SKIBBEREEN CELTIC 2
SPARTAK MOSSGROVE 5
GER McCARTHY REPORTS
SPARTAK Mossgrove moved into Championship promotion contention following a 5-2 victory away to Skibbereen Celtic.
As expected, Spartak came away with all three points from Baltimore Road but their victory was hard-earned. Two-nil up at the break, Mossgrove survived a missed Celtic penalty before taking advantage of a tiring opponent and netting three additional times. Two late Luke O’Sullivan replies for the home side were richly deserved but didn’t affect the outcome.
Despite a seventh league loss, Skibbereen Celtic are a much-improved side since the beginning of the season. In Odhran Herlihy, Donal Hurley, Gregory O’Mahony and Luke O’Sullivan, Celtic possess the core of a squad to build around over the coming years.
As for their opponents, goals from Darren Heffernan (2), Richard O’Sullivan, Daire McAree and Aaron O’Driscoll cemented a seventh Championship win. Spartak now sit in joint-third place alongside Bay Rovers and five points behind co-leaders Baltimore and Lyre Rovers. Micheal McSweeney, Eoin McSweeney, Darren Heffernan and Richard Bradfield stood out for the winners.
As well as their impressive league form, Mossgrove have a Beamish Cup quarter-final against Ardfield to look forward to this weekend. Cup aspirations were put aside last Friday night however, as two Championship clubs eager to move up the table went head-to-head.
Sixth-placed Spartak led seventh-placed Celtic by two points at kick-off. The in-form visitors, having won their previous five outings, began as favourites, yet it was the home team that enjoyed the brighter start. Adam O’Donovan, Luke O’Sullivan and Oscar Egan’s combined efforts ensured Skibb enjoyed plenty of possession.
Mossgrove settled after an untidy start and had a penalty claim turned down prior to forcing Odhran Herlihy into a reflex save. The visitor’s persistence was rewarded with an opening goal after 12 minutes. A swift move released Darren Heffernan behind Celtic’s back four. Heffernan instantly slid a low shot into the bottom corner.
The Skibbereen Celtic team that lost at home to Spartak Mossgrove at the Baltimore Road.
To their credit, Skibbereen immediately pressed forward and came within inches of netting an equaliser. Luke O’Sullivan raced towards Spartak’s area but his left-footed attempt narrowly cleared the crossbar.
A scrappy spell produced little goalmouth action apart from a flicked Darren Heffernan header that drifted past a post. Skibbereen centre-backs Donal Hurley and Gregory O’Mahony also repelled a series of attacks during that timeframe. At the opposite end, Spartak’s high defensive line and well-drilled offside trap kept the score unchanged heading towards the break.
The visitors began to dominate and had a goal ruled out for offside prior to Odhran Herlihy denying Darren O’Donovan inside the six-yard box. Mossgrove kept pressing and doubled their lead when Richard O’Sullivan netted on the stroke of half-time.
The concession of that goal was hard to take for a Skibbereen team that had defended solidly throughout the opening 45 minutes. Undeterred, the Baltimore Road club saw a Gregory O’Mahony header brilliantly tipped over by Eoin McSweeney before being handed a lifeline.
A handball inside Mossgrove’s penalty area resulted in a Celtic spot-kick ten minutes after the restart. Luke O’Sullivan’s effort missed the target but the hosts remained in the ascendancy, bringing the best out of Eoin McSweeney in consecutive attacks.
After a disjointed period, Spartak retook control when Darren Heffernan grabbed his second of the evening. Now in rampant form, Daire McAree added another to make it 4-0 shortly after. Admirably, Skibb committed additional numbers forward and Luke O’Sullivan reduced the deficit 15 minutes from the end. The same player made up for his missed penalty by converting a second spot-kick to make it 4-2.
Any hopes of a late Skibb Celtic comeback were dashed however, when Aaron O’Driscoll converted the game’s third penalty to complete the scoring.
Skibbereen Celtic: Odhran Herlihy, Donal Hurley (captain), Gregory O’Mahony, Daniel Lasa O’Regan, Gearoid O’Driscoll, Luke O’Sullivan, Adam O’Donovan, Eoin O’Donovan, Ultan O’Donovan, Marti Puig Doblado, Oscar Egan.
Subs: Shane McCarthy, Charles McCarthy, Cian Coughlan, Eoin Whooley, Aaron Dempsey, Sean Spenser, Niall McCarthy.
Spartak Mossgrove: Eoin McSweeney, Mark Kelly, Darragh McSweeney, Micheal McSweeney (captain), Richard Bradfield, Daire McAree, Darren Heffernan, Aaron O’Driscoll, Conor Goggin, Ciarán O’Donovan, Darren O’Donovan.
Subs: James Kelleher, Richard O'Sullivan, Timmy Coughlan.
Referee: Paul McDermott.
