Wednesday 17th May
Clonmel Celtic 0 – 4 St Michael’s
St Michael’s did their part on Wednesday evening to keep the Premier League title, ending any faint hopes that Clonmel Town of staying in the shake up, and setting up one or possibly two titanic battles with Peake Villa over the next two weeks. They had the points wrapped up in this on before the break, and were the dominant team right from the beginning of the game. Jimmy Carr went close within three minutes, with a left foot shot that was parried up and over the bar, and Joey Mulcahy hit the post before Colin Bargary finally made it one to nil in the twenty-eight minute, when he got in behind the Celtic defence to score from close range. It was two only minutes later, when Chris Higgins rose to head home a Russell Quirke corner kick. Quirke nearly made it three minutes from the break, but his lob went wide of the post, though made amends in time added on when he was on hand to finish well from a Shane Ryan pass. The second half fizzled out to a large extent with both sides using their benches and Rhys Byron made it four eight minutes from time heading home a Mikey Nash cross to keep the league title race zipping along.
TSDL Third Division Play off report 21st May Match Reports
Powerstown 5 – 4 Moyglass United
These two teams played out an absorbing three all draw on the final day of the season, to send the destination of the Third Division title to a play off, but even that came paled in comparison to the entertainment served up on Friday night in Clonmel, when Powerstown finally the silverware after a nine-goal thriller, in front of a large crowd on a sun drenched Summer evening.
1st Half:
Moyglass had the better of the early exchanges, without ever really testing the Powerstown keeper, and at the other end, the closest Powerstown came were a series of free kicks from Gino Lonergan. But Lonergan was in the thick of the action for the first goal of the game, when a ball from the left wing found him in space in the area, only to see him taken down by a clumsy challenge, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. He stood up, brushed himself down, and sent the keeper the wrong way to open the scoring in the twenty second minute. Minutes later Moyglass thought they had found a leveller only to see Stephen Holohans long range effort skim the crossbar and go over the top. The teams traded chances after this, and on the half hour mark, a Moyglass turnover in the centre of the pitch say Lonergan send Cathal Mc Keown away, but his shot went agonisingly the wrong side of the post. And five minutes later they were left to rue the miss even more, when Moyglass got their opening goal, and probably the score of the night. Some deft work down the right-hand side, saw the ball find Jamie Morrissey with his back to goal, and seemingly going nowhere. But a brilliant back heel took two defenders out of the game and found Jack Hayes in space, and he delivered an exquisite cross onto the head of Adam Lyons who gave the keeper no chance in the goal. But only three minutes later that good work was undone when Cathal Mc Keown was taken down in the Moyglass penalty area, and Gino Lonergan stepped up to score his and his sides second penalty of the night, and do enough to send his side to the break, two goals to one in front.
2nd Half:
Powerstown produced a lightning start to the second half, when within five minutes, Cathal McKeown played his brother Brian in behind the Moyglass defence, and from outside the area, he rifled the ball into the bottom right corner giving the keeper no chance. The crowd seemed to sense that the game may be going away from Moyglass, but they were not in the mood to throw the towel in yet, and five minutes later, reduced the deficit to a single goal, when Keith Cleere won the ball in a tight space in the area and teed up Adam Lyons to side foot to the net from eight yards out. They looked to have squared the game up two minutes after when Jamie Morrisey curled a brilliant pass to the feet of Darragh Hurley, but the onrushing Kieran Quirke made a brilliant save from the initial shot, and Hurley slid the rebound agonisingly wide of the post. But the pressure was building and just after the hour mark, a Morrissey free kick was parried by the Powerstown shot stopper into the path of Jack Hayes and he kept his cool to slide the ball of the keeper into the bottom corner of the net and level the game. They then shot themselves in the foot again, when almost from the next Powerstown attack, Aaron Hannigan played an inch perfect ball in behind which Cathal McKeown got on the end of and placed into the left bottom corner. Moyglass were relentless in looking to level the game again, and fifteen minutes from time a corner found its way to the back post but was headed just wide. Eleven minutes from time, it looked like Powerstown had finally put the game to bed when they scored their fifth of the night. An innocuous throw on the left-hand side was missed by the Moyglass defence and their hesitation was pounced upon by Brian Mc Keown who sprinted clear to fire home to the delight of his and his teams supporters. But Moyglass came back again seven minutes from time. They played some excellent football in the middle of the pitch to eventually find substitute Brian Delahunty, and he delivered a sublime curling effort beyond the keepers reach to set up a grandstand finish. Moyglass peppered the Powerstown defence in those last five minutes, but the defence put in a great shift to ensure they would not be beaten again and deliver the clubs first league title since its foundation just last year.
