- OUR PARTNERS
It was a firecracker of a match as Celtic and Celbridge met for the third time this season. Castleknock played the match with the minimum 7 players so no subs and no time for rest. The talk pre match was about trick r treating, watching horror movies and eating bags of healthy food, well healthy if you are Willie Wonka. Clowns and drunken teachers were discussed at length and also their delight at having bags of sweets. They laughed as some told of their shock that they got apples and plums in their trick r treat bags, the horror of having fruit!!! Owen B is still looking for the tenner in the bag…..
So game on and Celbridge started like a house on fire, getting the ball up to their striker as quick as they could and boy you could see why. BOOM ball over the top and THUNDERBOLT volley to the top corner. 1-0 with barely a minute gone. Applause from both sides for that finish. With the confidence that goal gave Celbridge they continued to press and only for a number of superb saves from Jesse in goal it would have been many more. Left hand, right hand, down low, up high; no not Jesse’s dance moves on Saturday evenings but his string of fine saves. As the game progressed Castleknock started to gain possession in the midfield and pressed for a goal. However they were unlucky not to score on two occasions. Castleknock needed better support play in the final third and quicker decision making was required in order to break through the Celbridge defence. A fine corner by Dylan C beat all players in the box and narrowly missed two waiting Celtic players and the back post, almost 1-1 with 19 minutes gone in the first half. And then it happened, the Number 11 got on to a sloppy pass from a Castleknock player and SMASH, bottom corner 2-0. Kick off and repeat, Number 11 DRILLS it home within 10 seconds. Hat trick and 3-0 at half time.
A well earned rest for the the battling Celts and now paying into the wind. It was an improved performance from Celtic with the Celbridge keeper called into action a number of times. Declan and Richard were keeping the strikers at bay with Dylan, Owen and Ross now controlling midfield. Eoghan doing the hard graft up front. The commitment of all the Castleknock players was great to see, all giving maximum effort to help their team mates. Owen started to find some through balls that on another day would have led to goals. Owen himself unlucky hitting the bar and the keeper diving on the rebound. The Celtic players are still sure it was over the line but unlucky all the same.
Ross unlucky with a shot from distance but took a knock in the process, the Celbridge player injuring him with a fair but very hard tackle. Down to 6 and then Dylan C takes one for the team, injuring his right foot. Down to 5 and a bit now with Dylan playing at walking pace. But fear not, brave Ross would not let his team battle with only 6 and back into action after a pep talk and playing through the pain. On the far side Owen B took a heavy knock on the shin but kept at it, following Ross lead. The injuries took their toll in the second half with Celbridge now applying all the pressure. But Jesse was in fine form and again kept them at bay until the 19 minutes of the second half (yes 19 minutes). And then Number 11 decides to have another go. SMASH but Jesse leapt to his right and got his hand to it but the ball finished top corner. Unlucky on Jesse. Kick off, Celbridge attack and another fine finish but the Number 11 was no where to be seen! 5 better strikes of the ball you will not see this season, all unstoppable.
So it was 1-0 for 38 minutes and 4-0 for the other 2 minutes. One for the stats men right there…. It was a hell of a game, end to end but the most pleasing thing was the effort from all Celtic players with injuries and no subs taking their toll. So to man of the match. All players gave maximum effort, but for a super performance and having checked the jerseys he did have the dirtiest one, the MOTM goes to Jesse for his fine saves and distribution (except for the last two kicks straight to Celbridge players but we won’t mention them…).
