*Newmarket Celtic.
NEWMARKET CELTIC created more history by becoming the first Clare club to win the Munster Champions Cup.
Newmarket Celtic 2
Villa FC 2
Newmarket Celtic win 4-2 on penalties
Venue: Carrig Park, Fermoy FC
Shane Cusack as he has been on countless occasions before was the hero once again for Newmarket Celtic as they claimed provincial silverware when overcoming Waterford side Villa FC in the Munster Champions Cup.
On the form guide, Villa FC came into this tie quite confident and rightly so given that they are still standing in the semi-finals of the FAI and Munster Junior Cups while Celtic have only had games in the Clare District Soccer League to keep them occupied.
In an energetic and lively game, penalties were needed to decide the champions as Newmarket came from behind twice to force extra time and then the shootout.
Villa FC started the stronger but Newmarket still had opportunities to register the opening goal with Eoin Hayes, Darragh Leahy and Tadhg Noonan all coming close.
Conor Whittle opened the scoring at the other end with thirty six minutes played, a free conceded by Ethan Fitzgerald resulted in a save from Shane Cusack and although the corner was headered clear, it went straight towards Whittle who curled the ball to the net.
Pressure continued to mount on Newmarket’s defence from here until the interval but they crucially managed to withstand this.
Paddy Purcell’s charges on the restart upped their performance as they went in search of the equaliser. It duly arrived after Tadhg Noonan was brought down in the box with Harvey Cullinan making no mistake to convert the penalty on fifty eight minutes.
Both sides then missed plenty of opportunities to take the lead as the second half progressed.
With ninety two minutes on the clock, it appeared that Villa FC had nabbed the victory, Aaron O’Connor fired a bullet to the net after a long throw found him in the danger area.
There would be one more chance for Celtic and as Darragh Leahy was about to strike on goal, he was taken down to win a penalty which was saved from Harvey Cullinan but the rebound from Gearoid O’Brien bristled the net to force extra time.
As the sides remained deadlocked in extra time, penalties were needed to crown the champions and in this period Cusack demonstrated just how he is one of the best junior soccer goalkeepers in the country.
He saved Regix Madika’s first attempt before captain Eoin Hayes converted. Cusack almost saved from Alex Phelan and then Leahy added Newmarket’s second while sending Craig Dunphy the wrong way. Dean Walsh was denied by Cusack who put on his shooting boots to convert Celtic’s third. John Tamen was aided by the post to score for Villa before Harvey Cullinan sealed the deal to make it four from four for Newmarket.
Given that Newmarket Celtic have come up short in two previous Munster Champions Cup finals over the past decade, they will take great joy in acquiring their latest piece of silverware but unlike previous managers that have brought Celtic far Paddy Purcell has proven to be a cut above the rest, greatly aided by assistant manager Eoin O’Brien.
It is the fifth trophy won by the club in the last eleven months following on from the FAI Junior Cup, CDSL Premier Division, Tom Hand Memorial Cup and the President’s Cup. The win is timely as they continue to battle to retain their league title and regain the Clare Cup.
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack; Conor McDaid, Harvey Cullinan, Colin Smyth, Ethan Fitzgerald, Jack Kelly, Aaron Rudd, Ronan McCormack, Darragh Leahy, Eoin Hayes, Tadhg Noonan.
Subs: David McCarthy for McCormack (65), Kevin Harnett for McDaid (75), Gearoid O’Brien for Noonan (85), David O’Grady for Fitzgerald (FT), Davy Lennon for Rudd (FT).
Villa FC: Craig Dunphy; Conor Signorelli, Luke Walsh, Conor Kilgannon, Conor Whittle, Dean Walsh, John Tamen, Dylan Stickel, Aaron O’Connor, James Kennedy, Dylan Walsh.
Subs: Adam Conway for L Walsh (58), Alex Phelan for Signorelli (68), Adam Heaslip for Kennedy (94), Regix Madika for O’Connor (94).
Referee: John Paul Grey
