Newport narrowly lose out in League Playoff
Having already won the Calvert Cup and secured promotion, the fairytale ending to Newport Town's junior side failed to come to pass on Saturday evening, when they lost 2-1 in the Division 1B League Playoff Final to Hill Celtic at Hogan Park.
Newport lost the toss for home advantage and it was Hill Celtic who didn’t give their visitors a very hospitable welcome when they led 2-0 after just 25 minutes.
It was the worst possible start for Newport as in the 12th minute, top-scorer Christy Doyle suffered a nasty knee injury and had to be replaced by Jack O’Carroll. Then just five minutes later, right-back James Lynch, had to leave the field of play due to an ankle injury and was replaced by Kevin O’Brien, who went on to play a great game and in turn produced two brilliant pieces of defending in the second half when the Limerick side seemed destined to score.
The early changes seemed to upset Newport’s rhythm as they adjusted to the new personnel on the field and it was in this short interval that the damage was done. In the 20th minute Celtic picked up the ball on the left end-line and crossed the ball into the six-yard box and Aaron Dawson’s header hit the crossbar, came straight down but was deemed by the assistant referee, Jackie Curran, to have crossed the line.
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