Carnbane League: Newry Celtic topple Villa whilst Cleary squeeze past Rossowen in extra-time

Fr Davies Cup Semi-final: Newry Celtic 4 Villa Rovers 0

Newry Celtic were in fine form at Willie Davis Park on Thursday evening, as they hit the net four times en route to booking their place in the Fr Davies Cup final.

Both sides came into the game in good form – Newry Celtic had won six games in a row, whilst Villa Rovers had won three in a row, including the Bessbrook Cup final – and it was Villa who started the brighter of the two sides, but after several early missed chances, the Celts went ahead when they took their first opportunity nine minutes into the game.

Celtic goalkeeper Kevin Marks launched a long goal kick over the heads of the Villa defence and put Caolan Gray through on goal. He did the rest, keeping his cool and finishing into the far corner.

The remainder of the first half was evenly contested, but the Hoops got a crucial second goal on 41 minutes when Shea Morgan’s long ball was nodded down by Gavin Moan at the back post and once again was finished off by Gray at close range to give his side a 2-0 half-time lead.

The next goal was always going to prove crucial and Villa were controversially denied a chance at goal for an apparent wrongful offside call midway through the second half. Had they been allowed to play on, they possibly would have cut the gap to 2-1.

Instead, it was Newry Celtic who got the all-important third goal, via Conor Shields on 75 minutes. It was certainly one of the most unorthodox goals he will ever score, as after having his first shot blocked, he lay flat on his back a yard out from goal and was able to get his right foot to the ball and poke it past the goalkeeper and into the net.

On 90 minutes the Celts added a fourth and it was the pick of the bunch – as Patrick Daly launched an over-the-top through ball and Eoin McGivern let it bounce before firing a rocket into the top corner from just inside the box to put the icing on the cake and seal the win for the Celts.

Fr Davies Cup Quarter-final: Cleary Celtic 2 Rossowen 1 (AET)

Whilst Newry Celtic were taking care of business in Willie Davis Park, things weren’t quite as straightforward for Cleary Celtic 100 yards away at Olympic Park.

The Celts did take the lead on 38 minutes via Mark Hughes, but they could never pull two clear.

Hughes was then shown a straight red card 20 minutes from the end of time reducing Cleary to 10 men.

The drama was far from over and Rossowen levelled the game at the death, with Luke Kelly finding the net on 90 minutes to take it to extra-time.

However, it was Cleary who had the last laugh, as Davy Walker scored the winner five minutes into extra-time.

They will face Camlough Rovers in the semi-final at 2pm on Saturday at Willie Davis Park.