TSDL Premier Division 14th May Match Reports
Wednesday 10th May
St Michael’s 1 – 1 Bansha Celtic
Saints salvaged a point with an injury time penalty against a good Bansha Celtic side in a game that entertained the large that turned out in Cooke Park last Wednesday evening. Knowing the importance of a win with things being tighter than ever at the top of this seasons Premier League, the home side were on the front foot from the off and had some good chances in the first quarter through Ashley Kelleher and Russell Quirke. They suffered a big blow however midway through the half, when they lost Shane Ryan to injury, and this impacted them for the rest of the half, finding it hard to knit much of their play together and create real chances. This continued into the second period, and they looked to the bench to add to their attack when they brought on Jimmy Carr and David Slattery within the first ten minutes of the half. But there night got worse just on the hour mark, when the visitors were awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge in the Saints box, and Daire Egan made no mistake from twelve yards to give the away side the lead. After that Bansha gave an excellent performance of low block defending and counter attacking, and still lead as the game moved into a long period of time added on. And it looked like they would take all three points until Russell Quirke was taken down in the area, and Jimmy Carr showed ice cold nerves to ensure they would get something from the game.
Sunday 14th May
Peake Villa 7 – 0 Bansha Celtic
Bansha Celtic faced off against another of the title contenders on Sunday afternoon, but they were unable to repeat their Wednesday night heroics, going down to an excellent Peake side at the Tower Grounds in Thurles. Perhaps wary of their opponents after the midweek result, Villa started quickly and took the lead in the seventh minute when a Keith Cahill corner was headed to the net by Pippy Carroll. They doubled their lead shortly before the half hour mark, when Evan McCormack got on the end of a Cahill free kick to score, and got a third six minutes later when Ronan McGuire sent in a great cross that was headed to the bottom corner by Kieren Hennessy to make it three to nil. The home side rounded off their dominant first half display when they added a fourth shortly before the break, when another assist from Keith Cahill found Ronan McGuire, and his unstoppable header found the top corner, with the Celtic keeper left flat footed.
With a comfortable lead the hosts could be forgiven for taking their foot off the gas but they didn’t let up and scored their fifth six minutes after the break when Kieran Hennessy scored his second of the day coming in at the back post and firing home from close range. Hennessy secured his hat trick thirteen minutes from the end when he got on the end of a Darragh Byrne cross to make it six. And their relentless pressure led to a Bansha defender putting the ball into his own net in the final moments to add a seventh, and set themselves up for a huge title push in their final two games.
Sunday 14th of May
Clonmel Town 2 – 1 St Michael’s
Although results elsewhere mean that Town cannot now win the Premier League title, they still managed to put a huge dent in the Saints attempts to win their seventh in a row, by toppling them on a scoreline of two goals to on in a very entertaining game in The Complex. The first half saw both teams really go at it from the start with Town having a lot of possession, however it was the visitors who were looking the more dangerous with Jimmy Carr constantly tormenting the home defence. Evan Comerford was a rock in the goal and pulled off two outstanding saves to keep the game all square. Michaels also hit the bar on two occasions while at the other end Rhys O Reagan, Ashley Laslett and Jack O Donnell all went close. The second half was only nine minutes old when a great ball by substitute Alan O Donnell found Rhys O Reagan who jinked his way past two players before firing under the out coming keeper to put Town a goal up to the delight of their supporters. After this the home side sensed blood and began to pile on the pressure, almost doubling their lead when a scramble in the goalmouth was eventually cleared by the Michaels defence. It was only a matter of time before the hosts did get their second, when Jamie Ahearne picked up the ball twenty five yards out and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner that left the Saints shot stopper stranded. Ashley Laslett was causing all sorts of problems upfront for Town and they had chances to extend the lead, but the league champions weren’t done and began to get on top again, pulling a goal back with a quarter of an hour left to play, when Ashley Kelliher scored with a delightful lob, that set up a tense finish. Michaels were really pushing on now and Evan Comerford once again was to pull off another fine save to keep his side in front. And they were to soak up everything the visitors thrown at them, when the final whistle was blown there was relief among the Town supporters who had waited awhile for this victory over their old rivals.
Peter O Reilly Cup final 13th May 2023 Match Report
Kilsheelan United 3 – 0 Moyglass United
Kilsheelan United secured their first silverware in 9 years on Saturday evening in Cahir, defeating Moyglass United by three goals to nil to be crowned Peter O’Reilly Cup champions, in front of a large crowd, on a gloriously sunny evening. The game was set to be a cracker, and the opening period saw both teams have early chances. It was only four minutes old, when Moyglass had the ball in the net but the effort was ruled out for offside, and two minutes later Kilsheelan’s John Paul Peters saw his goalbound effort cleared off the line, and scrambled away to safety. But once it settled down, it was Kilsheelan who seemed to be creating the better chances and they were desperately unlucky not to open the scoring in the twentieth minute when Billie O Connor’s cross come shot left the Moyglass keeper rooted to the spot, but then see the effort come back off the inside of the post. But the breakthrough seemed to be coming, and it arrived in the thirty second minute, when a dangerous cross was swung into the Moyglass box, spilled by the keeper, and the ever alert Mark Heffernan poked the ball home to give his side the lead. They kept that lead until half-time, although Moyglass did threaten on occasions, twice firing narrowly wide of Conor Grant’s goal. Eight minutes into the second-half they found a second when Cian Roche ran from midfield before finding the bottom corner after a scramble in the box again to give them breathing space. And things were made even harder for Moyglass on the hour mark when they were reduced to ten men following a second-yellow shown to one of their defenders. Kilsheelan continued to create chances, but just couldn’t seem to find a third to finish off the game. However, they finally did in injury time, when Billy O’Connor headed home from close range to make sure of the win.
TSDL Second Division Shield Final 14th May Match Report
Cullen Lattin 2 – 0 Suirside
Cullen Lattin justified their favourites tag and added the Division 2 Shield title to the league title already won this year, by beating Suirside in a good game played in wet conditions at Cooke Park on Sunday. The West Tipperary side were well up for the game having a lot of possession in the first half, but found it very difficult to create any clear openings against a doughty Suirside defence. And if anything the best chance of the opening half fell to the Ardfinnan side when they swung a corner kick into the box, and needed a defender from Cullen to make a last ditch clearance off the line to keep his side level. Minutes after that, and perhaps stung into action, Cullen had the ball in the net when Micheal Mc Elligott was played clear by Tony O Neill, but it was called back for offside. This was the last clear chance of the half and the two teams went to the break scoreless. The second period was only five minutes old, when again O Neill and Elligott combined, with the latter heading home a corner kick to put Cullen in front. The game then became a midfield battle with both sides putting in some strong tackling, and as a consequence twenty minutes from time, Cullen were reduced to ten players courtesy of a red card. But if anything the loss of the player seemed to help them raise their game, and ten minutes from time Micheal Elligott got his second of the game, this time finishing off a cross from Mikey Stokes. In the final minutes Tommy O Mahoney almost made it three for the eventual winners but was denied by the crossbar. In the end, Cullen eased home to the delight of their large supporting contingent, and with a second title in the bag, will be looking forward to rejoining the First Division when next season kicks off.
TSDL Third Division Shield Final 12th May Match Report
Powerstown 3 – 2 Two Mile Borris
A wonder strike in the second half of extra time gave Powerstown victory in the final of this years Division Three Shield final over Two Mile Borris at Celtic Park in Clonmel last Friday night. Played in glorious sunshine in front of a large crowd, the teams played out a tense and at times thrilling game of football, that swung back and forth throughout the tie. Powerstown, who have yet to face a play off to decide whether they will win this years Division Three league title started better and had the ball in the Borris net in the sixth minute, only to see there celebrations cut short when the ball was adjudged to have gone out of play earlier in the move. Three minutes later they tested the keeper again when Conor Mc Grath had his first shot in anger, but Ashton Jordan was up to the task in the Borris goal and saved easily. It took until the twelfth minute before Borris got their first shot away, when Jake Jordan beat three players with some silky dribbling, before pulling the ball back to Robert Jordan who pulled his effort just wide of the upright. The scoring was finally opened in the fifteenth minute. First Powerstown’s Cian Crowe mad a lung busting overlap down the right wing from his full back position, and forced a brilliant save with his feet by the Borris keeper. But with Crowe out of position, Borris launched a quick counter attack and worked the ball across the pitch to Jake Jordan and he fired to the net to give his side the lead. This only caused Powerstown to re-double their efforts and in the twenty seventh minute, they equalised after a long clearance was won by David Grace and he slid the ball to the net from just inside the area. The game was flowing over and back, without creating any other clear chances until four minutes before the break, when veteran Gino Lonergan was taken down just outside the area at the end of a promising attack. But that didn’t deter Lonergan, as he stood up and curled a magnificent effort to the net leaving the keeper stranded.
No more goals in that first half, and Powerstown were nearly handed a gift four minutes into the second, when the Borris keeper handled the ball just outside his area, but the resultant free kick flashed wide of the post. Three minutes later, the game was level again. Borris had worked their way up the field and won a series of corner kicks, the final of which saw the Powerstown keeper drop a cross into the area, and Ciaran Maher poked him from six yards out. As the second half wore on, the intensity of the game dropped in the heat, with Powerstown carving out the best of what chances there were. The best came in the sixty seventh minute when a beautiful through ball found Darren Murphy in acres of space, but his shot only found the side netting. That was the last real opening in normal time, and the game got somewhat scrappy as the teams started to use their benches, making a lot of substitutions. When it moved into extra time, Powerstown had two good chances in the first three minutes, the first seeing Brian Mc Keown skimming the outside of the post with a free kick and a minute later Darren Murphy found Conor Mc Grath in front of goal, only for the ball to be taking off his toe as he wound up for a shot. It looked after this that neither side would break the deadlock and it would take penalty kicks to separate the teams, but five minutes from time Borris cleared a ball from their area and it was controlled and volleyed on by substitute Brendan Boland, who hit a magnificent effort from all of thirty five yards out, to the back of the Borris net. This sent the Powerstown team and supporters into delight and they closed out the final few minutes for a historic first trophy win in the teams short history
Paddy Purtill Cup final, 6th May Match Report
Cashel Town 1 – 3 Galbally United
Galbally United had to come from behind to beat a game Cashel Town side and justify their favourites tag in an excellent Paddy Purtill final at Aisling Park in Cullen last Saturday evening. The underdogs couldn’t have asked for a better start, when they took the lead in only the third minute after they were awarded a free kick outside the area, that was despatched to the net by Alex O Sullivan, to the delight of the Cashel supporters. But the lead lasted only eight minutes, when Galbally got level thanks to an equaliser from Josh Dineen, who headed home a Bernard O Brien corner kick. This heralded a period of domination and they took the front in the twentieth minute, after Peter Morrissey expertly controlled a long ball out of defence, and set up Ger Quinlan who fired to the net from outside the area. The game see sawed over and back after this, and the next clear chance fell to Cashel, ten minutes from the break, when Murty Browne fired just wide after some good play in the middle of the pitch. But the real turning point of the half came six minutes from half time when Galbally extended their lead to three goals to one, thanks to a very good finish by John English, who was set up by Cathal O Mahoney who picked him out from the right wing. Cashel had to make a good start to the second period, and almost did when in the first minute, Alex O Sullivan slammed an effort from all of thirty five yards out that cannoned off the post and flew away to safety, much to the relief of the Galbally supporters. And Cashel continued to apply pressure especially through numerous excellent set play deliveries by veteran Ian Hahessy. But Galbally soaked up the pressure and if anything could have added to their tally from some deadly counter attacking forays into the Cashel half, notably when both Josh Dineen and Peter Morrissey came close to scoring. In the end, there were no more goals in the half, and Galbally captain Pa Murphy raised the cup at the end, sparking great celebrations among everyone involved with the team.