Oisin’s late leveller could well be ‘Quay’ in title race
ARDEE CELTIC QUAY CELTIC 3 3
ICE cool Oisin Coleman scored with the last kick of the game, stroking home the equaliser from the spot that could prove the most important goal in Quay’s season.
In the pouring rain and slippy conditions that posed difficulty for players holding their feet as the match wore on the league leaders lost their grip in the second-half as Ardee in second place overturned a 2-1 deficit and were on the brink of a crucial win.
Then goalkeeper Shane Halpenny with only seconds left in stoppage time rushed off his line to deal with the run into the penalty box of Kieran McArdle and his challenge to the left of his goal sent the Quay player tumbling to the ground.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Coleman sent the unfortunate Halpenny the wrong way, placing his penalty kick low inside the post.
Something had to give in the clash between the top two teams in the under-15 league, with both sides with a 100 percent record, with Ardee three games less played.
A win for Quay would have set them up for a tilt at the title in their last game against their arch rivals Rock Celtic on Saturday when the points would have crowned them champions. They still remain the favourites
The outcome was a disappointment to Ardee although it is still very much within their hands to take the title, but it will be more difficult, likely requiring winning their remaining games to tie with Quay
The home side made a flying start with tall and speedy striker James Rogers firing low past the impressive Quay goalkeeper Jack McArdle when he took a pass inside the penalty box after two minutes.
Quay equalised two minutes later with Scott Hearty scoring and doing the spadework for the goal. He won the ball from two home defenders on the left wing and then nipped into the penalty box to turn it into the net from WHAT some League of Ireland clubs would give to have a playing complex like Ardee Celtic, comprising three pitches, and floodlights? An overhanging roof extending out from the clubhouse and changing rooms provides shelter for spectators when like this game the rain is pouring down. Junior and schoolboys leagues haven’t facilities as good, and the club deserve to reap the awards, personified by the success of the like of Ross Gaynor in the League of Ireland. With individuals of the calibre of David Martin and John Flanagan involved in developing players and preparing teams at schoolboy and adult level, the club can only go from strength to strength.
close range after a teammate had a shot blocked.
The leaders took command, producing bouts of slick passing movements with Hearty prominent, and good support play in attack from Cathal Bradley, Oisin and Ryan Coleman and Sam Malone.
The latter shot his side ahead with a superb volley into the top corner of the net after his freekick from outside the 18 yard box rebounded back off the wall to him after 25 minutes.
Shortly before that Evan Wynne made a timely intervention to stop the dangerous Rogers. The Quay defender coped well with the task of dealing with the home striker.
Gustas Pupelis stubbed a good chance of increasing Quay’s lead, but his physical
presence was missed as he was withdrawn for spell when the bigger and stronger home side clearly put the much smaller Quay on the back foot in the second-half .
It was not coincidental that Quay’s successful rally to rescue a last gasp draw followed his re-introduction, with Quay showing the resilience of champions in the making.
This was after Oisin Lynch struck what looked a killer double blow for Ardee. A thrusting run from mid-field by Rogers led to the ball going to Lynch inside the box and he shot to the corner of the net ten minutes into the second period.
Ten minutes later he really rocked Quay when he dived low un-challenged at the back post to head his side back ahead from a corner kick, resulting from the save of the match by Quay goalkeeper Jack McArdle. He tipped a smashing drive by Lynch over from underneath his cross bar which looked destined for the net as he
let fly from a tight angle from inside the Quay penalty box on the right.
Lynch had another chance to complete his hat-trick and wrap up victory. Teammates David McGee and Ryan Halpenny combined to cut open the Quay defence, and free Lynch to shoot from just inside the 18 yard line. His effort was straight at McArdle, and Quay went immediately up the field to win the fateful penalty
ARDEE: Shane Halpenny, Cillian Taaffe, David Magee, Mathew Kane, Ryan Halpenny, Daniel Clinton, Tadgh Kellett, James Rogers, Oisin Lynch, Jamie O’Callaghan, Adam O’Reilly, Jamie Durnin, Noel Coyle, Jack McKeever.
QUAY: Jack McArdle, Ciaran Walsh, Kieran McArdle, Evan Wynne, Nathan Quinn, Scott Hearty, Oisin Coleman, Cathal Bradley, Sam Malone, Gustas Pupelis, Ryan Coleman, Morgan Tobin, Christopher Clarke, Conor Devlin. Rock Celtic 3 Quay Celtic 2; Quay Celtic 2 Blayney Acad 5; Shamrocks 2 Woodview 2
Glenmuir Celtic 3 Bellurgan Celtic 5; Blayney Acad Blue 2 Quay Athletic 0; Quay Olympic 2 Quay Athletic 0; Bellurgan Celtic 2 Quay Athletic 0
Redeemer 7 Bellurgan Athletic 0; Rockville 1 Blayney Acad Yellow 4; Shamrock Celtic 1 Bay Utd 4
Muirhevnamor 1 Bellurgan Utd 2; Walshestown 1 Rock Celtic 1
Woodview 1 Dromin Juv 4; Bellurgan Celtic 1 Quay Olympic 5
St Dominic’s 6 Bay Utd 2; Rockville 2 Shamrocks Celtic 5; Ardee Utd 4 Bellurgan Athletic 1
Rock Celtic 3 Bellurgan Utd 1; Rock Celtic 2 Quay Celtic 1
Rockville 2 Bellurgan Celtic 6 Ardee Celtic 3 Quay Celtic 3; Dromin Juv 2 Rock Celtic 0; Rock Celtic 2 Quay Celtic 4; Glenmuir Utd 5 Bellurgan Utd 2; Shamrocks 5 St Dominic’s 1; Walshestown 0 Woodview 0; Quay Olympic 0 Ardee Celtic 5
Bellurgan Utd 4 Albion Rvs 1
Bay Utd 4 Rockville 3; Bellurgan Celtic 1 Walshestown 4
Bay Utd 2 DMC FC 3; Rock Celtic 3 Termonfeckin 2
Athboy Celtic A1 0 Ardee Celtic P 5; Bellurgan Utd P 6 Glenmuir Utd FC A 1
Trim Celtic AFC P 3 Glenmuir Utd FC A 5; Glenmuir Utd FC B 0 Donacarney Celtic FC P 1; Lusk Utd A 2 Blayney Academy P 1
Bohemian FC B 0 Ardee Celtic P 5
FIXTURES Quay Celtic v Glenmuir Utd, Clancy Pk 7.30 Dromin Juv v Bellurgan Celtic, Bellew Park 7.30
Glenmuir Utd v St Dominic’s, Glenmuir Pk 7.30 Glenmuir Utd v Muirhevnamor, Glenmuir Pk 7.30
Bellurgan Utd v Quay Celtic, Bellew Park 7.30
Blayney Acad v Rock Celtic, Beech Hill 11.00; Bellurgan Utd v Quay Celtic, Bellurgan 11.00; Glenmuir Utd v Muirhevnamor, Glenmuir Pk 12.30
Ardee Celtic v Woodview, Ardee 11.00; Bellurgan Celtic v Glenmuir Celtic, Bellurgan 12.30 Shamrocks Celtic v St Dominic’s, Fatima 11.00; Bay Utd v Rockville, Rock Road 11.00; Muirhevnamor Celtic v Ardee Utd, Muirhevnamor 11.00
Walshestown v Rock Celtic, Walshestown 12.30; Ardee Celtic v Shamrocks, Ardee 12.30 Rock Celtic v Glenmuir Utd, Sandy Lane 11.00; Blayney Acad v Shamrocks, Beech Hill 11.00; Woodview v Quay Celtic, Bellew Park 11.00; Bellurgan Utd v Muirhevnamor, Bellurgan 11.00
Blayney Acad Blue v Quay Olympic, Beech Hill 12.30; Bellurgan Celtic v Ardee Celtic, Bellurgan 12.30; Dromin Juv v Glenmuir Celtic, Dromin 11.00
Glenmuir Athletic v Shamrock Celtic, Glenmuir Pk 11.00; Rockville v Bellurgan Athletic, Sandy Lane 12.30; Redeemer v Blayney Acad Yellow, Gorman Pk 11.00
Glenmuir Utd v Bellurgan Utd, Glenmuir Pk 12.30; Bay Utd v Rock Celtic, Rock Road 12.30 Photos: Aid