*Newmarket Celtic players celebrate following Aaron Rudd’s third goal.
NEWMARKET CELTIC took a vital three points from Avenue Utd to move to top of the Maloney Hardware Premier Division.
Newmarket Celtic 4
Avenue Utd 2
Venue: Roslevan
There’s still of ball to be played this season but Sunday’s result is significant for both sides. Big from Newmarket’s perspective in reigniting their belief and noteworthy on Avenue’s side in maintaining a recent freefall.
In terms of personnel, Avenue fielded a stronger side when it comes to match-ups but when it came to playing as a team, Newmarket Celtic were superior.
Conor Hehir’s dismissal on forty three minutes was a key moment in the game but it did not define the result, Avenue took the lead for the first and only time in the contest after the full-back got his marching orders and they were down to ten men.
Soon after their coach Adrian Walsh was sent off after he made his views known to the match officials.
Tensions flared on occasions between the rivals but nothing to the nature that blighted meetings in recent years. Ethan Fitzgerald was the first player to enter Michael Rock’s book for a clumsy tackle on Steven McGann and Tadhg Noonan soon followed.
McGann had a chance to open the scoring on twenty six minutes but his free went over the crossbar while teenager Jack Dunleavy had an effort tail wide before the half hour mark.
Harvey Cullinan delivered one of his strongest displays of the season for Celtic and he stepped in with a vital block to stop Jack Ryan on thirty minutes after Ronan Kerin dispossessed Fitzgerald.
Indeed it was captain Cullinan who was the man to get the game’s first goal on thirty two minutes. Jamie Roche gave away a cheap free when fouling Jack Kelly by the sideline, the delivery was sent into the danger area and fumbled out in the direction of Dean Hegarty who pulled the ball back to Harvey and he hit home from an acute angle.
Avenue’s response was swift and within five minutes they struck for an equaliser. Dylan Casey’s corner was powerfully met with a header by Conor Mullen to leave Shane Cusack with no chance. Mullen can be credited with an excellent header but he was assisted by very slack marking in the Newmarket defence.
Jack Ryan was on his way to testing Cusack but full-back Cathal Cullinan took him down with a slide tackle, he had an anxious wait before Michael Rock distributed a yellow card, fortunately for him he wasn’t the last man back as the card could just have easily been of a different colour.
A red card was brandished on forty three minutes for Avenue full-back Conor Hehir after he appeared to kick back with his leg on an opponent. The call left some of the home support incensed, among them personnel listed on their management who have a habit of letting themselves down when it comes to this fixture.
On the field, Avenue stayed focused on the task at hand and within additional time of the opening half they went ahead for the first time in the game. Nnabuike Nneji powered through the Newmarket defence and played the ball across to an unmarked Jack Dunleavy who had a tidy finish with the clock reading that fifty four minutes had been played.
Experience was injected into the Newmarket side at the interval with the introduction of David McCarthy and his presence led to the visitors making smarter choices on the ball while Anthony Dabryntes formed a strong partnership with Harvey Cullinan in the heart of their defence.
Within four minutes of the second half, Newmarket Celtic were on level terms. Celtic pressurised a Conor Mullen clearance and regained possession, Tadhg Noonan linked up with Aaron Rudd and the winger slotted the ball beyond Luke Woodrow.
Michael Rock was kept on his toes with yellow cards dished out to Newmarket duo Cian McDonough and Conor McDaid while Nneji also entered the referee’s notebook, all for separate offences.
Another defensive mistake saw Celtic regain the lead. Dean Hegarty again was involved but Jamie Roche was too casual in defence which allowed Rudd to pounce and with sixty eight minutes Newmarket were ahead.
They had their fourth goal on the eighty third minute when substitute Kieran Hackett fired home after Brian O’Connor played the ball across goal, he again was found by Hegarty who at this stage had proved to be very influential in proceedings.
Exits from the FAI Junior Cup and Munster Junior Cup for Avenue Utd have been followed by successive league defeats with the Newmarket loss coming on the back of a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Kilrush Rangers. They have gone from ending Cockhill Celtic’s aspirations of winning back to back FAI Junior Cup titles and hoping to win honours outside of Clare to an outfit grappling to take their hands off the self-destruct button.
Still, they played nice football at times but the exit of Eoghan Thynne from their squad in recent weeks plus the constant chopping and changing of personnel and formations indicates that all is not well in Roslevan. David Russell’s biggest challenge of his six year tenure could well be turning things around before the end of the season.
Going top of the table will bring a lift to Newmarket Celtic who for a long time this season have known they are focusing solely on domestic matters, a drop in expectation of recent years. Eoin O’Brien’s charges may not have been the stronger of the two teams on paper but they played like a team and displayed much more unity.
They got over the line with Eoin Hayes an unused substitute and the youthful look of the side suggests O’Brien is putting a big focus on building towards the future, to beat their rivals along the way serves as a big confidence boost. Dean Hegarty, Harvey Cullinan, Anthony Dabryntes and David McCarthy did best for the winners.
Newmarket Celtic: Shane Cusack: Anthony Dabryntes, Ethan Fitzgerald, Harvey Cullinan, Cathal Cullinan: Jack Kelly, Conor McDaid; Aaron Rudd, Cian McDonough, Dean Hegarty; Tadhg Noonan.
Subs: David McCarthy for Fitzgerald (HT), Ian Collins for C Cullinan (53), Kieran Hackett for Noonan (61), Brian O’Connor for Rudd (81), Nathan Boaventura for Hackett (85) (inj).
Avenue Utd: Luke Woodrow: Conor Hehir, Dylan Barry, Conor Mullen, Jamie Roche; Jack Dunleavy, Nnabuike Nneji; Steven McGann;, Dylan Casey; Ronan Kerin , Jack Ryan.
Subs: Mark Roche for Ryan (58), Cullen McCabe for Nneji (75), Philip Talty for Barry (95).
Referee: Michael Rock
