Celtic hit KK with a high-five after being crowned before kickoff
Tom Kelly and Mayo League Chairman Seamus Hughes present Castlebar Celtic captain Ioseph O'Reilly with the Tom Kelly Perpetual Cup, awarded to the winners of the Elverys Sports Super League. Pic: John Corless
It was a bit of an anti-climax in the end. Castlebar Celtic retained their Super League title before this game kicked off thanks to results elsewhere.
When John Heneghan put Davy McCracken through, to equalise for Claremorris at Ballyheane on Sunday morning, the destination of the title was decided. Only Ballyheane could theoretically catch Celtic; an outcome which would require Celtic losing all their remaining matches and Ballyheane winning all theirs.
Whatever about Ballyheane, who are improving of recent, Celtic’s collapse was never really on the cards although they did suffer a first league defeat in two years to that same Ballyheane team last Thursday night, a game that finished 3-2 and put Celtic's champagne on ice for the time being.
But by 2.30pm on Sunday at CMS Park, Knock, Celtic had deservedly won back-to-back League titles; all that remained was to dispose of the hosts which they did in a ruthless six-minute second half period, during which they scored three times.
Celtic manager Stevie Gavin was delighted to win the league with three games to spare.
“It was tough – every team came for us, and next year is going to be tough again,” he said. “We have a great group of players, we have competition for places and the lads on the pitch know that there’s somebody as good as them on the side-line waiting to get their place, if they don’t perform.”
“Winning gives you a hunger, and hopefully we can keep it up. We had Luke Kelly, Jason Hunt and Ben Murphy missing today with injuries, but we have Johnny Cocozza back, and we brought in more youngsters like Gavin Forry and Shane Cunningham. We want to go on another winning run now.”
It took Celtic a while to transfer their first half dominance onto the scoreboard. Basho Hay, who had a great first half for Celtic, sent in several crosses of different varieties, and Jordan Loftus, who was excellent throughout, eventually got the breakthrough, after half an hour, to send the Champions in, a goal to the good, at the break.
James Costello had a strong KKU side out, and ten minutes after the break, when defender, Dylan Roache, soared to head Cormac Caulfield’s free kick, the outcome was an unstoppable equaliser in the top left-hand corner.
Fionn Mahon shot Celtic in front again on 69 minutes and KKU lost their way as two more Celtic goals went in, in a devastating six-minute period. Dylan Edwards calmly stroked home, and Johnny Cocozza, just back from a year in Australia, set up Loftus for his second. At 4-1, there was no way back for KKU.
They kept trying however, and Robert Jordan eventually got one back before substitute Gavin Forry made it five, well into stoppage time, to emphasise Celtic’s superiority.
The Tom Kelly Cup was presented to Ioseph O’Reilly, the Celtic captain, by Tom Kelly and Seamus Hughes, Chairman of the Mayo League, after the game. In his address, O’Reilly thanked his teammates, the team management, the supporters, the sponsors, Mike Staunton the club photographer, and the Mayo League.
A minutes’ silence was observed before the game, in memory of James McNeive, from Knock, who lost his life in a road accident during the week.
Kiltimagh Knock United: Niall Walshe, Dan Duffy, Cillian Finn, Dylan Roche, Conall Rice, Ronan Malee, Brian Gallagher, Liam McCormack, Cormac Caulfield, Conor Flynn, Ethan Hosty. Subs: Lorcan Conroy, Joe Glynn, Robert Jordan, Moe Alom.
Castlebar Celtic: Stefan Hester, Basho Hay, Ioseph O’Reilly, Cathal Coyne, Mark Howley, Oran Groarke, Niall Brennan, Liam Flatley, Dylan Edwards, Jordan Loftus, Paul Walsh. Subs: Fionn Mahon, Brian Walsh, Johnny Cocozza, Shane Cunningham, Gavin Forry.
Referee: Jimmy Cawley.
