Rangers grab point they need for glory
Draw in Gorey derby secures league
GOREY RANGERS B GOREY CELTIC B 0 0 GOREY RANGERS secured the Wexford and District Schoolboys Under-12 Division 3A title by getting the point they needed against a spirited Gorey Celtic in Ramstown on Saturday.
The hosts, leading the league by two points, needed just a draw against their town rivals to claim the silverware but knew that, should Celtic take full points, then the trophy would head across town to Mullanfin.
With the title so finely poised, it was no surprise at all that the first 15 minutes were sheepish, tight and devoid of any serious chances. Playing against the breeze, Celtic set up to contain their hosts and did it with minimal fuss.
Rangers had more of the ball in the opening quarter but struggled to break down the visitors. However, when the first chance of note did come, in the 16th minute, it was no surprise that the boys in red and black created it.
It came from very little, just great strength and determination from Cormac Ryan to fight his way past two defenders. In on Celtic stopper Matt Majeji, the Rangers attacker fired powerfully across goal but narrowly wide.
Good defending stopped Neil Shaughnessy from getting through three minutes later. Then, with the game becoming slightly more open, Jack Nolan volleyed over the crossbar from a left wing Reece Price corner.
Substitute Bradley James hared away at the other end, eight minutes before the break, but Grego Bakcsi came off his line to stop the striker’s shot. Moments later, Celtic went even closer when Ben Rothwell’s shot cannoned off the inside of the post and away to safety.
Level pegging was probably a fair reflection on an enthralling first 30 minutes, and the second-half promised even more excitement. It didn’t take long to ignite, as Ryan Mulligan drilled narrowly over the bar within seconds of the re-start.
Rangers continued to press and had the ball in the net when Alex Cousins got in on Shaughnessy’s pass, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. The close call did seem to shake Celtic into life.
Ben Rothwell sent Cormac Goodwin away down the left in the 37th minute. He crossed for Artemy Pershenkov to shoot but the striker’s effort clipped the crossbar on the way over. Goodwin himself broke through on goal as the third quarter came to an end but again Bajcsi was alert and out to make an impressive stop.
Eventually, Celtic tired from all the pressing and the final quarter passed much like the first, fairly uneventful. Full-time did bring joyous celebrations from the home crowd as the club bagged their first schoolboys title of the season.
Gorey Rangers: Gergo Bajcsi; Adam O’Brien, Jack Nolan, Barry Fitzgerald; Jack Preston, Reece O’Donnell (capt.); Reece Price; Neil Shaughnessy, Cormac Ryan. Subs. (rolling) - Luke Fitzgerald, Ryan Mulligan, Alex Cousins, Vilius Palulis, Conor Reed, Keenan Fitzpatrick, Charlie O’Sullivan.
Gorey Celtic: Matt Majeji; Adam Christensen, Dara Kelly, Brion Doyle; Ben Rothwell (capt.), George Tutty, Oisín Synnott, Paddy Higgins; Nathan Gallagher. Subs. (rolling) - Bradley James, Artemy Pershenkov, Frankie Switon, Cormac Goodwin, Darragh Hayes, Liam Burns.
Referee: Karol Farnyik. Under-12 Cup round two: Ballymurn Celtic 0, Forth Celtic 4; Moyne Rangers 2, Duncannon 0. Under-12 Cup round three: Oylegate 1, Glynn Barntown 1 (Oylegate won 4-1 on penalties). Under-12 Division 1: New Ross Town 5, Bridge Rovers 0; St. Joseph’s v. Gorey Rangers (Tuesday, 5.30 p.m.). Under-12 Division 1A: Gorey Celtic 2, Blackwater 0; All Blacks 2, Courtown Hibs 5; North End 1, New Ross Celtic 1. Under-12 Division 2: Fastnet Rovers 0, Shamrock Rovers 1; Rosslare Rangers 5, St. Cormac’s 1; Enniscorthy Town 3, Caim United 2. Under-12 Division 2A: Corach Ramblers 0, Bunclody 0; AFC Legia 2, Adamstown 3; Ferns United 0, Curracloe United 8. Under-12 Division 3: Cloughbawn 3, New Ross Town B 1; Forth Celtic B 8, Cushinstown 0; Shelburne 5, Curracloe United B 1. Under-12 Division 3A: Adamstown 2, St. Joseph’s B 7; Gorey Rangers B 0, Gorey Celtic B 0. Under-12 Division 4: St. Leonards 8, Forth Celtic C 0; New Ross Town C 0, Campile United 2; Kilmore United 8, Taghmon 2;
SAT. MARCH 25 Under-11 Cup round three: North End v. Bridge Rovers A (11.30, D. Campion). Under-11 Cup quarter-finals: Bunclody v. Camolin Celtic (1.00, J. Doyle); Gorey Rangers v. Shelburne (11.00, A. Foley). Under-11 Division 1: Forth Celtic v. New Ross Town (11.30, M. Comiskey). Under-11 Division 1A: Wexford Celtic v. Duncannon (11.30, D. Gaul); All Blacks v. New Ross Celtic (11.30, M. Kelly); Gorey Celtic v. Courtown Hibs (11.30, M. Franklin). Under-11 Division 2: St. Cormac’s v. Rosslare Strand (11.30, O. Morris); Rosslare Rangers v. Glynn Barntown (11.30, G. Jones); Caim United v. Curracloe United (11.30, G. Cleary). Under-11 Division 2A: Corach Ramblers v. Fethard (1.00, L. Doyle); Oylegate v. Ballymurn Celtic (12.30, K. Murphy); Tombrack v. Ferns United (12.30, T. Kearney). Under-11 Division 3: Ajax Athletic v. Bree United (11.30, S. Vardy); Curracloe United B v. New Ross Town B (1.00, P. Redmond); Campile United v. Forth Celtic B (1.00, A. Tobin). Under-11 Division 3A: Rosslare Rangers B v. Ballagh United (12.30, G. Jones); Wexford Bohs v. Kilmore United (11.30, D. Dennehy). Under-11 Division 4: AFC Legia v. Glynn Barntown B (1.00, J. Diskin); Rathnure United v. Bridge Rovers B (11.30, W. Murphy); Gorey Rangers B v. Cushinstown (12.00, A. Foley). Under-13 Cup round three: Forth Celtic A v. All Blacks (1.00, M. Comiskey); Bridge Rovers v. New Ross Town (1.00, J. Kelly); Wexford Celtic v. Forth Celtic B (1.00, D. Gaul). Under-13 Cup quarter-final: St. Leonards v. Glynn Barntown A (1.00, P. O’Rourke). Under-13 Division 1: Gorey Celtic v. St. Joseph’s (1.45, N. Boland). Under-13 Division 1A: Fethard Rangers v. Shamrock Rovers (11.00, J. Stafford). Under-13 Division 2: Bunclody v. Moyne Rangers (12.30, J. Doyle). Under-13 Division 2A: Kilmore United v. Oylegate United (1.00, E. Molloy); Killenagh v. Ferns United (11.30, P. Redmond). Under-13 Division 3A: Shamrock Rovers B v. Wexford Celtic B (11.30, P. Cashman); Gorey Celtic C v. St. Joseph’s B (12.15, Stoney Rovers 2, Rathnure United 5. Under-14 Cup round two: Adamstown 0, Gorey Rangers 10; Ballymurn Celtic 1, Rosslare Strand 3. Under-14 Division 1: Gorey Celtic 0, North End 3; Forth Celtic 2, St. Cormac’s 1. Under-14 Division 1A: St. Joseph’s 1, Wexford Celtic 1; Bree 4, St. Leonards 9. Under-14 Division 2: Moyne Rangers 3, New Ross Celtic 1; Corach Ramblers 0, All Blacks 3. Under-14 Division 2A: Barntown 4. Under-14 Division 3: Gorey Celtic B 2. Under-16 Cup round two: 0, Gorey Rangers 1. Under-16 Division 1: Ferns United 2, North End 2; Wexford Celtic 1, Forth Celtic 5. Under-16 Division 2: Enniscorthy Town 0. Under-16 Division 3: Forth Celtic B 4, Kilmore United 1; St. Leonards 3, Rathnure 4; Cloughbawn 3, New Ross Celtic 1. Under-16 Division 4: Gorey Celtic 6, Corach Ramblers 1; Wexford Celtic 9, Enniscorthy United 0; New Ross Town 0, Curracloe 2. Kilmore 10, Glynn Gorey Rangers B 2, Moyne Rangers St. Cormac’s 4, M. Franklin). Under-15 Cup quarter-finals: North End v. St. Cormac’s (1.00, D. Campion); Campile United v. Wexford Albion (2.15, F. Sinnott). Under-15 Division 1A: Bridge Rovers v. St. Joseph’s (2.30, J. Kelly); Blackwater v. Ballymurn (11.30, H. Morris). Under-15 Division 2: New Ross Celtic v. Glynn Barntown (11.30, J. Cleere); Adamstown v. Camolin Celtic (11.00, S. Hadley); Wexford Celtic v. St. Cormac’s (2.15, M. Colfer). Under-15 Division 2A: Enniscorthy Town v. Curracloe United (12.00, K. Dunne); Cloughbawn v. Rathnure (2.30, M. Kenny); Forth Celtic B v. Gorey Celtic B (2.15, B. Holohan). Under-15 Division 3: Wexford Albion B v. Gorey Rangers B (1.00, S. Burke); Kilmore United v. Enniscorthy United (11.00, E. Molloy).
THURS. MARCH 30 (6 p.m.) Under-11 Cup quarter-final: Gorey Celtic v. Cloughbawn (N. Boland). Under-11 Division 1A: North End v. Duncannon (M. Colfer). Under-13 Division 1: Glynn Barntown v. Wexford Celtic (H. Morris); All Blacks v. Forth Celtic (S. Burke). Under-13 Division 2A: Killenagh v. Curracloe United (S. Hadley); Oylegate v. Shelburne (M. Hogan). Under-13 Division 3: Forth Celtic B v. Glynn Barntown B (D. Gaul). Under-15 Division 1: Wexford Albion v. Gorey Rangers (D. Donovan); North End v. Forth Celtic (J. Kelly). Under-15 Division 2: Camolin Celtic v. Glynn Barntown (M. Franklin); Duncannon v. New Ross Celtic (J. Diskin); Wexford Celtic v. Adamstown (M. Comiskey). Under-15 Division 2A: Fastnet Rovers v. Rathnure (L. Doyle); Shelburne v. Cloughbawn (B. Holohan). Kennedy Cup 2018: Although players will play season after season at various levels, there is only one opportunity in their career to play in an SFAI Kennedy Cup - Under-14 x 20 players per league x 32 inter-league squads. Expressions of interest from players who were born in 2004 who wish to be considered for trials for the Kennedy Cup 2018 Emerging Talent squad must forward details by email to wexetp2004@ gmail.com by Friday, March 24.