Five-star Rock keep title bid on right track
NORTH EAST FOOTBALL LEAGUE
BAY held a two-point lead over Rathmullen heading into Friday night’s top of the table clash and it was you were at the finish as the title rivals played out an entertaining draw.
The game started at a lightning pace and it wasn’t long before Bay broke the deadlock.
Mark Larkin did well to retain possession on the left before cutting inside and while he first appeared to overun the ball, he managed to toe-poke it to Paddy Connor on the edge of the box and the midfielder lashed a first time curling effort into the far corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.
The goal sparked Rathmullen into life and for the next 10 minutes they were dominant. The equaliser duly arrived when a vicious delivery across the six-yard box was met by Sean Thornton, and Kevin Mullen did well to save the initial strike Thornton made no mistake with the rebound from close range.
Rathmullen took the lead against the run of play when a free-kick out wide was whipped into the box and Barry McDonnell rose unopposed to head home and make it 2-1 at the break.
The second half began like the first ended with Bay holding the lions share of posession but failing to significantly test the keeper.
Rathmullen switched to a five-man defence with one up top in a bid to see the game out but only succeeded in inviting more pressure on themselves.
A dangerous free kick from the left was helped on towards the back post and it looked like Jimmy Byrne was about to net his first goal for the club since moving from Bellurgan, but a last ditch lunge from a defender killed the pace on the ball and Rathmullen’s grateful ‘keeper scooped it up.
It looked like Rathmullen had got their tactics right as the clock hit the 90-minute mark with bay unable to break through a resilient defence, but four minutes into injury time a poorly times tackle on Ekwueme earned Bay a free kick 20 yards out.
Mark Larkin stepped up to curl a low effort around the wall, with the ball hitting the inside of the far post and nestling in the net to rapturous applause from the home sideline.
Two points ahead with a game more played, Bay held on to top spot, but it looks like Division 3 will go down to the wire.
ROCK CELTIC JOHNSTOWN 5 2
ROCK Celtic moved to within three points off joint leaders Carrick Rovers and Athboy with a five-start display at Sandy Lane on Friday night.
The seasiders have a game in hand on Athboy and two on Carrick as they kept their mission to make an instant return to the Premier Division on track.
Veteran striker David Ward plundered a hat-trick in a comfortable victory over third-frombottom Johnstown.
But it was winger Brendan Rogers who broke the deadlock inside 10 minutes, slotting an Aidan Curtin delivery past the ‘keeper from close range.
Ward doubled the home side’s lead two minutes later dispossessing the Johnstown ‘keeper and firing to an empty net from 20 yards out.
The former Dundalk striker made it three-nil midway through the half, but to be fair to Johnstown, the Meath outfit battened down the hatches thereafter and even managed to grab a lifeline before the break with a well-executed free-kick.
But Rock didn’t panic and their striker-turned-midfielder Derek Delany put the result beyond any real doubt when he curled home a free-kick to make it 4-1 on the hour.
Johnstown pulled another goal back but Ward quashed any hopes they might have had of a comeback by completing his hat-trick.
Rock can draw level with Carrick and Athboy on Friday night when they host an Enfield side that will still be eyeing a promotion play-off spot.
ROCK CELTIC: Conor Rafferty; Liam McDonnell, Shane O’Callaghan, Paddy Reilly, Odhran Duffy; Brendan Rogers, Derek Delany, Paul Gore, Aidan Curtin; David Ward, Des McKeown. Pictures: Ken Finegan GLENMUIR bounced back from last week’s blip against Donacarney to take a nice scalp in the Fitzsimons Cup at home to Rathkenny on Friday night.
The Division 2 outfit have been struggling in the league, but Glenmuir were also in bad shape until Wayne Conroy took over after Christmas so the Meath men would have still have been favourites to progress to the last eight.
And the tie appeared to be following that script when Rathkenny took the lead in the early stages.
Glenmuir responded positively to that setback but it took them until the closing minutes of the half to conjure an equaliser when Brendan Sheils capitalised on some fine build-up play by John Byrne.
Glenmuir carried that momentum in to the second-half as Sean Murray plundered a quickfire brace to put his team firmly in control of the contest.
After teeing up the first goal for Sheils, striker Byrne turned from provider to poacher on the hour mark to make it 4-1 to Glenmuir.
And he added a second soon after to put the result beyond all doubt.
Rathkenny managed to grab a late consolation, but it was Glenmuir who cruised through to the quarter-finals. GLENMUIR: John Burlingham, David McComish, Óisín Murray, Niall Hand, Seán Murray, Mark Molloy, David O’Donavan, Eimhin Caldwell, Brendan Shiels, Danny Mullen, John Byrne.