*Photograph: Ruth Griffin
QUARTER-FINAL places have been claimed in the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup following the last sixteen ties on Sunday.
Holders Avenue Utd survived a scare against Bridge Utd B to end their losing streak. League leaders Newmarket Celtic accounted for Bridge Celtic while second placed Tulla Utd overcame a stern battle from Newmarket Celtic B.
Avenue get over Bridge B in extra time
Avenue Utd 2
Bridge Utd B 1
Venue: Shannon
Bridge Utd B were moments away from causing one of the biggest upsets of the season only for Avenue Utd to force extra time.
Conor Maxwell put Eric Purcell’s side in front on eighty four minutes but the hosts conceded a penalty approaching the final whistle which Steven McGann dispatched to the net to force extra time. The incident leading to the spot kick also resulted in Conor Deasy getting a straight red card from referee Shane Hayes.
McGann was the man to net the winner in extra time, scoring the all-important goal on 108 minutes.
A further dismissal went the way of the Sixmilebridge side when Paul Corry was given his marching orders.
The win ends Avenue’s losing streak of four games in succession which saw their elimination from the FAI Junior Cup, Munster Junior Cup and back-to-back league defeats which have made the possibility of them retaining their Premier Division title very slim.
Avenue United A: Jakub ‘Kuba’ Ruminowicz, Jamie Roche, Dylan Casey, Conor Mullen, Sean O’Callaghan, Dylan Barry, Mark Roche, Steven McGann, Jack Ryan, Ronan Kerin, Jack Dunleavy.
Subs: Phillip Talty for Mark Roche (20’), Owen Hadden for Sean O’Callaghan (80’).
Bridge United AFC B: Kyle McInerney, Daniel Larkin, Ben Maxwell, Conor Deasy, Michael Carr, Adam Black Murphy, Ronan Tuohy, Jason Whyte, Paul Corry, Jack Corry, Darragh Hayes.
Subs: Aleks Gladysz for Darragh Hayes (57’), Dylan Downes for Ben Maxwell (61’), Conor Maxwell for John Corry (72’), Stephen Ogundare for Paul Corry (79’), Kieran Quinlan for Michael Carr (99’).
Ref: Shane Hayes
Tulla prevail in tight affair with Newmarket’s second string
Tulla Utd 3
Newmarket Celtic B 2
Venue: The Cragg
First Division leaders Newmarket Celtic B saw their Clare Cup journey end at the hands of Tulla Utd who are looking to reach the semi-finals for the second time in three seasons.
Mike Moloney’s Tulla have had a positive campaign to date and sit in second place of the Premier Division but they were pushed to the pin of their collars by Brian Arthur’s plucky Newmarket Celtic B outfit.
Trailing by a goal with fifteen minutes to play, Tulla will be relieved to an extent to find themselves in the quarter-finals but the manner of their victory will certainly stand to them as they eye a return to the semi-finals.
Gallery of photographs by Ruth Griffin
Adam McNamara, Éanna Culloo and substitute Seán Withycombe scored the goals for the winners.
Tulla Utd: Simon Kilker, Fiachra Hale, Adam McNamara, Diarmaid Molloy, Dara Ryan, Darragh Whelan, Eanna Culloo, Ayoub Aguerram, Darragh Corry, Jashar Aliu, James Wallace.
Subs: Sean Withycombe for James, Adam Kilker for Denis, Dan Withycombe for Jashar, Fionn Ryan for Diarmuid, Eoin Hassett for Eanna
Newmarket Celtic B: Alan Reidy, Jamie Power, Darren Cullinan, Eanna Crimmins, Jamie Cronin, D. Gilbert, Conor McCarthy, Alan Kelly, Cian Foley, Martin McCarthy, Lee Cregan.
Ref: Dariusz Mostowy.
Ger helps Bridge Utd go the extra Myles vs Shannon Town
Bridge Utd A 1
Shannon Town Utd A 0
Venue: Lynch Park, Shannon
Ger Myles has proved to be an inspired signing for Bridge Utd this season and once again he stepped up when it mattered for the Sixmilebridge club.
He hit the net on seventy nine minutes in what was the only goal of this local derby, Jack O’Halloran providing the assist as Mark Culbert’s side bounced back from their disappointment of bowing out in the Munster Junior Cup quarter-finals.
Such is the close links between the sides that many players lined out against a club they previously represented including Brian Monaghan and Steven Carroll.
Bridge United AFC A: John Mulready, Luc Fitzpatrick, Lee Mulready, Leon Kelly, Liam Buckley, Eric Carr, Jack O’Halloran, Scott Kirkland, Gerard Myles, Filip Mostowy, Brian Monaghan.
Subs: Michael Guerin for Brian Monaghan (62’), Brian Corry for Filip Mostowy (70’), Dominic Griffin for Eric Carr (90’).
Shannon Town A: Gary O’Connell, Aaron Kelly, Steven Carroll, Aaron Shinners, Darren Griffin, Eoghan Gough, Kai Khetan, TJ O’Dwyer, Ben O’Neill, Sean Alymer, Cody Waller.
Subs: Charlie Morrison for Ben O’Neill (54’), Luke Keating for Cody Waller (75’), Derek Byrne for Aaron Shinners (92’).
Ref: Patrick Gleeson.
Newmarket march on
Newmarket Celtic A 2
Bridge Celtic 1
Venue: McDonough Memorial Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus
Aaron Rudd continued a strong vein of scoring form when hitting the target twice for last year’s Cup finalists Newmarket Celtic as they withheld a stubborn Bridge Celtic side.
Rudd scored on the ninth and fifteenth minute as hosts Newmarket forged a very strong start to book their spot in the last eight.
Winger Cathal Howard hit back with a goal for the South-East Clare side on seventy one minutes before Newmarket’s Ronan McCormack missed a penalty.
It didn’t prove costly however as Eoin O’Brien’s charges followed up their 4-2 league win over Avenue Utd with a safe passage to the quarter-finals but they know more improved showings are required to end the season on a high.
Newmarket: 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).
Bridge Celtic: E. Minehan, Kevin McEvoy, H. Costello, Craig O’Connell, B. Keenehan, Ben Murane, A. O’Connell, Seamus Monaghan, J. Heaney, Declan O’Meara, Cian Howard.
Subs: Sean Crotty for Ben Murane, R. McArthur for Declan O’Meara (64’).
Referee: Ray Keane
Fair Green back in quarter-finals
Fair Green Celtic 2
Kilkishen Celtic 0
Venue: Lees Rd
Fair Green Celtic qualified for the quarter-finals of the Ennis Carpets Clare Cup for the second time in their history after eliminating Premier Division side Kilkishen Celtic.
Bruce Piggott led the way for the Ennis side, bagging a brace as Declan Ryan’s charges made their way back to the last eight.
The win is a big lift for the First Division outfit who took down Kilkishen Celtic who are currently the basement side in the top tier.
Fair Green: Liam Deasy, Dario Fernandes, Shane Brown, Jack Walsh, H. Kantecki, William Bello, Lee Clohessy, Patrick Sherlock, Colin Smyth, Dean Coughlan, Bruce Pigott.
Subs: Sean Corry for Lee Clohessy (78’), Ethan Coote for H. Kantecki (83’), Sean Perrill for Shane Brown (85’), Tomas Zajas for Colin Smyth (85’).
Kilkishen: Killian Nugent, Colm McInerney, Kyrylo Antonov, John O’Hagan, Enda Murphy, Patrick Clair, Mark Pewter, Denis Fahy, Johnnie Fern, Aiden Fawl, K. Murphy
Subs: N/A
Ref: Barry McCarry
Sun shines for Moher
Moher Celtic 5
Newmarket Celtic C
Venue: Lahinch
Moher Celtic had a Sunday morning to remember with the sun shining as they eased past the challenge of Newmarket Celtic’s third string.
Two goals inside the first six minutes saw the hosts lay a solid foundation with Ruairí Crimmins and Ryan Barry on target.
Niall Canavan scored their third goal on fifty five minutes when he controlled a fine delivery from Michael O’Dwyer and volleyed to the net.
Organ made it four following nice work from Barry and Tom Hanrahan while Ryan Barry bagged his second goal of the morning with Crimmins providing the assist.
Moher Celtic: L. Marrinan, Niall Rose, Niall Canavan, Tom Hanrahan, Michael O’Dwyer, Michael Davenport, Christopher Organ, Jack O’Regan, Jean Christophe Thierry Bouton, Ruairi Crimmins, Ryan Barry
Subs: Michael O’Brien for Christopher Organ (61’), Barry Rynne for Tom Hanrahan (67’).
Newmarket Celtic C: Matthew Brown, R. Foley, Mark Gilbert, Ian Cusack, David McParland, C. Tierney O’Neill, Kieran Eyres, Jake Sheehan, Seán Kenny, Mark Sherlock, Eugene O’Callaghan.
Subs: Cian Mulqueen for Mark Sherlock (36’), Samuel Legge for Jake Sheehan (58’), Padraig O’Looney for Eugene O’Callaghan (76’).
Ref: Michael Rock
Inch take down Lifford
Inch Crusaders 4
Lifford FC 3
Venue: Lees Rd
In a high scoring affair in Lees Rd, Inch Crusaders claimed a big scalp to dump Lifford FC out of the Clare Cup.
Lifford took the lead via Emmanuel Obadeyi but Inch bit back with goals from Conor Finnuance, Kenneth Higgins and Enda Finnucane to hold a 3-1 advantage at the break.
They made it four through the elder of the Finnucances, Enda on seventy four minutes, his younger brother offering the assist.
Inch went close to scoring a fifth with a Padraig Talty strike that went narrowly wide. To their credit Lifford never gave up and Lucas Silva pulled a goal back when a corner was not cleared and Fiachra Roche headed home before the full time whistle but their was no denying Inch a deserved victory and a place in last 8 of the Clare Cup.
Inch Crusaders: Tommy Barry, Ronan McCarthy, Martin Moran, Niall McCarthy, John Hassett, Colin Carmody, Conor Finnucane, Enda Finnucane, Kenneth Higgins, Bradley Higgins, Luke McMahon
Subs: Ben Wragg, Padraig Talty, Noel Barry
Lifford: Aidan Jordan, Jean Ganda, Eoin Walsh, Eoin Monaghan, Toluwalase Ifebajo, Albert Obadeyi, Jorge Becker, Ethan Cronin, Sean Collins, Lucas Silva, Emmanuel Obadeyi
Subs: Davie Keenan, Josh Ryan, John Forson, Cian Guilfoyle, Fiachra Roche
Ref: Trevor White
Olympic prevail in Shannon derby
Shannon Olympic 5
Shannon Town C 1
Venue: Corrib Drive
