Nolan strike keeps Mill Celtic in the hunt for title glory
Mill Celtic ‘keeper Cody Dempsey gathers the all ahead of Castle Rangers Craig Bowden. Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
Tommy Nolan’s goal nine minutes from time kept Mill Celtic’s title hopes alive after they came out on top of a game that was moved to the astroturf with the Youth Centre pitch unplayable.
Defeat would have been catastrophic for the Ballitore side’s hopes of winning the league and going straight back up to Division One next season.
Castle Rangers went into the game knowing that the league is in their hands but that they could afford to lose one game since they have a game in hand on the Kildare side, and for much of the game there was nothing between the two sides. The Carlow town side were missing some key players and ran out of steam in the end.
Rangers went close early on in a game that took time to get going with neither side really able to create anything of note in the early stages, an effort being hit well wide. Dylan Wynne also blasted an effort well wide for Mill, not able to control the ball. A Travis Timmins free from halfway was cleared for Castle Rangers after 15 minutes. Midway through the half, a Luke Bailey corner from the left was cleared. Just shy of the half hour mark, Bailey beat Daniel Mackey down the left but hit his effort well wide on the left.
With half an hour gone, a Timmins free from the left was cleared. Two minutes later, a Ben Corcoran free from the right looped into the far side of the goal to give Mill the lead. With eight minutes to go until the break, a Bailey corner from the right was headed just over the bar by Timmins. A Timmins free from the left was cleared.
A Corcoran corner from the right was cleared before falling back to a Mill player whose effort was saved before Corcoran’s rebound from the right was hit wide on the far side.
Three minutes into the second half, a Corcoran corner from the right was hit over the bar by Alex Mackey at the back post. Bailey went close put put an effort from the left wide. On the hour mark, a Bailey free from the right was cleared. An Eric Mackey free from the center circle was hit over the bar.
Castle Rangers were looking most likely to score next, Mill seemed happy to defend and let them come at them. However, that turned out to be a dangerous plan when midway through the half, the ball fell to Kyle O’Brien in the box in space and he got a touch on it to level the game up. A Bailey free from the right was hit wide on the far side.
With 18 minutes to go, a Corcoran free from the right was hit to the back post where it was headed across the box into the path of Daniel Mackey who had an effort just saved. Aaron Bowden was played in down the right but he got taken down and the ball was cleared. With nine minutes to go, Eric Mackey down the left found Tommy Nolan in space and he made no mistake in giving Mill the lead again who seemed to wake up after the leveller. With two minutes to go, a Nolan effort down the left was hit across the goal. In stoppage time, a Bailey free from the left was hit into Bowden in the middle who tried a bicycle kick but he failed to connect with it and the ball was cleared.
William Long, Travis Timmins, Cian Connolly, Stephen Preston, Gerard Brennan, Matthew O’Donovan, Mark O’Brien, Jake Snoddy, Craig Bowden, Kyle O’Brien, Luke Bailey.
Pearse Phelan, Brandon Farrell, Vanni Kamunga, Nicholas Vadan, Kyle Kenneally.
Cody Dempsey, Daniel Mackey, Ben Corcoran, Brian Mackey, Paddy Moore, Killian Harney, Eric Mackey, Alex Mackey, Dylan Wynne, Kian Lawler, Tommy Nolan.
Paddy Dunne, Mark Kavanagh, Evan Wynne, Paulius Lisauskas, John Morrissey, Pauric Carmody, Gary Lambe.
Pat O’Connor
