I WILL NOT PLAY AGAIN :Celtic key player has decided to quit due to…

I WILL NOT PLAY AGAIN :Celtic key player has decided to quit due to…

​Cleary Celtic and Newry Celtic went toe-to-toe throughout the 2023-24 season and their rivalry continued into this campaign, with Cleary landing the first blow.

 

It was they who came out on top in the Gerald Kennedy Cup Final at The Showgrounds, following two late goals.

Newry Celtic weathered an early Cleary storm and struck the opening goal through Ryan Fearon on 12 minutes.

Stephen Daly’s side remained on top for the remainder of the second half, but couldn’t find a second goal.

 

After half-time it was all Cleary, but it took them until the 81st minute until they grabbed an equaliser – which came from experienced centre back Benny Coulter.

 

 

Four minutes later the comeback was complete when Neil Barr found the target and he sealed the win for Cleary.

Although Cleary were Premier Division league champions last season, they had been beaten in four straight cup finals (with two of those coming against Newry Celtic). Consequently, manager John Hogg said that it was crucially important for his side to bring that run of losses to an end.

 

 

“It was a big game for us because we lost the last few finals, and we didn’t want to lose this one,” he said.

“It was a big game for us because we lost the last few finals, and we didn’t want to lose this one,” he said.

 

“We changed a lot of things that we had been doing ahead of previous finals, before Friday night. It was about trying something different, to get a different result.

 

“I felt as though we were on top in the second half and it was a brilliant way to win a game. They’re local rivals and it was a derby so it was great.”