TSDL First Division 21st April 2024 Match Reports
Cashel Town 2 – 0 Vee Rovers
Cashel Town celebrated winning the First Division title on Sunday, when they beat Vee rovers by two goals to nil. This is the first full season that the club are playing at Dixie Currivan Park, in Palmershill, and the title win would have been celebrated by the man known as Mr Soccer in Cashel, had he been there to join in the celebrations. On the day, it was obvious that the home team were still smarting a bit from their defeat to Cullen last weekend, and they were in no mood to repeat the mistakes, starting off by taking control of the ball and the game. They had a number of chances before they finally opened the scoring in the twentieth minute of the game, when a great passing move saw the ball end up at the feet of Eoin Byrnes who turned his man and finished well from ten yards out. This sorted out the early nerves, and from then on, the home side played in a controlled manner. They got a second ten minutes into the second half when Jack Fitzpatrick got on the end of a Mikey McDermott corner, and that was enough to secure the points and the silverware.
Galbally United 3 – 6 Peake Villa
After the rain and wind of a long winter, last Sunday mornings game at the Tower Grounds in Thurles was bathed in sunshine, with ideal conditions for a game of football. And both teams came to play and open game, which resulted in a nine-goal feast for the supporters. The early part of the game was tentative, and you’d hardly have guessed what was in store, but the deadlock was broken in the twenty fourth minute after a back pass by a Villa defender went astray, and ended up in his own net, to give the visitors an unlikely lead. But that was cancelled out eight minutes later, when Villa equalised from a fantastic solo effort. Kevin Croke picked up the ball in midfield and rounded three players before finding the bottom corner to make it one all. The hosts continued to press and were rewarded four minutes before half time, when Adam Garrett played in a good cross, which found the head of Liam McCormack, who made no mistake putting Villa two goals to one up at the break. They continued their domination into the early minutes of the second period, and two goals within five minutes of the restart, had then four goals to one in front. Kevin Croke got his second of the day scoring from a header, and Alex Moloney scored shortly after. Galbally did not give up and were rewarded for their efforts with two quick fire goals themselves. Frank Leonard scored from close in, and Ciaran Sheehan got their third to make it a one goal game again. But the home side were not going to share the spoils here, and re-opened the two-goal lead in the sixty-eight minute, when Danny Treacy was put through by Luciano Carelli, and he found the bottom corner on the net. Carelli was taken down in the box, sixteen minutes from time and Danny Treacy scored the resultant penalty kick, to make the score six to three, and what was how in finished in the end.
TSDL Third Division 21st April 2024 Match Reports
Ballingarry Albion 1 – 1 Cahir Park (AET, Ballingarry win 3 – 1 on penalties)
Ballingarry Albion took the prize of promotion from the Third Division on offer on Saturday evening, when they eventually triumphed on penalties over Cahir Park, after a tense but exciting game of football. Both sides knew what was on offer, and that made them tentative in the early stages. The first shot in anger was fired on the twentieth minute, when a long-range effort was fired wide by Cahir. Albion’s Eoin Burke went close on twenty-seven minutes but his shot was well blocked out for a corner. Eventually the first goal of the game came in the thirty third minute, when a corner was well cleared by the Cahir defence but Adam O Connell picked up the loose ball, beat two players on the edge of the box to win a free kick. The resulting set piece was whipped in at the goal by Dylan Walsh catching the keeper unaware to put the Ballingarry side in front. Just on the stroke of half time Cahir were awarded a corner which was headed away only into the path of an onrushing forward, who swivelled and took a good shot which went through a mass of players, leaving David Cashin unsighted in the goal and seeing Cahir level before the break.
The second half started much the same as the first ended with tackles flying in from both sides. The tackling and intensity from both teams was top class with neither giving an inch and making chances hard to come by. Both teams had a few long-range efforts but were troubling to create any real chances. As the game got closer to the end a goal for either team would surely be the winner. Cahir had the best of the chances, and pinned Ballingarry back for the final ten minutes, but to no avail on the scoreboard. The game eventually finished one all, and it was off to penalties to decide who gained promotion. In that, it was Ballingarry who held their nerves from the spot kicks, and saw some of their opponent shots saved by the excellent David Cashin, to see Ballingarry promoted to Division Two at the first time of asking.
Third Division Shield
Burncourt Celtic 0 – 1 Killenaule Rovers
This game was played in perfect conditions for football at Cahir Park AFC grounds. Early stages the game was scrappy with little chances created. In the fifteenth minute, Paudie Fitzgerald engineered a chance when he collected the ball forty yards out and got around his marker, but his attempted lob of the goalkeeper went just over the crossbar. Killenaule were having their best spell late in the first half, and they hit the front six minutes from the break when a fine strike from Kieran Walker from twenty yards out found the top corner. Just on the stroke of halftime, the hosts task was made more difficult when one of their players picked up an unfortunate second yellow and Celtic were reduced to ten men. In the second period, as is often the case, the team with the disadvantage rolled up their sleeves and had the better of the chances. But despite long periods of pressure, Burncourt could not find an equaliser with Killenaule advancing to the semi-finals in the end.