*Avenue Utd captain, Ronan Kerin. Photograph: Joe Buckley
AVENUE UTD accepted their title as CDSL Maloney Hardware Premier Division champions for 2023/24 by maintaining their unbeaten record till the end.
David Russell’s charges won the title when defeating Newmarket Celtic a week previous but they were only awarded the silverware following their 3-0 win over Bridge Utd on Saturday evening in Sixmilebridge.
CDSL official Richard Cahill presented the trophy to victorious captain Ronan Kerin after the Roslevan based club came out on top against Bridge Utd who they just shaded past in the Clare Cup semi-final a fortnight previous.
Indeed it was Kerin with seventeen minutes on the clock who opened the scoring for Avenue. Jamie Roche one of their standout players of the year made it 2-0 on the twenty second minute before a sublime free kick by Dylan Casey had them 3-0 ahead with less than half an hour played.
They maintained their three goal advantage until the final whistle to conclude a league campaign where they were the most consistent team in Clare.
With fourteen wins from their sixteen games, the statistics back up this statement, they only dropped points on two occasions but crucially never lost and in a Premier Division where the margins between the top teams are so tight, every point is priceless.
All photographs by Joe Buckley
