Sunday 14th April Munster Junior Cup Final 2024 Match Reports
St Michael’s 3 – 1 Villa FC
St Michael’s achieved a record ‘El Decimo’ by winning their tenth Munster Junior cup on Sunday in Fermoy, winning out over the team that knocked them out of this year’s FAI Junior Cup, Villa FC from Waterford. Their first win was back in 1973 against another Wateford side Johnville, and the victory will mean’s that they stretch their lead at the top of the roll of honour of this prestigious competition. The win was set up by a brilliant first half attacking display and a resolute defensive showing in the second half. The TSDL side were two up at the interval following two sensational goals. The first on twenty eight minutes, when Jimmy Carr accelerated ahead of his marker John Fred Tamen, and when the tackle came he held his feet and found the strength to power a low shot across the keeper Craig Dunphy who got a touch but the ball nestled snugly in the net. Villa had hardly steadied when five minutes mins later, Rhys O Regans shot was blocked for a corner which he delivered unerringly himself to the back of the penalty area, and Paul Breen rose and powered home from ten yards out with a trademark header, that will rank amongst his best, and there have been many of those in a long illustrious career.
Villa had started brightly and a hooked volley on the turn from Dean Walsh was just wide in the fifth minute. But once the Tipperary town side found their feet, they were the dominant force. They could have been even further ahead at the break, when most notably two Ed O Dwyer efforts well saved by Dunphy, and a Russell Quirke twenty five yarder that was tipped onto the bar. Shortly before the break Quirke broke clear from halfway and unleashed from just outside the box but again Dunphy denied him.
It looked like Saints were in a great position as they took a two goal lead into a second half aided by a breeze but the Waterford side kept playing positively and Luke Walsh kept their momentum going by dropping back tirelessly in the centre to try to get them back into the game. A goal came in sixty second minute when a free conceded on the right was delivered powerfully by Dean Conway and met at the far post by an unstoppable header from Aaron O Connor. Shortly after this Paul Breen showed fantastic agility to hook a high ball clear from the inrushing substitute Regix Madika, who went down clutching his face but the referee wasnt moved by his claims for a penalty. Breen had to leave the field shortly after that effort and a defensive reshuffle saw the dependable Murphy drop across to right back. DJ Cremins shift to the centre with Cian Fadden and Donough Hickey come on at left back.
The game was reaching boiling point now and every ball was contested for ferociously, and the Limerick officials who performed brilliantly and kept cool in the face of heated claims for frees and fouls kept an exciting game flowing, despite one or two stoppages for injuries. Saints had two or three chances on the breakaway. Jimmy Carr broke down the right and his pull back was knocked out for a corner with Ed O Dwyer waiting to pounce. O Dwyer was unlucky twenty minutes from time to see his shot pulled down well by the Villa keeper when it looked goal bound. At the other end keeper Adrian Walsh did well on a couple of occasions, once even when his punch clear hit the attackers head but his agility saw him first to the loose ball and he clutched it safely. Saints midfielders Colin Bargary and Cillian Coonan really upped their running, covering and tackling in the final quarter and when the hard graft was required none of the Saints players were found wanting. They were now using all their experience to see the game out and the final twist came when Villa gambled everything for a last minute corner and sent their keeper Dunphy forward, but brilliant defending again and a couple of passes later Ashley Kelliher showed his speed as he won the race for a long ground pass and shot into an empty net to herald delirious scenes as the final whistle sounded.
A great win against great opposition in Villa who had the awful disappointment of two major cup exits within 7 days of each other, something that happened Michael’s a few years ago when they lost out on penalties against Sherriff FC up in Clontarf in the FAI, and again against Carrick Utd at Cooke Park in the Munster Cup seven days later. But that was all forgotten and the famous club from the back of the Church will celebrate this win long after this weekend. Another notch on the belt of history.
Sunday 14th April Munster Junior Cup Final 2024 Match Reports
St Michael’s 5 – 0 Cahir Park
Saints got a vital three points here in their quest to retain the Premier League title at a sunny Cooke Park on Sunday morning. It was a game which never reached huge heights with Saints coming down from the high of last week’s Munster Junior Cup success. The visitors lost Ger Quinn and Johnny Kennedy early on through injury, and the hosts took advantage, going one up in the eleventh minute, when Russell Quirke found Ed O’Dwyer in the area and he stabbed the ball past Brian Sweeney. It was two just three minutes later, when Jimmy Carr headed a Russell Quirke cross goalwards and it somehow ended up in the back of the net. And the game effectively finished as a contest by the twenty third minute when a Rhys O’Regan left foot shot took a deflection past Sweeney to make it three nil to Saints. The Park had their moments too though, with a John O’Brien free kick coming back off the wall and a Craig Guiry header from a right-wing cross which went narrowly wide. The hosts made it four ten minutes before the break, with Carr turning provider to set up Russell Quirke and his angled shot delightfully found the corner of the net. The tempo dropped a bit in the second half with a lot of play that didn’t have any final result on the scoresheet. Russell Quirke, Ed O’Dwyer and Rhys O’Regan all had chances, throughout the half, but were unable to extend their lead. Finally, it was left to substitute Antonio Rea three minutes from time to add the coup de grace when Sweeney failed to hold a Joey Mulcahy corner kick, and the young striker was quickest to react.
Clonmel Celtic 2 – 2 Two Mile Borris
Clonmel Celtic had to settle for a point on Sunday as Borris came back from two down to share the points. The home side started well and looked lively in the early stages with Julian Kerton twice going close to opening the scoring. Borris weathered the early storm and came close themselves on a number of occasions, but the first half finished scoreless. The Clonmel side were fast out of the blocks at the start of the second half and this time they made it count scoring two quick goals. On fifty-one minutes Niall Prendergast got on the end of a sweet Kevin Hawkins’s cross and his deft header found the corner of the net. Hawkins was involved again two minutes later when he released Philly Drohan, and though the keeper saved his first effort Darren Sweeney was on hand to fire home the rebound. It looked at this stage as if Celtic would go on and win this game comfortably but they lost their way a little and Borris battled their way back into the game. When Louis Coughlan swept home a centre on sixty-eight minutes it was game on. Celtic’s earlier composed play was gone and they found themselves involved in a scrap. Sensing the home side were vulnerable, the visitors pushed for an equaliser and levelled ten minutes from time, when Urban Nolan scored from close range. Both teams really had a go in the final minutes but neither could find a winner and the points were shared.
Bansha Celtic 2 – 0 Wilderness Rovers
Bansha Celtic took another big step towards safety from the Premier League relegation battle when they condemned Wilderness Rovers to the drop, with a two goal win on Sunday afternoon. The home side took the lead on eight minutes when Shane Egan was taken down in the box, and Kevin Mullins stood up and fired home the resulting penalty kick. Dominant for most of the half, the hosts had a few half chances to extend the lead but didn’t convert any of them. The closest they came was when Egan found himself in space, rounded the Rovers keeper, but his shot struck the post and went wide. The only real danger from the away side seemed to come from set pieces, but they never really troubled the Bansha net minder. The destination of the points was finally put beyond doubt five minutes from the end, when Bansha doubled the lead. From a low corner, Kevin Mullins side footed home and they saw out the remainder of the game comfortably.
Tipperary Town 0 – 7 Peake Villa
Peake Villa are not giving up their hard-won Premier League title without a fight, and came out of the blocks like a train on Sunday against Tipperary Town, before claiming a big win in the end. After coming back from injury to score four goals last weekend, Villa’s striking ace Pippy Carroll got the ball rolling with two early goals, before his frontline partner Ronan Mc Guire added a third within the first twenty minutes. The flood gates were well and truly open, and Daragh Burns, Jack Ryan Casey and Keith Cahill continuing the goal riot to leave the Thurles side six in front by the half hour mark. Somehow the home side steadied the ship, and managed to keep the deadly Villa attack quiet until Kieran Hennessy added number seven, ten minutes from time. The home side were happier to hear the final whistle, but while Villa clin to their title hopes, the relegation trap door is wide open and pulling Tipperary Town back toward Division One.
TSDL First Division 14th April 2024 Match Reports
Cashel Town 0 – 2 Cullen Lattin
Cullen Lattin inflicted the first defeat of the season on Town at home on Sunday afternoon. Strangely lethargic, the home side never seemed to get going, and the visitors were sharper all game. They took a deserved lead in the twentieth minute through Darren Mc Grath, who benefitted from some excellent build up play, and fired to the next from ten yards out with an excellent finish. They continued playing on the front foot, and Mc Grath turned provider in time added on in the first half, when his cross was met by Michael Elligott to give Cullen a two goal cushion at half time. The hosts seemed to be a little more tuned in, during the second period, but were unable to put their opponents under any period of sustained pressure, and in the end Cullen ran out deserved winners on the day
TSDL Second Division 14th April 2024 Match Reports
St Nicholas 4 – 1 Suirside
The home side assured themselves that they would be playing once again in the TSDL Second Division next season, when they ran out easy winners in this tie by four goals to one. The home side started on the front foot and created a few chances. But they missed some good chances and against the run of play they found themselves a goal down when Suirside broke up the pitch and found David Recontre in space, and he made no mistake. But this didn’t deter the home side and they came alive, equalising in the twenty fifth minute when Jack Downey scored after a great assist by Eoin Riordan. This was how the game went to the break, and the home side because really dominant in the second period, grabbing the lead five minutes in when Downey scored his and his sides second. Downey turned provider for the third, delivering an exquisite cross onto the head of Christy O Grady, and he made no mistake from just inside the area. Downey completed his man of the match performance when he got a third late on, to leave the score four goals to one to the hosts, and three vital points in their pocket.
Powerstown 6 – 2 Rosegreen (game abandoned 86th minute)
Unfortunately, this was an excellent game that had to be cut short due to a serious injury with time almost up, but until that point the two sides put on a fine spectacle for the watching supporters. It was Rosegreen who were quicker out of the blocks, scoring from a corner with only four minutes on the clock to take the lead. But a rare goal from Powerstown’s Jack Barlow levelled the game eight minutes later. Aaron Kiely played the ball across to Barlow who was just inside the box, and he found the back of the net with a clinical finish into the bottom right corner. Just after the half hour mark, an Oisin Napier corner caused havoc in the visitor’s box, resulting in a Rosegreen defender turning the ball into his own net to put the hosts two goals to one ahead. Napier was the provider for the home sides third goal, when his ball in behind found Cathal McKeown and the striker fired to the net. And they added a fourth goal in the half, when in time added on, a long ball from goalkeeper was glanced forwards by Gino Lonergan into the path of Cathal Mc Keown who once again found the back of the net. Rosegreen didn’t give up and after a sustained amount of pressure got a goal back in the sixty fourth minute to make it four goals to two. However, the home side had the perfect response and a minute later, Cathal McKeown completed his hat-trick. Oisin Napier sprayed the ball wide to Darren Murphy, whose cross found Mc Keown free at the back post, and he made no mistake from six yards out. The home sides sixth and final goal came from Brian McKeown with twenty minutes left. Mc Keown received the ball in the box with his back to goal, turned brilliantly and found the bottom left corner to make it six goals to two. Unfortunately a serious leg injury resulted in the game being abandoned four minutes from time
TSDL Third Division report 14th April 2024 Match Reports
Clonmel Credit Union Div 3
Donohill and District 5 – 0 Ballingarry Albion