BALLYMURN BLITZ
Table-toppers keep up push for title
TABLE-TOPPERS Ballymurn Celtic kept up their push for the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-15 Division 1A league title with a crushing victory at home to St. Leonards on Saturday.
The boys in green and white are in an epic tussle with local rivals Bridge Rovers for the title, and they did their chances of ending the season at the summit no harm at all with a powerful display to dispatch the visitors.
Celtic played like a team brimming with confidence, swinging crossfield passes with unerring accuracy, while always alert in midfield looking for that killer ball to their pacey, dangerous attackers in behind, led by the excellent Brody Murphy.
Defensively the hosts were excellent. Strangely, the visitors chose to push three on while under the cosh in the second-half.
It often left Ballymurn three-onthree at the back but they took the challenge in their stride and really didn’t give up a clearcut chance all game.
As early as the seventh minute Ballymurn almost opened the scoring. Murphy got Aaron Wallace away inside left but the striker’s right-foot shot flashed low across the face of Rory Whelan’s goal.
Murphy rounded the visiting ‘keeper in the 13th minute but, unaware of the amount of time he had available to stop the ball and tap it in, he lunged and toe-ended it onto the post with the goal gaping.
Still, the inevitable opener duly arrived in the 22nd minute. Joe Kelly chipped the ball into the box, with Seán Walsh lurking, Dara Egan stuck his boot out and looped it over his own goalkeeper to the net.
Celtic grabbed a second before the interval. When Patrick Redmond was fouled in the penalty area in the 30th minute he had all the confidence in the world to step up and coolly slot low past Whelan.
Playing down the hill, Ballymurn battered St. Leonards after the change-around. Less than 60 seconds in Brody Murphy stole possession in the penalty area, side-stepped the ‘keeper and made it 3-0.
His second goal, coming seven minutes later, was the pick of the lot. Latching onto a loose ball on the edge of the area, Murphy wasted no time, smashing a rocket high to the visitors’ net.
Josh Waldron played higher up the field in the second-half and proved difficult to handle. Whelan brilliantly saved his glancing effort from Cathal Roche’s cross, only for Waldron to volley home seconds later.
When Murphy’s shot was saved in the 48th minute, substitute Ashley Kabubi was on hand to make it 6-0 from close range. He notched his second before the full-time whistle, just about toeing Waldron’s pass to the net, past an onrushing Whelan.
Ballymurn Celtic: Aaron Cummins; Chonaill Devlin, Josh Waldron, Shane Cullen, Adam O’Brien; Joe Kelly, Daniel Bent; Seán Walsh, Brody Murphy, Patrick Redmond; Aaron Wallace. Subs. (rolling) - Cathal Roche, Ashley Kabubi, Kyle O’Toole, Rafael Abidye.
St. Leonards: Rory Whelan; Evan Kiely, Ben Whitty, Ryan Mylett, George Holden; Shane Power, Matt McCillen, Liam Ryan, Harry Noonan, Dara Egan; Shane Ryan. Subs. - Conor Twomey, Shane O’Grady.
Referee: Ger Morris. Under-11 Division 1: Wexford Albion 4, St. Joseph’s 2; Forth Celtic 1, Cloughbawn 6. Under-11 Division 1A: Gorey Celtic 2, New Ross Celtic 4; Courtown Hibs 2, All Blacks 2; North End United 6, Wexford Celtic 2; Bridge Rovers 5, Duncannon 1. Under-11 Division 2: Caim United 2, St. Cormac’s 8; Rosslare Rangers 2, Curracloe United 7; Fastnet Rovers 2, Glynn Barntown 8; Rosslare Strand 3, St. Leonards 2. Under-11 Division 2A: Tombrack United 2, Fethard Rangers 2; Ballymurn Celtic 2, Ferns United 4; Corach Ramblers 1, Oylegate United 2; Bunclody 9, Camolin Celtic 1. Under-11 Division 3: Ajax Athletic 1, Forth Celtic B 9; Bree United 5, Newpark United 7; Shelburne 8, Curracloe United B 0; New Ross Town B 5, Campile United 0. Under-11 Division 3A: Ballagh United 3, Wexford Bohs 2; Rosslare Rangers B 0, Killenagh Wanderers 2. Under-11 Division 4: Gorey Rangers B 1, Gorey Celtic B 4; Rathnure 5, Cushinstown 0; Glynn Barntown B 3, Bridge Rovers B 5. Under-12 S.F.A.I. Cup: Mungret Regional 2, Gorey Rangers 0. Under-13 S.F.A.I. Cup: Ringmahon Rangers 1, Wexford Celtic 3; Westport United 4, Forth Celtic 0. Under-13 Division 1: St. Joseph’s 1, Gorey Celtic 2; Wexford Albion 0, Glynn Barntown 0. Under-13 Division 1A: Shamrock Rovers 6, Bridge Rovers 1; Duncannon 3, St. Leonards 5; Fethard Rangers 8, Gorey Rangers 1. Under-13 Division 2: St. Cormac’s 5, Campile 4; Bunclody v. Rosslare Rangers (off); Moyne Rangers 0, New Ross Town 0. Under-13 Division 2A: Kilmore United 2, Curracloe United 6; Oylegate 2, Ferns 1; Fastnet Rovers 2, Shelburne 5. Under-13 Division 3: Glynn Barntown B 1, Tombrack United 2; Forth Celtic B v. Gorey Celtic B (off); Corach Ramblers 3, Bree United 4. Under-13 Division 3A: New Ross Town B 2, Shamrock Rovers B 3; Wexford Celtic B 7, Gorey Celtic C 0; Camolin Celtic 4, St. Joseph’s B 0. Under-15 Division 1: Gorey Rangers 3, Bree United 2; Forth Celtic 2, Wexford Albion 2; North End United 3, Campile 0. Under-15 Division 1A: St. Joseph’s 2, Blackwater 1; Ballymurn Celtic 7, St. Leonards 0; Corach Ramblers 3, Bridge Rovers 5. Under-15 Division 2: Wexford Celtic 4, New Ross Celtic 8; Adamstown 3, St. Cormac’s 4; Glynn Barntown 0, Duncannon 5. Under-15 Division 2A: Forth Celtic B 1, Curracloe United 3; Gorey Celtic 0, Fastnet Rovers 2; Rathnure 2, Enniscorthy Town 5. Under-15 Division 3: St. Joseph’s B 0, Wexford Albion B 0; Enniscorthy United 0, Gorey Rangers B 1; Tombrack United 0, Kilmore United 1.