O’Driscoll’s double give Celtic victory

Avenue Utd B                  0
Newmarket Celtic B          2

This First Division League game played at the Lees Road saw the visitors, Newmarket Celtic, capture all points. Both sides were playing their first league game of the season.
The quite blustery conditions militated against good constructive play. In the first half, Avenue had the better of the play and created some good scoring chances but they failed to register a score.
The first of these chances arrived on five minutes when Josh Lynch got on the end of a low cross only to see his effort hit the side netting. The Ennis outfit came close again on the half hour when a Neil Slattery free kick from the edge of the area whizzed past the left-hand post. Mark Roche should have hit the target three minutes later but his effort was outside the right-hand post. The visitors’ best chance of the half came just before the half-time whistle when Ian Cusack executed a lovely looping effort but Avenue’s goalie Killian Culligan proved equal to the task with a fine one-handed save. The turning point in this game materialised on 56 minutes when Avenue’s influential midfielder, Neil Slattery, was red-carded by referee Martin O’Brien for dissent and the home side struggled thereafter.
Newmarket added to their woes just three minutes after the red card when some sloppy defending allowed Barry O’Driscoll to head them into the lead from six yards. Newmarket enjoyed the better of the scoring chances from here to the final whistle but had to wait until the 90th minute for their next score when O’Driscoll notched up his second beating the Avenue offside trap.
Elsewhere on the Clare soccer scene, Munster Junior Cup action dominated with Shannon Olympic and Bunratty-Cratloe both advancing, while in the first round, proper wins were the order of the day for Ennis sides Lifford and Avenue United A, while Bridge Utd A accounted for Gort outfit Coole FC.
Newmarket Celtic A, who captured last year’s premier title going the season undefeated, took the first step to repeat this feat with a good home win against newly promoted side Rhine Rovers, while also in the premier league Mountshannon Celtic secured all three points away to Tulla United.
Manus Celtic, meanwhile booked their second Division League Cup final spot where they will meet Kildysart Celtic with a good win over Bridge United B. Kildysart Celtic got their second Division league campaign off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Hermitage B, while in the third division, Treaty Celtic, Lifford B and Ennis Town Rock B got off to a winning start.