End survive scare in cup clash
Celtic’s unbeaten record is ended
WHEN TWO unbeaten teams met in the second round of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-14 Cup something had to give, and it proved to be hosts New Ross Celtic’s fine undefeated record to start the season.
Undoubtedly the Division 2 side, flying high at the top of the table with seven wins and a draw in their eight games, came into the last 16 clash as underdogs but they were not a team without a fighter’s chance.
They gave Division 1 title contenders North End a scare, matching their talented opponents with a good brand of football, a clear and clever gameplan and no lack of heart and determination.
However, the Belvedere boys, who are hunting down Gorey Rangers in the title race and still aiming for a double, had that little more cutting edge in the final third. They scored four good goals and were not to be denied their place in the last eight opposite Kilmore.
It was a tight opening ten minutes with the home side looking to hit fast on the counter but with United controlling the ball. Jason Gordon went close, clipping the crossbar with a free-kick, when Alan Mahoney was fouled on the edge of the ‘D’ in the eighth minute.
When North End did go ahead, four minutes later, it was an even better strike by the talented midfielder. Intercepting a ball 30 yards out, to the right of goal, Gordon unleashed a thunderbolt that flew past hosts’ stopper Kuba Gracz to the net.
Celtic could have equalised when Owen O’Brien hared away on goal but Rory O’Brien made an impressive save. There was nothing the North End ‘keeper could do as he stood rooted to the spot when Jonas Unckas’ 40-yard free-kick rattled the bar eleven minutes before the interval.
Just when it looked like New Ross would go in at the break right in the contest, North End struck with clinical efficiency right on halftime. John Hore got to the byline on the right, and cut back to Josh Howlin who curled a controlled finish just inside the far post.
The game looked up for Celtic when, with their first real attack of the half, Alan Mahoney cut in from the left and fired a deflected effort past Gracz to make it 3-0. However, New Ross battled away and almost pulled a goal back when O’Brien sent his namesake in the North End goal diving to tip away.
Unckas curled home a free-kick from the left edge of the area to make it 3-1 with nine minutes left only for Mahoney to respond with his side’s fourth moments later. Dead-ball expert Unckas added another two minutes from time but there was to be no miracle comeback as North End advanced.
North End: Rory O’Brien; Conor Foley, Callum Corcoran, Darragh Carley (capt.), Nathan Romaszewsky; John Hore, Jack Foley, Jason Gordon, Josh Howlin; Alan Mahoney, Darragh Walsh. Subs. - Brad Walsh for D. Walsh (41), Michael Mackey for Hore (65).
New Ross Celtic: Kuba Gracz; Jas Skrobich, Ovidius Saudraugus, Oskar Tomczynski, Owen Lennon; Jonas Unckas; Darragh Flannery, Matej Stepanek, Mico Richardson, David Fitzgerald; Owen O’Brien (capt.). Subs. - Kacper Pacyk for Fitzgerald (48), Cillian Murphy for Pacyk (58).
Referee: Anthony Tobin. S.F.A.I. Skechers Cup Under-12 regional semi-final: Borris St. Kevin’s 2, Gorey Rangers 1. Under-12 Cup round two: Curracloe United A 4, Gorey Celtic B 0; New Ross Celtic A 5, Shamrock Rovers 3; St. Joseph’s 8, All Blacks 0; Moyne Rangers v. Duncannon (off); Kilmore United 2, St. Cormac’s 1; Wexford Celtic 4, A.F.C. Legia 3; Oylegate 4, Gorey Rangers B 1; Cloughbawn 2, Courtown Hibs 1; Glynn Barntown A 2, Bridge Rovers 1; Blackwater 4, Forth Celtic B 1; Shelburne 2, North End 2 (Shelburne won 4-3 on penalties); Bunclody 4, Gorey Celtic 1; Ballymurn Celtic v. Forth Celtic A (off); Wexford Albion 3, Caim United 1; Curracloe United B 1, Enniscorthy Town 2; Fastnet Rovers 0, New Ross Town A 5. Under-12 Division 2A: Ferns United 5, Camolin Celtic 1; Corach Ramblers 4, Adamstown 2. Under-12 Division 3: Tombrack United 7, Cushinstown 0. Under-12 Division 3A: Adamstown B 1, Glynn Barntown 5; St. Joseph’s B v. New Ross Celtic B (off). Under-12 Division 4: St. Leonards 5, Stoney Rovers 2; Taghmon United 0, Rathnure 6; Campile 6, Forth Celtic 1.
SAT. FEB. 25 Under-11 Cup round two: Bridge Rovers B v. Kilmore (11.30, J. Kelly); Bridge Rovers A v. St. Cormac’s (1.00, J. Kelly). Under-11 Division 1: New Ross Town v. Wexford Albion (11.30, A. Tobin); Gorey Rangers v. Forth Celtic (1.00, K. Dunne); St. Joseph’s v. Cloughbawn (11.30, J. Doyle). Under-11 Division 1A: New Ross Celtic v. Courtown Hibs (11.30, J. Cleere); Gorey Celtic v. North End (11.30, K. Farynik); Wexford Celtic v. Duncannon (1.00, J. O’Neill). Under-11 Division 2: Caim United v. Fastnet Rovers (11.30, K. Murphy); Curracloe United v. Rosslare Strand (11.30, H. Morris); Glynn Barntown v. St. Leonards (1.00, D. Donovan). Under-11 Division 2A: Fethard Rangers v. Ballymurn Celtic (11.30, J. Stafford); Tombrack United v. Corach Ramblers (12.30, S. Vardy); Ferns United v. Bunclody (12.30, P. Cashman); Oylegate v. Camolin Celtic (12.30, G. Cleary). Under-11 Division 3: Forth Celtic B v. Bree United (1.00, D. Campion); Ajax Athletic S.F.A.I. Skechers Cup Under-13 last 16: St. Mary’s Cork 3, All Blacks 2; Douglas Hall 3, Wexford Celtic 2. Under-14 Cup round one: Ballymurn Celtic 1, St. Cormac’s 0; Gorey Rangers 3, Forth Celtic 3 (Gorey Rangers won 5-4 on penalties). Under-14 Cup round two: Kilmore United 3, Shamrock Rovers 1; Wexford Celtic A 1, St. Joseph’s A 3; New Ross Celtic 2, North End 4; New Ross Town 10, Glynn Barntown 4; Bridge Rovers 4, Corach Ramblers 0; Gorey Celtic A v. St. Leonards (off). Under-14 Division 2: Rosslare Strand 8, Moyne Rangers 5. Under-14 Division 3: Gorey Celtic B v. Wexford Celtic B (off). Under-16 Cup round two: Campile 4, St. Leonards 1; Moyne Rangers v. Gorey Rangers A (off); Gorey Celtic 0, North End United 3; Ferns United 5, Bridge Rovers 0; Corach Ramblers 0, New Ross Celtic 9; Cloughbawn 3, Rathnure United 2; Forth Celtic 4, Wexford Albion 1. Under-16 Division 3: Bree Utd v. Kilmore United (off). Under-16 Division 4: Enniscorthy United v. New Ross Town (off). v. Shelburne (1.00, M. Hogan); Newpark United v. New Ross Town B (12.30, T. Kearney); Curracloe United B v. Campile United (1.00, H. Morris). Under-11 Division 3A: Killenagh v. Ballagh United (11.30, O. Morris). Under-11 Division 4: Rathnure v. Legia (11.30, W. Murphy); Glynn Barntown v. Gorey Rangers B (11.30, D. Gaul); Cushinstown v. Gorey Celtic B (12.30, P. O’Rourke). Under-13 Cup round two: Gorey Celtic C v. Fastnet Rovers (1.00, D. Dennehy). Under-13 Division 1A: Fethard Rangers v. Bridge Rovers (1.00, L. Doyle); Gorey Rangers v. Duncannon (11.30, S. Hadley). Under-13 Division 2: New Ross Town v. Bunclody (1.00, A. Tobin); Rosslare Rangers v. St. Cormac’s (11.30, S. Burke). Under-13 Division 2A: Kilmore v. Ferns United (11.30, E. Molloy); Killenagh Wanderers v. Shelburne (1.15, M. Colfer). Under-13 Division 3: Bree United v. Glynn Barntown B (1.00, B. Holohan); Gorey Celtic B v. Corach Ramblers (2.30, B. Dennehy). Under-13 Division 3A: Camolin Celtic v. Shamrock Rovers B (1.00, M. Franklin); St. Joseph’s B v. Wexford Celtic B (1.00, J. Doyle). Under-15 Cup round two: Kilmore v. Bree United (1.00, E. Molloy). Under-15 Division 1: Gorey Rangers v. Wexford Albion (2.00, K. Dunne); North End v. Forth Celtic (11.30, M. Kelly). Under-15 Division 1A: Blackwater v. Ballymurn Celtic (1.15, A. Foley); St. Joseph’s v. Corach Ramblers (2.30, M. Kenny); St. Leonards v. Bridge Rovers (1.30, J. Diskin). Under-15 Division 2: New Ross Celtic v. Adamstown (1.30, J. Cleere); St. Cormac’s v. Glynn Barntown (1.30, P. Redmond); Camolin Celtic v. Duncannon (1.45, M. Franklin). Under-15 Division 2A: Shelburne v. Curracloe United (1.15, F. Sinnott); Rathnure v. Gorey Celtic (1.00, D. Egan); Enniscorthy Town v. Forth Celtic B (2.15, M. Comiskey); Cloughbawn v. Fastnet Rovers (2.30, D. Egan). Under-15 Division 3: Gorey Rangers B v. St. Joseph’s B (1.00, S. Hadley).