Kelly rubs the Salt in Celtic wounds
Salthill Devon's Timmy Molloy holds off Castlebar Celtic's Oran Groarke. Pictures: John Corless
“It doesn't matter how it goes in, it's a f***ing goal, and that's it.” Blunt words by Celtic joint-manager Declan Flynn, but it summed it up for the Hoops last Sunday.
There was no recriminations, appeals or questionable refereeing decisions that decided this one. After 110 minutes of gruelling, intense football between two of Connacht’s soccer powerhouses, one felt either a moment of magic or a lapse in concentration would decide this FAI Junior Cup quarter-final. Unfortunately for Castlebar Celtic, it proved to be the latter.
Midway through the first period of extra-time, a diagonal ball from Salthill captain Michael Lee appeared to be intercepted by his Celtic counterpart Ioseph O’Reilly. But O’Reilly’s header nudged it into the path of Timmy Molloy. Cathal Coyne intercepted his cross, but substitute Shane O’Rourke got another crack and toe poked it into the path of Colin Kelly, who lashed the ball into the back of the net from close range.
It was a heartbreaking goal to concede for the Hoops, who defended heroically throughout but the lack of clear-cut chances created ultimately proved to be their undoing.
“We were playing in the national quarter-final there today. I thought we matched them more than well enough thought our fitness levels were very good, I thought our fight and the way we had to set up initially, I thought everything went to plan for us. Just there in the extra time. got caught out, you know? It's just a lapse of concentration. Whatever you want to call it, no matter which way you want to gloss it up, it's a f***ing goal at the end of the day. To a man, that squad, like myself and Stevie, we're so proud of them,” said Flynn, who manned the touchline solo in the absence of Stevie Gavin, who missed the game due to prior commitments.
Flynn added: “Let's not kid ourselves. From where we came from to where we are now, it's absolutely night and day. It's the players that deserve the credit for that because anything that's been asked of them to a man, they just get on with it.” Celtic, who were beaten by Villa FC of Waterford in the previous round, were reinstated back in the competition following an appeal after Villa were found to have fielded an illegal player in the game.
It was the first meeting of these two sides since their infamous Connacht Cup semi-final last year, which saw Celtic beat Salthill amid much controversy Salthill felt aggrieved due to Celtic’s winner being offside while Celtic were angry due to an initially successful appeal to the Connacht FA by Salthill over the result as the game was refereed by Mayo officials. It was later overturned by the FAI, but the weeks-long saga saw the final heavily delayed, causing much strain for all connected with Celtic before going on to win it.
The game had all the makings of a feisty affair, and neither were holding back from the minute Brian Higgins blew his whistle for kick-off. Stefan Hester was called into action early on, coming quickly off his line to smother an early effort by Colin Kelly.
Celtic picked up early yellows through Niall Brennan and Oran Groarke, much to the frustration of their own support who felt they were not getting the rub of the green off the man in the middle. Defensively, Salthill snuffed out chances for Luke Kelly and Dylan Edwards, with Niall Brennan having the best chance of the half as an Edwards corner went through a host of bodies, but Brennan’s first-time shot was off target.
The start of the second half saw efforts for Matthew Barrett of Salthill and Celtic’s Niall Brennan both saved, while ironic cheers were greeted on 54 minutes as Timmy Molloy picked up Salthill’s first yellow.
Chances were few and far between for both in the second half. Dylan Edwards had a free-kick on 73 minutes straight at Salthill goalkeeper Arek Mamala while Jordan Loftus went close with a shot from a Jason Hunt corner. At the other end, Salthill went closest to breaking the deadlock when substitutes Shane O’Rourke and Michael Gallagher combined, but O’Rourke’s glancing header from Gallagher’s cross went inches wide.
Extra-time beckoned, and Celtic blinked on 95 minutes when Colin Kelly put Salthill in front. Celtic’s Mark Cunningham, who had an outstanding outing for the hosts, almost capped it off with a spectacular equaliser before the end of the first period but his curling effort off his left just sailed over the bar.
Celtic were unfortunate not to level it midway through the second period of extra-time, as Salthill right-back Darren Collins made a vital interception on Jason Hunt’s free-kick as Ioseph O’Reilly was waiting at the back post.
Celtic threw the kitchen sink from here but Salthill, with centre-back duo Paul Scally and Calum Crowe in impenetrable form, saw the final minutes out comfortably. It is FAI Junior Cup heartbreak again for Celtic but they will have to dust themselves down quickly for next Sunday’s Connacht Cup semi-final against St John’s Athletic in Lecarrow.
“The Connacht Cup is the Connacht Cup. It's a biggie, no more than this one. As Stevie has always mentioned, any competition we go into we look to go and win it, and I think, looking at the football that we've been playing the past year, two, three years, whatever it is, I think it's no wonder we're in the business end of competitions,” said a bullish Flynn.
“That's not me being going to smoke up the lads' holes or anything like that. We're a good side. We're a good side, but in sport, you have good days, you have bad days. It's how you get over them.” In addition, their ‘B’ team are in the Connacht Shield semi-final against Iorras Aontaithe on Saturday at 6pm while the U18s play Moyne Villa in the Connacht U18 Cup semi-final on Sunday at 2pm. Both those games are at Celtic Park.
When asked whether there will be more occasions like the one in Celtic Park last Sunday, Flynn’s response was simple.
“Hopefully, hopefully. That's the plan anyway.” Should this weekend go well, there may be a few good days ahead sooner rather than later.
