Five-star Quay Celtic closing in on the title
QUAY moved four points clear in the under-15 title race with two games left to play after this routine win over struggling Glenmuir at Glenmuir Park.
The leaders exploited slack defensive play by the hosts to go ahead with little more than a minute gone.
A cross from the right by Scott Hearty from outside the penalty box had two teammates racing in totally unmarked into the six yard box and Ciaran Walsh steered it into the net at the back post.
Again the Glenmuir defence was caught napping from a set piece as a completely unmarked Michael Achums close to goal glanced a free-kick with his head to the net to make it two nil.
Within a minute Glenmuir reduced the deficit as Yadah Usoh who was rampaging through their mid-field, won a race for possession and rounded Quay goalkeeper Eoin Maguire on the edge of the 18 yard box and took a few strides inside the area before guiding the ball into the empty goal..
The home side should have drawn level shortly after when Usoh put Benci Sulli clear slightly to the right of goal inside the box only for the latter to drag his shot across the goal with only Maguire to beat.
They were made to rue this miss. Goalkeeper Nathan Keenan did well to thwart the dangerous Walsh as he drifted in unmarked in the six yard box.
However, it was only a temporary reprieve with Walsh getting free inside the home 18 yard box on the left.
His cross was only cleared to the waiting Ryan Coleman on the middle of the 18 yard line and his fierce shot flew under the diving body of Keenan.
The points were as good as wrapped up when Quay made another quick start to the second half scoring again with not much more than a minute elapsed.
This time Hearty who was the architect of his side’s first goal, was on the end of a pass by Coleman who put him free inside the penalty box and he angled a shot low into the far corner of the net.
Quay showed their vulnerability also at set pieces as Glenmuir raised what was a flicker of hope of mounting a fight back.
A curling free kick by Oran Mulligan found Shane Gallagher unmarked yards out from goal for his flick to be cleared off the line but he made no mistake with his second attempt as the breaking ball fell to him.
However, Quay never were really troubled and any doubt about the outcome was removed when Gustas Pupelis was brought down by Keenan as he rounded the goalkeeper inside the home box. A long ball found the striker in wide open space mid way inside the Glenmuir half with no defender near him. Evan Wynne put away the spot kick with aplomb high into the corner of the net.
Pupelis prior to then was desperately unlucky not to score when he soared unchallenged in a crowded six yard box to crash a header against the crossbar, and the ball was scrambled clear. GLENMUIR: Nathan Keenan, Yadahn Usoh, Oisin Woods, Sean Gallagher, Darragh Sheelan, Robert Kilgallan, Carl McDonnell, Patrick Curley, Oran Mulligan, Favor Immeje, Stephen Okeke, Sam Garcia, Benci Sulli, Ben Wogan, Daniel Brogan.
QUAY: Eoin Maguire, Morgan Tobin, Chris Clarke, Evan Wynne, Michael Achums, Nathan Quinn, Conaill Savage, Ryan Coleman, Scott Hearty, Ciaran Walsh, Gustas Pupelis. Ryan Del Luca, Kerri Williams, Luke O’Connell, Kyle Murphy.