Mill Celtic promoted straight back to Division One
The Mill Celtic squad, along with some of their children, celebrate winning the Division 2 crown.
This time last year, Mill Celtic were being relegated from the Tully’s Travel Division One after winning just two games all season.
12 months on, there were happier scenes in Ballitore as Celtic were celebrating a first league title in Carlow for their men’s side in the club since 2014 as they claimed the White’s Pharmacy Division 2 title on Sunday.
In fact, they did the double back in 2014, winning the Division 3 Cup alongside their league title. The club’s last trophy at men’s level came back in 2016 when they won the Division 3 Cup for a second time.
It has been a tough season for Brian Wynne’s charges. They started off the season with a four-match winning streak before losing back-to-back matches against Wolfhill and Nurney. They recovered and won two matches on the bounce before losing to Nurney again just before Christmas.
That left them trailing Castle Rangers at the top, but four wins from four after Christmas, including one over the Carlow Town side, left the Kildare club needing just a point to win the league. And they secured that point in their final game on Sunday, with a hard-fought draw against Parkville United B.
Celtic had taken an early lead after only two minutes, but Parkville, who had won their last three games before this, scored two goals in two minutes to put Mill’s hopes of winning the division in jeopardy.
But it was a penalty that gave the hosts a way back into the game.
It was a closely fought tie, and you wouldn’t have known that the two sides were at different ends of the table with both having chances to win throughout. It was a fiery game too with tempers flaring throughout.
Celtic took the early lead when Eric Mackey swung in a corner from the right which was met by a thunderous header from Patrick Moore as the ball sailed into the center of the goal.
Three minutes later, Mackey went close to doubling the lead, but his effort from the left was saved. Dylan Wynne, son of manager Brian and nephew of former referee Jim, guided an effort over the bar.
Midway through the half, Cormac Nolan found an equaliser for the Tullow-based side with a fantastic volley that rippled the Mill Celtic net.
A minute later, Tadhg Foley put Parkville in front when he was played in space down the right; he beat the keeper to rifle the ball into the back of the net as the game had been turned on it’s head within a matter of 120 seconds.
Cian Doran had a glorious chance when his effort from the right ricocheted off the bar. On the half hour mark, Wynne had an effort saved. Foley weaved in and out of the defence, cutting in from the right but saw his effort saved.
Into the second half, it was a tactical battle with the two sides matching each other, with neither able to get a stranglehold on proceedings.
Then, midway through the half, Celtic were awarded a penalty. Dylan Wynne stepped up and converted the spot-kick, sending his effort to the right of Cian Cuddihy.
That proved to be the decisive goal, not only for the game but for the season as a whole, as Celtic were crowned worthy champions.
Ben Corcoran, Gary Lambe, Conor O’Sullivan, Brian Mackey, Paddy Moore, Mark Kavanagh, Eric Mackey, Alex Mackey, Kian Lawler, Dylan Wynne, Tommy Nolan.
Cody Dempsey, Paddy Dunne, Paulius Lisauskas, Evan Wynne, Paraic Carmody, John Morrissey, Killian Harney, Daniel Mackey.
Cian Cuddihy, Jordan Doyle, Larry Doyle, Kuba Dobosz, Niall Delaney, Cormac Nolan, Cian Doran, Eoghan Cunane, Nick Nolan, Tadhg Foley, Javier Benito.
Luke Maher, Joe Morris.
Pat Moran.
