United maintain perfect start to Super season

Elverys Sports Super League – Round 2 

Westport United 4 

Claremorris 2 

Stuart Tynan at United Park 

Westport United joined Castlebar Celtic at the top of the Super League table after beating Claremorris in United Park last Thursday evening.

While they will be pleased to keep their 100% record intact, they will be disappointed at how they almost let Claremorris back into the game in the second-half. Leading 4-0 after 48 minutes, United were in complete control and should have seen the game out with relative ease. Two goals from Cathal Walsh saw an opening develop for the visitors however, and had either Walsh or Simon Butler got on the end of an inviting cross from Rokas Mikuckis a minute before stoppage time, it could have set up an unnecessarily nervy ending for the Coveys.

Claremorris deserve great credit for their part in getting back into the game. Cathal Walsh responded for Claremorris immediately after United’s fourth and while results like this will not dictate their survival chances, they showed enough fight, character and quality to prove they are more than capable of staying up.

The gulf in class, however, was evident in the first-half. Claremorris were struggling to keep the ball for any sustained period as United pulled their opponents apart with some wonderful pass and move football. It appeared it would only be a matter of time before Westport would get the opener and they did so in style on 14 minutes. Jack Dawson teed up Cian Halpin and from 25 yards, he fired the ball into the roof of the net.

It should have been 2-0 midway through the half as a lovely ball over the top released Kevin Kitterick only for him to slice his shot wide.

The second goal arrived ten minutes before half-time. Great work by Harrison Quinn down the right saw him hold off one challenge in the penalty area and cut the ball back to Cian Halpin who curled a delightful strike from 25 yards again that was always going away from the goalkeeper and into the top corner.

Claremorris had a nightmare start to the second-half as they conceded twice inside the opening three minutes. An unfortunate slip by Noah Massey inside his own penalty area saw Kevin Kitterick nab the ball and curl it into the bottom corner.

The third goal came from misfortune but United’s fourth was of the highest class. Cillian White made a darting run before playing a quick one-two with Kitterick and White tidily finished into the corner of the net.

It could have been a time for Claremorris heads to drop but the visitors pulled one back instantly as Mikuckis released Cathal Walsh to toe-poke past Cunningham.

Dan O’Malley, Eoin Conway and Joe Lawless (in his first appearance of the season) made their way onto the field in the second-half, and O’Malley was denied one-on-one by the Claremorris goalkeeper Evan Campbell.

Claremorris were looking increasing threatening on the break and the combination of Mikuckis and Walsh set-up the latter for his second with 20 minutes to go.

Dan O’Malley was having little to no luck in front of goal late on as he was denied on another three occasions, having one ruled out for offside, another saved again by Campbell and his final chance a header coming back off the bar.

Mikuckis almost set up a third Claremorris goal on 89 minutes but neither Butler or Walsh could get the touch needed to divert the delivery into the goal and United saw out additional time with ease to make it three league wins from three.

Westport United: Gary Cunningham, Harrison Quinn, Alex Halpin, Noah Massey, Mark McDonagh, Fionn O’Hora, Cian Halpin, Cillian White, Kevin Kitterick, Jack Dawson, Dylan O’Malley. Subs: Dan O’Malley (for C Halpin 56); Joe Lawless (for A Halpin 57), Eoin Conway (for Dawson 69), Evan Durkan (for Dylan O’Malley 81).

Claremorris: Evan Campbell, Liam Gallagher, Jason Murphy, Noel Mellett, Andrew Peters, Cillian Joyce, Mark Maloney, Ryan McLoughlin, Cathal Walsh, Rokas Mikuckis, Simon Butler. Subs: Caolan Walsh (for Gallagher ht), John Heneghan (for Peters 81), Mike Meaney (for McLoughlin 87), Ben Smyth (for Cathal Walsh 89).

REF: Jimmy Cawley