The first game for any new management team is always going to be eagerly anticipated but when your away to Killarney Celtic it has a bit more of an edge to it.
Celtic had the better of the first 10 mins owning the ball a forcing a couple of good saves from Jamie Kelly and probably against the run of play we took the lead in the 12th min from a great finish from the inform Fergal Maunsell and that seemed to kick us in to gear .
We began to create a number in the next 5 mins a couple of good efforts from Michael Conway and long ranger from David McLoughlin that just whizzed wide of the post. We were on the front foot with Ryan Downy driving from centre mid flanked by the returning David Courtney and Sean Dukes. We doubled our lead in the 17th min through a superb 1-2 between front pair Maunsell and Conway saw Maunsell’s through ball found Mike who calmly stroked the ball past Roy Kelliher in the Celtic goal. The back line of David Magee ,Pecker Doyle , Con Barrett Paudie Baiey kept the Celtic strike force unusually quite. 2 nil at the break and good for it.
The second half didn’t disrupt our rhythm and it was only 4 mins old when a counter attack lead by Maunsell and when he was one on one with the keeper ther was ever only going to be one outcome he dropped his right shoulder sold the keeper the dummy and walked the ball home. With the game in the final third David Courtney scored an absolute worldy cutting in off the left curling a right footed effort beyond Kelliher who was at full stretch from fully 25 yards out. Sean Dukes finished the scoring with a cracking finish played on the left wing for the latter part of the game he found space in behind Celtic’s overworked defence and as the keeper approached he stepped over the ball with his right foot and as soon as his right foot touched the ground he preceded to slot the ball past the puzzled keeper with his left foot all in one movement. Superb skill from the young man. 5- 0 was hard to believe but we were worthy for it. Well done to Aaron o Keeffe paddy Collins and Emmanuel Abubakar who made there senior debut.
Report by Robert Powell .
