NDSL 13Premier

SFAI Troy Cup

24 November 2007

Glenmuir  5      Castleknock Celtic 1

Celtic travelled to Dundalk for this 3rd round All-Ireland SFAI Troy Cup game on a cloudy and windy November morning.  Celtic had been convincing winners in the previous round away in Co Cavan v Kingscourt, and they started impressively in this game though without top marksman, Brian Slevin.

Glenmuir had Sam Odbee, their Man Utd starlet, back home for the winter.

Celtic tore into the Dundalk side with Artur Stark in irristible form. Who was the Man Utd star?!! Surely Stark. He skinned the right back early on blasting goalwards to see the keeper parry spectacularly and have his shot cleared off the line.

Within 3 mins he had repeated the feat this time on the left wing bamboozling the left back, volleying goalward, but the keeper parried for a second time, with the same defender clearing off the line. The  visitors were in total control.

Celtic continued to turn the screw as Eoin O'Brien burst through the middle to shoot, beating the keeper, only to see it come back off the inside of the post.

Stark then went on a mazey run, beat 3 players, slotted through Dermot Murray, who volleyed from 15yrds into the top corner of the net. Celtic were threatening to run amok! sam odbee was strong and forceful in the Dundalk attack but was ably marshalled by Greg O'Brien and the revitalised Mo Mahady. 1-0 to Celtic half time.  Dundalk looked like a team in crisis.

What followed however was the classic self-destruction, as Celtic imploded in two 5 min slots.

At the start of the half and the very end, we had a catalogue of  defensive  lapses, which allowed Glenmuir in for 5 goals!!! What was in fact a very close game was given the semblance of a rout. Dundalk got only 5 chances and scored the lot.

Manager Slevin was in 'hair dryer' mode. After the best display this team has put in with out their main striker, it was a great disappointment that focus was lost and the game was let slip away.