Castlebar Celtic 4
Ballyheane 4
Diarmuid Kelly
Castlebar
ON the opening day of the European Championships, Castlebar Celtic and Ballyheane FC provided one of the most exciting games of soccer likely to be seen anywhere this summer within the walls of Celtic Park.
Chris Maughan proved to be the hero of the evening as he converted a penalty of his own making to pull his team within one goal of the hosts, and then headed the leveller two minutes into stoppage time to complete the unlikeliest of comebacks after Celtic had raced into an early lead. In fact, more surprising than the visitors’ comeback was the capitulation of the home side after they had assembled their lead. In the space of 20 minutes, Celtic went from playing comfortable, attractive and effective football to making some hazardous mistakes, and indiscipline crept into their game with lethal effect.
Remarkably, they had taken the lead after just 41 seconds. John Maughan’s header spilled across the six-yard box after hitting the post; Gerry Burke was quickest to react and smashed home the opener. Three minutes later, Joey Maloney finished well into the bottom corner after a good move involving Seán Reilly and John Maughan down the left flank.
As early as the seventh minute, Celtic had accumulated a three-goal lead when the impressive Thomas King whipped a cross in from the right that evaded everyone including keeper Seán Fahey and slotted into the far left corner. By this time, Celtic were on top all over the pitch as Ballyheane struggled to cope with the hosts’ pace and movement. Ioseph O’Reilly and John Maughan both came close to furthering their lead before the 20th minute.
Yet against the run of play, Ballyheane found a reply. Dave Sheridan found himself one-on-one with Neil McNicholas in the 25th minute when a long free from defence wasn’t cleared properly, and he calmly lifted the ball over the onrushing keeper. Clearly spurred on by their opener, Ballyheane suddenly found themselves within one goal of their local rivals when Ashley Stevenson rose unmarked in the box to head in Alan McHugh’s free kick. Chris Maughan nearly scored the sixth goal of this enthralling encounter, but his low shot was blocked on the line.
The game’s sixth goal came from Celtic’s John Maughan, who poked home from three yards when a corner by Joey Maloney broke in the box. This proved to be the last goal of the half and gave Celtic a two-goal lead at the interval.
The second half started off at much more a pedestrian pace, and it wasn’t until the 63rd minute that we had the next goal. Ballyheane’s Chris Maughan was adjudged to have been felled by Celtic defender Stevie Ryan and was awarded a penalty. Maughan dusted himself off to step up to the spot, and drove the ball straight down the centre to cut the lead to the minimum once again.
Dave Sheridan then had a glorious chance to level matters, and was unlucky to see his effort graze the wrong side of the post. Gerry Burke then had an opportunity at the other end but his close-range volley fell straight into the hands of Seán Fahey.
Going into the final minutes, Ballyheane were pushing for that-all important equaliser, but were finding themselves getting bogged down in midfield as the game seemed to fizzle out. However, when what seemed like a harmless ball forward was headed back across goal by Sheridan, Maughan jumped highest to smash a header in off the post to level matters in the 92nd minute.
Castlebar Celtic
N McNicholas, T King, J Minogue, S Reilly, S Ryan, S McHale, R Emerton, I O’Reilly, J Maloney, J Maughan, G Burke.
Subs used: A Neary for Emerton; E Torphy for McHale.
Ballyheane
S Fahey, M Roache, T Coghill, P Mulroe, P Burke, A McHugh, C Maughan, J Kelly, A Stevenson, D Sheridan, M Maughan.
Sub used: M Conroy for Kelly.
Referee: L McEntee
