In a gripping encounter at Park on 16 March 2025, Enfield Celtic 2nds and Rathkenny Rovers played out a dramatic 3-3 draw in their cup away match. The contest, which kicked off at 11:30 am, saw both teams display resilience and attacking flair, ultimately leading to a penalty shoot-out to determine who would progress in the competition.
Enfield Celtic 2nds lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, designed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for fluid attacking transitions. Chris Mckeon took his place in goal, shielded by a back four comprising Ashton Hughes and Brandon Tait as the right and left defenders, with David Burke and Jack Maher forming the central defensive partnership. In front of them, the central midfield duo of Shaun Nugent and Karl Hynes aimed to control the midfield battle, while Sean Gallagher and Darragh Curtis operated as right and left attacking midfielders, respectively. Stephen Maher played centrally in an advanced role, supporting lone striker Slu zaka.
The substitutes bench featured Peter O'Sullivan, who would later be called upon to make an impact in the second half.
The match began with Enfield Celtic 2nds asserting their dominance early on. In the 11th minute, Darragh Curtis opened the scoring, deftly finishing a move set up by Karl Hynes, sending the Celtic supporters into raptures. Just seven minutes later, Curtis struck again, this time benefiting from an assist by Brandon Tait, doubling his tally and putting Enfield 2-0 ahead.
However, Rathkenny Rovers responded with determination. In the 25th minute, they pulled one back, igniting their hopes of a comeback. Darragh Curtis nearly restored the two-goal advantage shortly after, hitting the post in the 26th minute, a moment that could have changed the course of the match.
As the game progressed, tensions rose, and in the 27th minute, Ashton Hughes received a yellow card for unsporting behaviour, a decision that reflected the increasing physicality of the contest. Rathkenny capitalised on this momentum, scoring twice more before half-time, in the 33rd and 39th minutes, to take a surprising 2-2 leveller into the break.
The second half saw Enfield Celtic 2nds make a tactical substitution, with Peter O'Sullivan replacing Ashton Hughes in the 64th minute. This change aimed to bolster their attacking options and regain control of the match. Rathkenny against the run of play went 3- 2 up. Just 5 minutes later, Stephen Maher was awarded a penalty after being fouled in the box, and he confidently converted it in the 65th minute, bringing the score to 3-3.
Darragh Curtis continued to be a threat, but his attempt in the 69th minute went wide, leaving the match finely poised as both teams sought a decisive goal.
As the final whistle blew, the score remained level at 3-3. Leaving Enfield finish top of the group and through to the next round.The match showcased the spirit and skill of both teams, with Darragh Curtis earning the Player of the Match accolade for his outstanding performance, including two goals and a constant threat to the opposition's defence.
