Derby joy for Celtic
Cup meeting of the Arklow rivals lives up to its billing
ARKLOW UNITED ARKLOW CELTIC 1 2
LOCAL derbies often promise plenty but deliver little but the meeting of Arklow Celtic and Arklow United at Ferndale Park in the Wicklow Cup last Sunday morning certainly delivered a cracking game full of honesty and endeavour, with Celtic emerging victorious thanks to a sweetly struck Paddy Walker penalty after 80 minutes.
This was a battle, pure and simple, of wills and bodies and pride. The clash of Davey Moorehouse and Shane Roche alone would have been worth the price of admission had there been one; two fair lumps of men holding nothing back down the wing, some battle.
The performance of Shane Walker at centre back for Celtic has to be mentioned. Take a bow my good man. That was a superb shift, filled with heart and effort and passion.
It was full throttle from the visitors from down the hill. At times United looked the more creative but Celtic could turn it on when they wanted.
Aside from Zach Kilbride’s sweet strike late in the first half, Eoin Kavanagh had a competent showing, his reflex save from a header early on being one of the highlights, although he will have surely bought Olagh Redmond a pint afterwards for making sure the ball stayed out.
Jason Wolohan, Brian Thompson, Paddy Walker, Kevin Moorehouse and Glen Mooney got through a pile of work and helped propel Celtic forward at every opportunity.
United will be very disappointed. They can have no real complaints about the goals they conceded. A moment of pure magic from Sean Garvey and a screamer of a penalty from Paddy Walker after Gary Fennell had proved slightly over zealous in his clearing of man and ball when Sean Garvey was bearing down on his goal. Garvey was forced to leave the field after the challenge, suffering a broken collar bone from the fall.
But the home side had their chances and plenty of potential to claim more from this game but, unfortunately for them, they met a Celtic side who were massively up for the challenge on a cold and bright Sunday morning.
The opening few minutes were exactly what a local derby should be, full of effort and gusto and end to end football.
United looked the more threatening early on with Karl Kirwan’s perfectly directed glancing header from a beautiful corner kick being their best chance, but Kavanagh turned it away superbly with Redmond finishing the job on the back post.
The home side had about four corners in a row at this stage but Celtic stood firm and attacked themselves with David Kavanagh down the left wing but his cross to Brian Thompson received a poor first touch and United cleared the danger.
Shane Walker showed his total and utter conviction early on when he disrupted a United attack after Niall Higgins had showed enthusiasm to go by Olagh Redmond.
Higgins played a neat ball to Zach Kilbride but Walker put a firm finish to that attack with a fine tackle and the danger was cleared.
Celtic enjoyed a decent spell around this time but Shane Roche was on hand to direct a dangerous cross out for a corner and the United defence stood firm as the visitors started to ask questions.
At the other end, Eoin Kavanagh was called into action twice in the space of a few minutes, once to gather an over-cooked free and then to thwart a feisty Jonny Quinn who was looking very threatening early on.
Celtic had a bit of a scare moments later when Kevin Moorehouse, under pressure from Jonny Quinn, tried to send a dainty ball back to Kavanagh but his effort reached Zach Kilbride who had drifted into the box.
Kilbride was immediately confronted by Shane Walker but Quinn tried to provide an overlap only for Carl Doyle to rule offside against Quinn.
Quinn may have had a major claim for a penalty shortly afterwards when he was released by a sublime ball from deep.
The United attacker survived a sliding tackle from Jason Wolohan and was then devoured in a challenge by Eoin Kavanagh with roars of protest rising from the United supporters and bench who were unconvinced that Kavanagh got the ball instead of the man.
A tame enough period of play followed with one real chance each more or less. Shane Roche sent Zach Kilbride clear with a beautiful ball but Kilbride’s cross to Jonny Quinn was cut out by the alert Shane Walker.
At the other end, good work from Kevin Mooreshouse resulted in David Kavanagh being able to get a shot off for the top corner of Gary Fennel’s goal but his shot took a touch and resulted in a corner that was cleared.
And then came one of those moments of magic that make those dull passages of play seem more than worthwhile.
A foul by Jonny Quinn on Paddy Walker resulted in a free-kick just outside the United box. Shane Walker, David Kavanagh and Sean Garvey stood over the ball in front of a four-man wall. Kavanagh walked away, Walker took a few steps backwards but it was Garvey who trotted forward and unleashed a dream strike that didn’t so much fly but drifted, like a beautiful perfume, right into the top corner.
United were quick on the hunt for revenge. Shane Walker thwarted Zach Kilbride while Shane Roche blazed wide with 38 gone and then a tasty ball over the top found Zach Kilbride in behind the Celtic defence and he struck low and hard from distance with a fine shot that beat Kavanagh down to his left.
The second half proved to be a dogged affair with plenty of endeavour on both sides. United sent in Jack Darcy early on in a bid to freshen things up.
Karl Kirwan blazed over early on for United after a tap down from Shane Roche with three minutes on the second half clock while Paddy Walker rifled his shot just over the woodwork with 10 minutes to go as both sides went in search of that precious lead.
Chances came and chances went. Zach Kilbride’s effort after 70 minutes actually brushed the top of Kavanagh’s crossbar while a Paddy Walker corner was claimed superbly by Gary Fennell.
And then came the drama. 78 minutes on the clock and Celtic attack down the left with Sean Garvey sent through on Gary Fennell. Fennell is out like lightening and slides down and takes man and ball with Garvey crashing hard to the ground after the challenge. Carl Doyle’s whistle sounds immediately and the experienced official points straight to the spot much to the chagrin of the United players and supporters.
The penalty kicking responsibility was taken by Paddy Walker who dispatched the kick beautifully with Fennell guessing wrong. Garvey could take no further part in the game and Mark Doyle was sent in to replace him. United searched hungrily for the equaliser. James Hogan’s cross from a free was gathered excellently by Eaoin Kavanagh and then Paul Lalor sent in a dream ball where Jack Darcy channeled his inner Diego Maradona and helped the ball to the back of the net with the help of his hand past Eoin Kavanagh but Carl Doyle was well wide to his antics and disallowed the goal (God loves a trier and all that!).
The final whistle sounded soon after. Celtic march on the last 16 of the Wicklow Cup but only after this stern examination from their neighbours. It should stand them well in their next battle.
1. Gary Fennell,
2. Alan O’Neill, 3. Paul Lalor, 4. James Hogan, 5. Jay Snell, 6. Karl Kirwan, 7. Niall Higgins, 8. David O’Neill, 9. Zach Kilbride,
10. Jonny Quinn, 11. Shane Roche. Subs: Jack Darcy for N Higgins (53min), Darragh Walker for A O’Neill (67min), Calem Devereux for J Quinn (89min), Richie Neary for J Snell (94min).
ARKLOW UNITED: ARKLOW CELTIC:
1. Eoin Kavanagh, 2. Davey Moorehouse, 3. Olagh Redmond, 4. Shane Walker, 5. Jason Wolohan, 6. Brian Thompson, 7. Paddy Walker, 8. Kevin Moorehouse, 9. Glen Mooney, 10. David Kavanagh, 11. Sean Garvey. Subs: David Kenny for J Wolohan (77min), Mark Doyle for S Garvey (80min, inj).
Carl Doyle
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