rudd. The centre-half has been linking up tremendously with his wingers in offering a strong attacking platform for the reigning Clare Cup champions.
Eoin Hayes set up Nathan Boaventura for their second goal on twenty minutes before they struck again via David McCarthy and Kevin Harnett to create that four goal advantage.
Christian Da Silvha converted a penalty on fifty minutes for Lifford, moments after Newmarket centre-half Tadhg Noonan picked up a yellow card. A second Lifford goal arrived on seventy seven minutes from David Keenan but sandwiched between a brace from Newmarket Celtic substitute Gary Leahy.
Along with picking up another three points, Newmarket will be pleased to have welcomed Dean Hegarty back to action. The winger was introduced on the hour mark having struggled with a hamstring injury picked up when lining out for UL in the Collingwood Cup.
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack, Éanna Crimmins, Harvey Cullinan, Tadhg Noonan, Cathal Cullinan, Jack Kelly, Aaron Rudd, Kevin Harnett, Nathan Boaventura, Eoin Hayes, David McCarthy.
Subs: Gary Leahy for Hayes (59), Dean Hegarty for Rudd (60), Conor McDaid for Harnett (60), Cian McDonough for Noonan (66), Kelvin Mulqueen for McCarthy (79).
Lifford AFC: Aidan Jordan, Hocine Bensadok, Kieran Doyle, Eoin Monaghan, Finn Woods; Chuks Obadeyi, Cain Guilfoyle, Lucas Silva, Bradley Higgins, David Keenan, Joseph Chukwuemeka.
Subs: Emanuel Cristhian Da Silva Cunha for Higgins (38), Luke Kenney for Guilfoyle (59), Gabriel Cavalcante for Bensadok (72)
Referee: Michael Rock
Avenue shake off Shannon Town
Avenue Utd 3
Shannon Town Utd 1
Venue: Lynch Park, Shannon
Harder than anticipated, league champions Avenue managed to leave Shannon with their unbeaten league run intact and with another three points on the board.
Shannon Town can take plenty solace from this tie as they matched Avenue for large parts. Lapses in concentration continue to be an issue for them along with taking their foot off the gas when they are troubling sides.
Scoreless for the entire opening half, Shannon Town had the visitors nervous, their best chance fell to Charlie Morrison whereas Avenue were putting together more attacking moves.
Ronan Kerin broke the deadlock on fifty seven minutes when Ryan Corcoran put him through with Kerin producing a characteristic composed finish to put them ahead. They had scored earlier in the tie but Ger Myles was deemed to be offside.
Ten minutes after conceding a goal, Shannon Town were back on level terms, aided by the freshness from the bench with manager David Hogan making three changes in the space of five minutes.
Captain Conor Mullen was penalised for fouling Charlie Morrison and he took the penalty which he put past Luke Woodrow to level matters on seventy five minutes.
Instead of holding tough, Shannon Town conceded a penalty at the other end when Ronan Kerin was brought down. Ger Myles stepped up with the penalty to restore the lead for Adrian Walsh’s side.
After falling behind again, Shannon Town opted for a more offensive approach to try salvage some points. They get caught on a break when Nnabuike Nneji found Ryan Corcoran who rounded off the victory in additional time to see Avenue fly out of the airport town with all three points.
Avenue Utd: Luke Woodrow, Conor Finnucane, Conor Mullen, Jamie Roche, Dylan Casey; Eoghan Thynne, Nnabuike Nenji, Ryan Corcoran, Jack Ryan, Ronan Kerin, Ger Myles.
Subs: Ryan Mahony for Ryan (56).
Shannon Town: Kyle McInerney, Cody Waller, Steven Carroll, Aaron Kelly, Aaron Shinners, Ben O’Neill, Jamie Doyle, Cian Johnson, Charlie Morrison, Seán Aylmer, Eoghan Gough.
Subs: Kieran Hackett for Doyle (65), Luke Keating for O’Neill (70), Colin Curran for Johnson (70), Adam Ryan for Aylmer (80).
Referee: Mark Reilis
