Champions Celtic can’t stop winning

Elverys Sports Super League 

Claremorris 1 

Castlebar Celtic 5 

Mike Kelly at Concannon Park

A devastating three-minute spell in the first-half was the catalyst for Castlebar Celtic to continue their excellent start to the Mayo Super League season in a sunny Claremorris on Thursday evening last.

Three goals in as many minutes saw Stevie Gavin’s side grab control of the game before going on to comprehensively grab all three points on offer.

Claremorris had got off to the best possible start as they had the ball in the net after just 90 seconds. A long ball over the top found Simon Butler who squared for the unmarked John Heneghan to tap in from close range.

The home defence frustrated Celtic in the early stages as they repelled every attack thrown at them. However, the visitors quality shone through and they got their breakthrough on 16 minutes when a free-kick floated a free into the penalty area was headed up into the air and Mark Cunningham beat Calvin Higgins to bundle the ball into the net off his back.

Just two minutes later the defending champions had the lead when Loftus put Dylan Edwards through on the left wing. The winger skipped past the first tackle and squared the ball for Jason Hunt but it was turned into his own net by Oisin Brady.

It was three goals for Celtic just a minute later when Edwards got in again on the left wing and tried to curl the ball into the far corner. Higgins got down to push the ball away but only into the path of Hunt who tapped in from three yards.

Celtic continued to show their class, keeping Claremorris pinned back as they pushed for a fourth which eventually came on 32 minutes when Eoghan Hughes squeezed the ball over the line with a header off an Edwards cross. Noel Mellett thought he had kept it out but the ball just got over the line.

Loftus and Edwards came close to adding a fifth before Mark Cunningham saw a solid penalty shout waved away on 40 minutes after he was pulled down by his collar.

The second-half was a much more open affair as Claremorris pushed to get themselves back into the game while Celtic looked to turn the screw.

The opening chances of the half fell to Hughes and Loftus but both shot straight at Higgins inside the first three minutes.

Celtic’s defence stood firm under some early pressure from the hosts but they were almost breached on 55 minutes when Simon Butler put Mark Maloney in on goal but his shot was tipped round the post by Stefan Hester.

Jordan Loftus saw two efforts either side of the hour mark hit straight at Higgins as Celtic pushed for a fifth goal but just couldn’t get the ball past Higgins as the half went on.

It looked like it would arrive on 75 minutes when Loftus headed across the goal but substitute Keith Mulchrone somehow sent his shot over the bar from close range.

The goal finally arrived two minutes into added time when a long ball out of defence from Mark Cunningham was cleared by Higgins but only as far as Liam Flatley who duly tapped into an empty net.

Claremorris: Calvin Higgins, Dylan Prendergast, Oisin Brady, Rokas Mikuckis, Noel Mellett, Caolan Walsh, Liam Gallagher, Ryan McLoughlin, Mark Maloney, Simon Butler, John Heneghan. Subs: Conor O’Keeffe, Mike Heaney.

Castlebar Celtic: Stefan Hester, Mark Cunningham, Basho Hay, Ioseph O’Reilly, Cathal Coyne, Ben Murphy, Fionn Mahon, Eoghan Hughes, Jordan Loftus, Jason Hunt, Dylan Edwards. Subs: Luke Kelly, Liam Flatley, Neil Douglas, Keith Mulchrone, Mark Rattigan.

REF: Tom Jennings