Celtic have the answers to all questions ‘Ask’-ed
Castlebar Celtic are into the last 16 of the FAI Youth Cup after an eight-goal thriller against Askeaton/Kilcornan.
Castlebar Celtic turned a miserable day into anything but as their five goal tally was enough to take them past their never-say-die opponents in the form of Askeaton/Kilcornan.
The Limerick visitors were valiant but a first half hat-trick from Tiernan Brady gave the hosts a control they never relinquished, sending them into the last eight of the national youth competition.
The opening ten minutes were filled with little in the way of chances, an Eoin Enright header from a Luke Flatley corner all Castlebar were able to conjure. However the following ten minutes would see the game spark into life. First, Cian Walsh received a pass out of defensive midfield from Gavin Forry, dropping a shoulder to his right and slipping in Tiernan Brady with a deftly weighted through ball, and from the right of Danny O’Flaherty’s net he found the bottom left corner to give Celtic the opener.
Cian Walsh seemed like he was completely running the show then on 15 minutes when he danced through the Askeaton/Kilcornan midfield before again playing the pass through into Brady and this time he finished coolly to the bottom right corner.
Luke Flatley also had created a chance for Brady that was blocked well by Mark Doolan. However, after another Walsh through ball, this time over the top of the defence, a slip from Doolan allowed Brady to round O’Flaherty and roll the ball in for a 20 minute hat-trick.
The visitors replied in the very next moment however, as Zach Birdthistle took on Ryan Gibbons and drew a foul from the latter’s slide tackle. Finn O’Gorman’s attempt from the spot was originally denied by Celtic netminder Mustafa Baghdadi but he dinked the rebound over the Celtic goalkeeper. The half would end 4-1 when Ryan Gibbons powerfully headed Luke Flatley’s inswinging corner from the left into the top right, giving the hosts a strong advantage ahead of the break.
Askeaton/Kilcornan made a brilliant start to the second half through substitute Michael James Harty. Just three minutes into the half he had a central set piece rocket into the bottom right corner to breathe new life into the Limerick club’s fightback.
Celtic would mostly end those chances when Robert Canning’s lofted ball into the area and it fell for Cian Walsh, who added to his tally of three assists with a fine finish after taking the ball down and by a defender.
Eoin Enright would go close from the right wing just before the hour mark after being played in by Fionn McHale, and Tiernan Brady came very close to a fourth goal four minutes later when O’Flaherty saved his attempt after Enright had played him in. Askeaton/Kilcornan would reply once more through Zach Birdthistle, who was quickest to bounce on Baghdadi’s spilling of the shot from Michael James Harty, sending the rebound home into an empty net.
The last 20 minutes would not offer up as much entertainment as the fascinating middle portion of the game did, with fatigue setting in for both sides. The visitors especially felt the pace and intensity as they had been chasing the ball for the majority of the game against the patient Celtic.
The result sees Celtic move on to the quarter-finals of the competition with the likes of Pike Rovers, Carrigaline and Mervue United.
