NY GAA: The week's reports from Gaelic Park

Celtics Have All the Answers

Celtics 0-12 FDNY 1-4

The New York Celtics used a balanced attack with three scorers getting three points or more to defeat the Fire Department on Sunday in this junior football match at Gaelic Park.

Veteran Derek McKenna and newcomers Kevin Tracey and Gary Nugent had brilliant outings, while the defense held their opponents to one score in the first half in a very good win for the side.

The opening 12 minutes was devoid of scores but they certainly had plenty of heart and spirit. Both sides moved the ball up the field, but the finishing touches were a little askew.

FDNY had four wides from scoring position, while the Celtics had wides but they were a little more difficult.

Finally after 16 minutes McKenna had the first score of the afternoon, an excellent one after a Kevin Tracey shot was cleared out by Tommy Furlong. He followed it within minutes with his second another long distance drive.

The good work was for naught, however, when FDNY attacked with 20 minutes gone. A long ball from Mike Reilly was misjudged by the defense, and it bounced into the waiting arms of Dave Garvey. The big Clare man flicked to an advancing Terrence Flynn, whose shot made its way to the net of the hands of the Celtics keeper.

The Bronx side did have a glorious goal chance in the following moments, but a shot from Edwin McRee went across the goal and wide. They had the equalizer from the foot of Nugent, a free from down the center to go to the break on even terms.

In the first minute of the second half both sides had scores. Barry Annett had the first when he received the ball from the throw in, while Nugent cancelled it out at the other end immediately after their kick out.

Tracey had a pair of points for Celtics to open what was for this encounter a substantial lead. They were also persisting with the long ball into the big full forward line; it was having a somewhat telling effect in that it put the FDNY rearguard under pressure, but the layoffs and passes from possession were not as plentiful as they should have been from this tactic.

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