Another title for Newmarket Celtic

Bridge United A 1   Newmarket Celtic A 1
(after extra-time Newmarket Celtic won 5-3 on penalties)

Newmarket Celtic A collected another Clare soccer title when they accounted for Bridge United A in the area final of the Munster Junior Cup at the County Grounds on Sunday.

Bridge United A made their more fancied opponents battle all the way for the title and were unlucky not to score on a few occasions. Damian Murray saw two headers rebound off the crossbar and post on a day when defences dominated.

Bridge took the lead through John Keogh in the first half but Newmarket were back on terms early in the second half when Darren Cullinan converted a penalty after Damian Murray was penalised for a foul in the area.

The teams remained deadlocked from here to the end and extra-time failed to separate them.

In the penalty shoot-out, Jason White saw his effort go over the bar as John Keogh, Jamie O’Gorman and Brian Monaghan were on target. Bridge didn’t have to take the fifth kick as Newmarket had scored all their five through Cullinan, Mike Devitt, Paudie Hayes, David O’Grady and Seamus Considine.

Bridge United went into Sunday’s final in confident mood having collected the Clare area FAI Cup title earlier in the week when they defeated Ennis Town Rock on a 2-1 scoreline, both goals coming from Mike McNamara. They played the final quarter of that game with 10 men after goalkeeper John Mulready was dismissed for a foul in the area.

Newmarket went into Sunday’s game without a number of regulars due mainly to the opening round of the senior and intermediate hurling championships, which left them without Eoin Hayes, Eoin O’Brien and Daithí O’Connell while injury ruled out Mark Donlon.

Newmarket Celtic: Jan da Silva; Shane McMahon, Darren Cullinan, Mike Devitt, David O’Grady, Seamus Considine, Paudie Hayes, Ally McMillan, Alan Kelly, Diarmuid Nash, Alan Bridgale.
Sub: Owen McCarthy for Kelly.
Bridge United A: Mark Lonergan; Brian Monaghan, Alex Cole, Darren Murphy, Jason White; Stephen Stewart, Damian Murray, Eric Casr, Johnathon Hayes, Kieran Quinlan, John Keogh.
Subs: Jamie O’Gorman for Quinlan, Mark Tuohy for Hayes, Billy Maxwell for Murray.

For Bridge United, attention now switches to the first division league. They are the current leaders by two points from cup finalists Corofin Harps.

Both teams have two games to play. If the Bridge can manage to win both, then the title will be theirs.
Newmarket Celtic now focus on the upcoming cup final in which they will be defending the title against Corofin. That final is set for Saturday, June 1.