Bridge B still on course for cup glory

 

The way is clear for the quarter-finals of the Clare Junior Cup and the pairings will be decided this Friday evening. Three clubs, Avenue United, Newmarket Celtic and Bridge United, have two teams in the last eight of the competition, where they are joined by  Rhine Rovers and Ennis Town Rock.

 

Lifford B 2   Bridge United B 3

Bridge United B’s dream of making it third time lucky in the Clare Junior Cup is still alive. Victory over Lifford B has propelled them into the quarter-finals of this year’s title. For the past two years, Bridge B have tasted defeat in the final of this competition.
Lifford took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes when Roberto Pinto found the net and they held this lead until shortly before half-time when Greg Deegan headed the equaliser following a corner.
Early in the second half, Billy Maxwell put the winners into the lead but at the start of the final quarter they were back on terms when Pinto scored his second.
Bridge B weren’t to be denied, however, and got the winner when substitutes Niall Gilligan and Jacko Keane combined, with the latter providing the finish after a Gilligan flick-on.
Lifford B: Dardon Ahiziri; John Allen, Andy Houlihan, Noel Mounsey, Eoghan Judge, Sean Griffin, Jack Arra, Rockman Zequiri, Benedict Ayadola, Roberto Pinto, Sean Hayes.
Subs: Liam Glenny for Arra; Fionn O’Reilly for Judge.
Bridge United B: Barry Deasy; Mark Hehir, Billy Maxwell, Tadhg Keogh, Dylan Fleming, Stephen Stewart, Greg Deegan, Robert Conlon, David O’Connor, Gavin White, Michael; White
Subs: Paul Corbett for Keogh; Niall Gilligan for O’Connor; Jacko Keane for M White; Tommy Liddy for G Deegan.

Coole FC 1   Bridge United A 5

Bridge United A proved too strong for Coole FC in this cup tie played at Gort on Sunday, taking control early in the game.
Kieran Quinlan opened the scoring for the visitors and Christy Griffin had their second on the half-hour mark.
They went on to add goals from Gavin Downes (2) and Eric Carr on a day when Downes and his brother, Jonathon, failed to find the target from the penalty spot.
Coole’s reply came from Gerard Fahy.
Bridge Untied A: Paul Tuohy; Donald Devanney, Dominick Murphy, Darren Murphy, Mark Culbert, Eric Carr, Christy Griffin, Damian Murray, Jonathon Downes, Gavin Downes, Kieran Quinlan.
Subs: Dara Fitzgerald for Murray; Jamie O’Gorman for Quinlan; Paul Fitzpatrick for Carr.
Coole FC: Abner Cordillio; Alex Bruckard, Aidan O’Boyle, Wanderson Caesar, Ricky Prince, Gerard Fahy, Greg Lally, Jason Grealish, David Cahill, Kyle McCarthy, Daniello Bento.
Subs: Dave Franklin.

Kildysart Celtic 2   Rhine Rovers 6

Rhine Rovers kept their league and cup double hopes alive when they qualified for the quarter-final of the cup competition, with this comfortable win over Kildysart Celtic on Sunday.
Four goals up at the end of the opening half through Stephen Monaghan (2), Kevin Johnston and Mark Hanrahan, the Quin-based side were never really troubled.
Kildysart Celtic pulled two back early in the second half through Eoin Griffin and a Damian Hill penalty but Rhine regained the upperhand and Monaghan completed his hat-trick with a penalty while Conor Hanrahan completed the scoring.
Both sides finished with 10 men after Christy O’Brien (Rhine Rovers) and Christy Clancy were dismissed.
Kildysart Celtic: Keith Murphy; Christy Clancy, Charlie McCarthy, Eoin Griffin, Kieran Connolly, Francie Nealon, Pat Coffey, Pádraig McMahon, Liam Finn, Damian Murtagh, Ciaran Neenan.
Subs: Damian Hill for Finn; Gerry Finn for Murtagh; Damian O’Shea for Nealon.
Rhine Rovers: Aidan O’Connor; Shane O’Grady, Martin McInerney, Killian Duggan Paul Johnston, Mark Hanrahan, David O’Brien, Ivor White, Kevin Johnston, Stephen Monaghan Christy O’Brien.
Subs: Seanie Heaney for O’Grady; Jamie Fahy for K Johnston; Conor Hanrahan for D O’Brien; Michael Daffy for Monaghan.

Sporting Ennistymon 2   Newmarket Celtic B 4

Newmarket Celtic B have joined their A side in the quarter-final of the cup competition following this win over Sporting Ennistymon at Lahinch on Saturday.
A storming finish, which yielded three goals inside the last 10 minutes, saw the visitors come from behind to take the spoils.
David Barrett gave them the lead midway through the opening half but the home side were level shortly afterwards thanks to a Declan O’Looney goal.
Level at 1-1 at the break, the position was unchanged as the game drifted towards the final whistle and extra-time looked likely.
Then Alan Sexton scored what most believed to be the winning goal for the home side.
Enter Newmarket substitute Martin O’Neill, who found the net twice in the next few minutes to turn this tie on its head and any hopes of an ­Ennistymon fightback were killed when Kevin ­Feehily had his side’s fourth to send Newmarket through to the last eight.
Sporting Ennistymon: Richard Leigh; John Mullane, Mark Burke, Patrick O’Dwyer, Robert McInerney, Michael O’Dwyer, Alan Sexton, Pa Foley, Eoin Brennan, Sean McConigley, Declan O’Looney.
Subs: Michael Leigh for Burke; James Monaghan for M O’Dwyer.
Newmarket Celtic B: Kevin Corbett; Michael Crosby, Conor Cusack, Chris Noonan, Martin Moynihan, Danny Conway, Martin Mulqueen, David Barrett, Eoin Kelly, Kevin Feehily Ciaran McCoy.
Subs: Martin O’Neill, Barry O’Driscoll, Martin Frawley.