BY SEÁN HOLLAND
DUNMANWAY Town secured a convincing 4-1 away victory over Bunratty United in the opening weekend of the PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division.
Town did all the damage in the first half with Matthew O’Mahony opening the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute. That was followed by goals from William Hennigan (33), Colm O’Neill (44), and Gavin Dullea (45) to establish a dominant 4-0 lead by the short whistle. Bunratty United's Jason Nyhan pulled one back for the home side in the 89th minute, but it was merely a consolation as Dunmanway cruised to a comfortable opening win.
Also, Togher Celtic delivered a strong performance to defeat Beara United 4-1 away from home. Niall Hurley was the star of the match, netting twice, in the 36th and 47th minutes, to put Togher in control. Martin Murphy added a third in the 64th minute, and John Collins sealed the victory with a goal in the 81st minute. Beara managed a late consolation through James Spencer in the 87th minute, but Togher's dominance was never in doubt.
In a thrilling encounter between the two newly promoted sides, last season’s Championship winners Castletown Celtic edged out Drinagh Rangers B with a 3-2 win. Aaron Draper gave Castletown an early lead in the fifth minute, and Niall O’Halloran added two more to put the home side in a strong position, leading 3-0 after 55 minutes. Drinagh Rangers B fought back with goals from Daniel Fernandes (56) and Padraig Cronin (80), but Castletown held on to claim all three points in an exciting contest.
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Spartak Mossgrove cruised to a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Aultagh Celtic B in the OBrienWaterServices.com Championship. Gavan Kelleher set the tone early with a goal in the fourth minute, followed by Joe Kenneally's first strike in the 20th minute. Aaron O’Driscoll added to the tally in the 70th minute, before Kenneally sealed the win with his second goal in the 87th minute, capping off a dominant performance for Spartak.
Skibbereen Celtic emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Aultagh Celtic in a closely-contested match. Dan Bucur opened the scoring for the hosts in the 19th minute, with Luke O’Sullivan doubling the lead just before half-time. Aultagh Celtic fought back in the second half, with Oisin Fergus O’Connell pulling one back in the 80th minute, but Skibbereen held on to secure all three points.
Bay Rovers earned a solid 3-1 victory against Mizen Hob, thanks to a strong start. Calvin Cronin found the net in the fourth minute, quickly followed by Eoin Bowden's goal in the tenth minute to give Bay Rovers a comfortable early 2-0 lead. Eli Reynolds added a third in the 79th minute, before Mizen Hob's Shane O'Mahony grabbed a consolation goal in the 82nd minute. The home side's early dominance proved too much for Mizen Hob to overcome.
In an entertaining six-goal thriller, Castlelack and Lyre Rovers played out a dramatic 3-3 draw. Castlelack took an early two-goal lead with quick strikes from Brian Lordan and Joe O’Halloran inside the first two minutes. However, Lyre Rovers responded quickly with goals from Harry Oates in the 11th minute and Eoin Murphy in the 15th to level the score. Brendan Harrington put Castlelack back in front in the 50th minute, but Oates secured a point for Lyre Rovers with his second goal in the 80th minute.
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