Forth Celtic within three points of top
Clinical first-half display earns victory
FORTH CELTIC CURRACLOE UNITED B 4 1 FORTH CELTIC moved to within three points of the summit in Under-12 Division 3 of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer League with a clinical first-half performance against hosts Curracloe United on Saturday.
The Murrintown boys have had games in hand in this division for some time and, while leaders Shelburne were in cup action, this was a chance to get one of those matches in and move up the table.
They did just that, breezing into a 4-0 lead after 16 minutes, before later being tested by their resilient hosts.
The key to their success was clear as they got the ball out wide, let their talented wingers do damage and reaped the rewards.
The first sign of this tactic working came in the sixth minute. Leo Barry took possession out on the right with enough time to get his head up and look across, and he swung in a delightful ball that flew all the way into the roof of the Curracloe net.
As special an opening goal as it was, it actually kicked United into life.
Moments later Joshua Roche got away on the left and squared to J.P. Fielding whose shot across goal drifted agonisingly wide of Daithí Murphy’s post.
Forth Celtic made it 2-0 in the eleventh minute. Again it was Barry with the perfect cross but this time Alex Lafferty was on hand, close to goal, to nod over the line.
Mere seconds later goalscorer turned provider, whipping in from the left, with Barry flashing an unstoppable bicycle-kick past Conor Martin in the hosts’ goal.
Proving they had strength-indepth, Celtic made it four when substitute Charlie Quirke crossed for Ben Larkin to control and coolly fire to the net. Just s16 minutes in and the visitors looked set to cruise to victory.
After an uneventful second quarter, Celtic remained in control at the break. Yet things were changing as Forth, more often than not, attacked through the centre after the break and the Curracloe defence really stepped up and did a fantastic job.
United started to create chances too, Josh Kinsella, Jack Kelly and Joshua Roche all went close but all Curracloe’s pressure eventually paid off in the 47th minute when J.P. Fielding cracked a shot which took a wicked deflection and found the net.
The game became more frantic with both sides throwing boys forward in the final quarter, but defences were superb.
Forth Celtic did win a penalty when Larkin’s header was handled in the area but Barry sent his hattrick attempt over the crossbar, which allowed Curracloe to hang on to their second-half clean sheet.
Forth Celtic: Daithí Murphy; Luke Whitty (capt.), Jack Berry, Bobby Crosbie; Matthew Day, Ben Larkin, Aaron O’Brien; Leo Barry, Alex Lafferty. Subs. (rolling) - Charlie Quirke, Adam Newport.
Curracloe United B: Conor Martin; Dean Denton, Nathan Rossiter, Jack Kelly; Colm Kelly, Adam O’Connor, Ronan Furlong; J.P. Fielding, Joshua Roche. Subs. (rolling) - Eoin Howlin, Tommy Parker, Josh Kinsella.
Referee: Ger Morris. Under-12 Cup round two: Ballymurn Celtic v. Forth Celtic A (off); Moyne Rangers v. Duncannon (off). Under-12 Cup round three: Wexford Albion 3, New Ross Town A 1; Oylegate v. Glynn Barntown A (off); Bunclody 6, Blackwater 2; Curracloe United A 2, New Ross Celtic A 1; St. Joseph’s A 3, Kilmore United 1; Shelburne 4, Cloughbawn 0. Under-12 Division 1A: Courtown Hibs v. North End (off); Duncannon v. All Blacks (off); Gorey Celtic 8, Wexford Celtic 0. Under-12 Division 2: Caim United 1, Shamrock Rovers 3; Rosslare Rangers 1, Fastnet Rovers 0. Under-12 Division 2A: Adamstown v. Bunclody (off); AFC Legia 2, Camolin Celtic 2; Ferns United v. Ballymurn Celtic (off). Under-12 Division 3: New Ross Town B v. Cushinstown (off); Curracloe United B 1, Forth Celtic B 4. Under-12 Division 3A: New Ross Celtic B 1, Gorey Rangers B 5; St. Joseph’s B 0, Gorey Celtic B 8. Under-12 Division 4: New Ross Town C v. St. Leonards (off); Campile United 3, Stoney Rovers 1; Taghmon United 8, Forth Celtic C 2. Under-14 Cup round two: Gorey Celtic A 1, St. Leonards 2; Adamstown v. Gorey
TUES. MAR. 7 S.F.A.I. Cup Under-13 regional semi-final: All Blacks v. Evergreen, Kilkenny (at Gorey Celtic, 7 p.m.).
SAT. MAR. 11 Under-11 Cup round three: Gorey Rangers v. Corach Ramblers (11.30, O. Morris); Oylegate v. Shelburne (12.30, J. Doyle); New Ross Town A v. Forth Celtic A (11.30, D. Jenkins); Wexford Bohs v. Bunclody (11.30, D. Gaul); Camolin Celtic v. Wexford Celtic (11.30, S. Vardy); Bridge Rovers B v. Gorey Celtic (12.45, J. O’Neill); Cloughbawn v. Newpark United (11.30, K. Murphy). Under-11 Division 1A: All Blacks v. Bridge Rovers A (11.00, M. Comiskey); Duncannon v. New Ross Celtic (11.30, J. Cleere). Under-11 Division 2: Fastnet Rovers v. St. Cormac’s (12.30, L. Doyle); Rosslare Strand v. Rosslare Rangers (11.30, D. Kelly); St. Leonards v. Caim United (12.45, E. Molloy); Curracloe United v. Glynn Barntown (11.00, H. Morris). Under-11 Division 2A: Ferns United v. Fethard Rangers (12.30, T. Kearney); Tombrack United v. Ballymurn Celtic (12.30, G. Cleary). Under-11 Division 3: Shelburne v. Forth Celtic B (11.30, P. O’Rourke); New Ross Town B v. Bree United (1.00, D. Jenkins); Campile United v. Ajax (12.45, F. Sinnott); Curracloe United B v. Newpark United (12.15, H. Morris). Under-11 Division 3A: Killenagh Wanderers v. Ballagh United (11.30, J. Doyle). Under-11 Division 4: Rathnure v. A.F.C. Legia (1.30, W. Murphy); Glynn Barntown B v. Gorey Rangers B (11.30, M. Colfer); Cushinstown v. Gorey Celtic B (1.00, W. Murphy). S.F.A.I. Cup Under-13 regional semi-final: Wexford Celtic v. Forth Celtic (12.45, B. Holohan). Under-13 Cup round three: Corach Ramblers v. Wexford Albion (11.30, D. Egan); St. Leonards v. Oylegate (2.00, E. Molloy); Fethard Rangers v. Moyne Rangers (1.45, J. Stafford); Gorey Celtic C v. Glynn Barntown (12.15, N. Boland). Under-13 Division 1: All Blacks v. St. Joseph’s A (12.45, M. Comiskey). Under-13 Division 1A: Bridge Rovers v. Duncannon (2.00, J. O’Neill). Rangers (off); Ballymurn Celtic v. Rosslare Strand (off). Under-14 Division 1: North End v. Duncannon (off); Forth Celtic v. St. Cormac’s (off). Under-14 Division 2: New Ross Celtic 5, New Ross Town 3; Corach Ramblers v. All Blacks (off). Under-14 Division 2A: Ferns United 6, Glynn Barntown 0; Shamrock Rovers 2, Kilmore United 2. Under-14 Division 3: Tombrack United 3, Gorey Rangers B 1; Gorey Celtic B 1, Wexford Celtic B 3. Under-16 Cup round two: Wexford Celtic 3, St. Cormac’s 3 (St. Cormac’s won 3-1 on penalties); Moyne Rangers v. Gorey Rangers (off). Under-16 Division 1: Ferns United 4, Wexford Albion 1; North End 4, Forth Celtic 0. Under-16 Division 2: Camolin Celtic 0, Campile United 1. Under-16 Division 3: New Ross Celtic 8, Forth Celtic B 2; Cloughbawn v. Rathnure (off); Bree United 1, Kilmore United 2. Under-16 Division 4: Bridge Rovers 8, New Ross Town 0; Enniscorthy United v. Gorey Celtic (off); Curracloe United 3, Corach Ramblers 1. Under-13 Division 2: Moyne Rangers v. Campile United (1.00, M. Franklin); Bunclody v. Rosslare Rangers (11.30, K. Farynik); St. Cormac’s v. New Ross Town A (11.30, M. Hogan). Under-13 Division 2A: Curracloe United v. Killenagh (1.00, P. Cashman); Ferns United v. Shelburne (1.30, T. Kearney); Fastnet Rovers v. Kilmore United (1.15, L. Doyle). Under-13 Division 3: Bree United v. Glynn Barntown B (11.30, S. Hadley); Gorey Celtic B v. Tombrack United (2.00, N. Boland). Under-13 Division 3A: Shamrock Rovers B v. Wexford Celtic B (11.30, M. Kenny); New Ross Town B v. Camolin Celtic (2.15, J. Diskin). Under-15 Cup quarter-final: Gorey Rangers v. Cloughbawn (12.00, K. Dunne). Under-15 Division 1: Wexford Albion v. North End (1.00, D. Donovan); Campile United v. Forth Celtic (2.00, F. Sinnott). Under-15 Division 1A: Bridge Rovers v. Ballymurn Celtic (3.15, P. Redmond); Corach Ramblers v. Blackwater (1.00, D. Egan); St. Leonards v. St. Joseph’s (3.15, J. Stafford). Under-15 Division 2: Glynn Barntown v. Adamstown (1.00, M. Colfer); Duncannon v. Wexford Celtic (1.00, J. Cleere); Camolin Celtic v. St. Cormac’s (1.00, S. Vardy). Under-15 Division 2A: Curracloe United v. Rathnure (2.30, P. Cashman); Shelburne v. Enniscorthy Town (1.00, P. O’Rourke); Forth Celtic B v. Fastnet Rovers (1.00, D. Campion). Under-15 Division 3: Wexford Albion B v. Tombrack (2.15, G. Jones); Kilmore United v. Gorey Rangers B (1.00, M. Kelly).