Famous first for Ross Town
was backed up by a team full of quality. Forth Celtic had plenty of class too with Lee Kennedy exceptional. Around him Ben Larkin was a real battler and in Adam Newport, Aaron O’Brien and Alex Lafferty there was plenty of energy in midfield.
Up front Leo Barry has a real eye for goal and more possession early on might have allowed Celtic to get ahead and make it difficult for the opponents.
As it was, New Ross Town bossed the early stages. Mooney had already trickled a shot off the post when they took the lead in the seventh minute. Again Mooney was instigator, finding Tom O’Callaghan after a good run, and the winger shot across goal to the net.
Mooney hit the woodwork with a header as his side continued to press but they did add a second after a stunning reverse pass by Oisín Heaphy was dispatched to the net by Ben Long.
On came the Ross replacements and such is their quality that things continued in the same vein. A slalom run down the right wing ended with Mooney squaring across the face of the goal where an alert Emma Rossiter coolly slotted to the net for 3-0.
Celtic’s best move of the half came just before the break. Alex Lafferty started it on the left, and he swung a crossfield ball to Barry who in turn found Adam Newport. However, his shot slid just wide of the post to deny his team a foothold in the game.
With Forth Celtic struggling to keep seven on the field during the second-half, owing to a series of injuries, things didn’t look good. However, they went close when Jamie Sinnott saved well from Leo Barry.
Slowly New Ross Town got on top and, after Jack Berry produced several fine saves, Mooney made it 4-0 with a deft header from Ben Long’s corner. To their credit, Celtic battled on down the hill and finally got their rewards.
Barry nabbed the first with a low strike from the edge of the area and just a minute later scored again with a rasping drive to the roof of the net from Lee Kennedy’s feed. Despite laying siege to the Town goal, Celtic couldn’t score again and New Ross held on.