Castletown hold on to topple Haynestown in Winter League

SUNDAY’S game in the North Louth Winter league was between Castletown Knights and Haynestown Celtic. When both teams met last season it ended up with one win a piece.

Sunday’s game started with Castletown having a large portion of the overall ball possession and within 15 minutes they received their first chance when S. McElroy crossed the ball into the Haynestown danger area where the ball met the head of the Castletown midfielder C. Grimes who miss-guided his header and sent the ball high and wide.

Shortly after this Castletown got a second chance when P. Finnegan played a lovely through ball into the path of A. Rice who then forced an excellent save from the Haynestown goalkeeper. Minutes later O. Carroll was taken down just inches outside the Castletown box and the referee gave a free kick to Haynestown. C. Lynch stepped up and fired the kick just wide of the post.

Shortly after this, Castletown opened the scoring when a cross from S. McElroy found P. Finnegan in the box where he finished expertly putting the home team ahead.

Then ten minutes and just before half time Haynestown got their equaliser when after a beautifully executed cross from the right side of the Castletown box found the striker in acres of space to tap-in for an easy finish. Half-time in Muirhevnamor, Castletown 1, Haynestown 1.

The second half started with Haynestown being the more dominant of the two teams but could not take advantage by creating any meaningful chances until about 15 minutes into the half when O. Carroll made a run from the midfield unopposed and fired a shot from just outside the eighteen yard box which forced R. McCourt to make a fantastic save. In spite of this the rebound fell to a Haynestown attacker whose shot was blocked by M. Grimes in the Castletown defence.

After this Haynestown became the aggressor while continually holding onto the majority of the possession. However Castletown continually looked very dangerous on the counter attack creating numerous chances but failed to score until C. Grimes picked out C. Jamison in the Castletown attack who then fired a thunderbolt into the bottom corner of the net to put Castletown ahead.

Haynestown continued to pile on the pressure until the end of the game fighting to get back into the fixture but it wasn’t to be. The contest finished Castletown Knights 2 Haynestown Celtic 1.

OTHER GAMES: the only match in the North Louth Winter League last weekend was between Setanta and Ramparts who drew 4-4

THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES; Greenfield v Castletown; Ramparts v Ravensdale; Haynestown v Carlingford; Glen United v Edentubber; Faughart v Setanta.