Bay show the spirit of champions
BAY REDEEMER 3 2
BAY pipped Blayney Academy to the league title at the weekend and this hard-earned victory in midweek proved crucial.
It was perhaps more suspense filled than it should have been after Bay bounced back from falling behind after five minutes to open a 3-1 lead.
They conceded a penalty as a result of a handball and Ian Gray netted despite a valiant effort by goalkeeper Luke Morrissey to keep his kick out as it squirmed under his diving body inside the foot of the post.
But they quickly turned the scoreline round with two goals in the space of a minute to go in front after the not unlucky 13th minute.
The inventive Robbie Niculi equalized after Stephen Williams surged free into the box as a kick-out was played straight to him. He dribbled too wide of the goal but held his composure to cross to the unmarked Niculi in the box at the far post and he fired to the net.
Dave Shevlin completed the turnabout by putting Bay ahead.
There was a good chance to add to the scoring at either end, but then Bay really had their opponents in lots of bother, with a succession of goalmouth skirmishes that they somehow survived.
This included the ball twice being cleared off the goal line, as Bay worked the ball in along the end line from a corner kick.
It was no more than Bay deserved when Stephen Williams added a third goal for Bay in the closing ten minutes of the half.
Redeemer goalkeeper Daniel Higgins prevented Niculi from stretching further the Bay lead early in the second-half, while Jack Smyth overran the ball when put clear of the Redeemer defence by Boris Bijkou.
Then they suffered quite a start when fortuitously Redeemer cut the leeway to the minimum when the unlucky Mikey Farrell deflected the ball into his own net, and under less than half of the second half elapsed.
Bay continued to carve out chances but as they failed to take them the tension grew. However, they managed to hold onto their slender lead.
BAY: Luke Morrissey, James Clifford, Drake Okoje, Borris Bikou, Mason Hughes, Robbie Niculi, Shay Hoey, Dave Shevlin, Stephen Williams, Tadgh Campbell, Jack Smyth, Shane Bolton, Callum Moore, Mikey Farrell, Dave Okeweye, Gearoid Watters.
REDEEMER: Daniel Higgins, Keelan McCullough, Brooklyn Taaffe, Luca McCartney, Jordan Hutchinson, Leon Macken, Ian Gray, Billy Hanlon, Jason McCartney, Martin Ward, Sean McGuinness, Ben McCourt.
Shamrocks 2 Rock Celtic 0; Dromin Juv 2 Blayney Acad Blue 0;
Bay Utd 2 Redeemer 1; Blayney Acad Yellow 1 Bay Utd 1;
Rock Celtic 3 Shamrocks 1;
Quay Celtic 1 Ardee Celtic 2; Bellurgan Utd 0 Quay Celtic 2;
Rock Celtic 2 Quay Athletic 0; Shamrocks 2 Bellurgan Utd 0; St Dominic’s 0 Ardee Celtic 2;
TABLES
Ardee Celtic Bellurgan Celtic Dromin Juv Glenmuir Celtic Blayney Acad Blue Quay Olympic Quay Athletic P 11 12 11 12 12 12 12 W 10 9 8 5 4 2 0 D 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 L 0 1 2 7 7 9 12 Pts 31 29 25 15 13 7 0 Blayney Acad Glenmuir Utd Shamrocks Bellurgan Utd Quay Celtic Muirhevnamor Walshestown Rock Celtic P 13 14 10 14 14 13 13 13 W 7 6 6 5 5 6 3 1 D 4 5 2 4 4 1 4 2 L 2 3 2 5 5 6 6 10 Pts 25 23 20 19 19 19 13 5