Published: Wednesday, 28th October, 2009 4:50pm

Seventh heaven for AC Celtic as Rosney leads the way to victory

AC Celtic 7; Swinford 0.

AC Celtic powered their way to the next round of the U-14 SFAI Cup at a very wintry Athlone Institute of Technology with a seven-nil thumping of Mayo side Swinford.

Aaron Gavin and Ian Rosney will take much of the plaudits with five goals scored between them, but there were many fine performances on the AC Celtic team. Ger Menton had a good game on the left-wing and got on the score-sheet himself, while up front Bobby Malone had a very decent first half and was unlucky not to score more than one before being substituted at half-time.

But it was Celtic's number eleven Ian Rosney who was the undoubted man-of-the-match. At the heart of everything good that his team did, Rosney scored two himself as well as orchestrating some fine moves.

Right from the first whistle, the home side went about attacking their visitors and once they got into their stride, they never looked in danger of losing this tie. Playing with their jerseys turned inside-out due to a colour clash with Swinford, they made a fine start to the game. After just three minutes of play, striker Bobby Malone exploited some hesitancy in the Swinford defence and found himself one-on-one with Swinford 'keeper Keith McHugh. But, with a team-mate available to his right, Malone opted to shoot and shot wide of the post.

On six minutes a similar situation presented itself when Malone, having muscled his man off the ball, found himself with only the 'keeper to beat. This time Malone chipped the ball over the advancing net-minder only to see the strong wind hold the ball up just enough to allow Andrew Lenihan make a last-second goal-line clearance.

BREAKTHROUGH

But the writing was on the wall for Swinford. They had been let off the hook by those two missed chances but it was only a matter of time before AC would make the breakthrough.

Ger Menton brought the best out of Keith McHugh on nine minutes with a long-range shot before Aaron Gavin also made the Swinford 'keeper work with a shot from outside the area after a passing move involving Clive Harris and Bobby Malone.

The opening goal finally arrived on fifteen minutes. And despite all the nice football played by AC Celtic it was a route-one approach that would pay dividends in this instance. Goalkeeper Kieran Cleary launched a high ball forward from his penalty-area. The ball wasn't defended by the Swinford defence and this allowed Ian Rosney to knock the ball on for his strike-partner Malone, who had his third one-on-one chance of the game. But this time he mad no mistake, coolly slotting the ball home with the outside of the right boot. One-nil to AC Celtic.

The second goal wasn't long in coming after that. Two further minutes, in fact, is all it took. Ian Rosney, who had laid on the first goal for Malone, picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area, cut inside onto his right boot and lashed the ball to the bottom left corner of the net to make it two-nil and leave the visiting side, who had yet to threaten, with an awful lot to do.

They did, however, manage their first attempt at goal on nineteen minutes when Jack Heavens tested Kieran Cleary from long range. Sixty seconds after that, substitute Philip Irwin got in behind the Celtic defence but saw his strike from a tight angle hit the side-netting.

But AC quickly re-established dominance and on 27 minutes they had their third goal when a cross in from the right wing by Clive Harris was met by Ger Menton who found the net easily. Just a minute later, Ian Rosney was played through on goal but his attempted chip over the advancing 'keeper fell inches wide of the post.

On the stroke of half-time, some brilliant play down the right wing from Rosney released Bobby Malone through on goal not for the first time. Malone too tried to chip Keith McHugh but also saw his effort fall wide of the post.

And so it remained three-nil to AC Celtic at half-time. But for some better finishing it would have been six or seven.

AC came out for the second-half looking to add to their three-goal advantage and nearly done so two minutes in when Rosney struck just over the bar.

On forty minutes Rosney played half-time substitute Aaron Conroy through on goal but his placed shot rolled agonisingly the wrong side of the post with the 'keeper beaten. But on 41, the fourth goal did arrive.

Rosney was once again at the heart of things as he picked the ball up on the left side of the penalty-area, carried it in along the end-line before unselfishly squaring it to Aaron Gavin who tapped home to an empty net.

Eager to get himself on the score-sheet for the second time, Rosney then went on a mazy run that took him past three defenders and into the penalty area. But, with only the 'keeper to beat, the number eleven put his shot wide.

However, on 47 minutes, he finally did get his second when a shot from outside the area proved too hot to handle for Keith McHugh and slipped through his grasp and into the net to make it five-nil.

Rosney came close to his hat-trick on sixty minutes with a long-range effort that flew wide.

Three minutes later, Aaron Gavin grabbed his second of the game with a simple tap in after some unselfish play by Clive Harris.

And on sixty-four minutes, Gavin grabbed his hat-trick with another simple finish to an empty net after Keith Byrnes did well to square the ball from the left.

AC CELTIC: Kieran Cleary, Aaron Moran, Adam Tobin, Conor Tumulty, Terry Rush, Ger Menton, Shane Dunning, Aaron Gavin, Clive Harris, Bobby Malone, Ian Rosney. SUBS: Aaron Shine for K. Cleary (HT), Aaron Conroy for B. Malone (HT), Alex Molloy for A. Tobin (43 mins), Keith Byrnes for G. Menton (43 mins), Jay O'Neill for S. Dunning (62 mins), Seamus McCormack for A. Moran (62 mins).

SWINFORD: Keith McHugh, Cillian O'Donnell, Andrew Lenihan, Matt Kelly, Shane Cunney, Brian Gallagher, Jason McLoughlin, Darragh McIntyre, Stephen McDonnell, Colm Kendrick, Jack Heavens.

SUBS: Philip Irwin for B. Gallagher (19 mins), James Lavin for D. McIntyre (HT).