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After finally getting to grips last week with their rivals Vianney Boys, this week it was Clontarf who provided the opposition in the new 11F1 division. Celtic continued to show their progress this season, and they competed well from the start. Halfway through the first half, after going close, they finally made the breakthrough with a trademark opportunist strike from James Bannerman who seized on a through ball from Pedro Moreno. 1-0 to Celtic and the home supporters were cheering. The message from the managers at half time was keep working hard.
Almost immediately after the break, Pedro's excellent performance was capped by a fine strike. He got the ball on the right hand side and racing past defenders, he unleashed an unstoppable shot over the despairing dive of the Clontarf keeper.
Celtic continued to dominate with Ren Mulligan at the heart of matters. He is proving to be a real box to box player, taking possession and moving forward with his midfield team mates. Conor Lawless and Joseph Dunne were having excellent games at the back which with Rei Mulligan and Tadgh Leahy performing equally well. Reuben and Cosdel were combining in the middle of the park with Pedro who was having one of his best games in the Celtic jersey. Against the run of play, Clontarf bounced back with a fine strike of their own which put a new complexion on the game, but it did not last long. Theo Hennessy, called in at short notice for number 1 goalkeeper Ahmed Niazi, was his reliable self and made important stops during the game. We wish Ahmed a speedy return to full fitness in the coming weeks. His team mates are missing him.
Ren, never far from the action, struck 17 minutes into the second half. It was a fitting reward for his hard work, and it restored his team's 2 goal advantage. 5 minutes later, it was a brave strike by Cosdel that made it 4-1 as he nipped in to slip the ball by the Clontarf keeper who had denied Celtic a bigger score on many occasions during the game. Well done to Ren and his men and we look forward to training on Wednesday at 6pm at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown. more match action
