TSDL Premier Division 24th March 2024 Match Reports
Wilderness Rovers 1 – 2 Bansha Celtic
Wilderness played hosts to Bansha Celtic on Sunday morning, hoping to pick up their first win of the season, but once again fell just short on the day. The tough underfoot conditions made it hard going for both sides, but the hosts started well and caused problems for the visiting defence on a couple of occasions. They finally got rewarded for their good play in the twenty seventh minute when Ciaran O Loughlin won the ball in defence and a set up some good play in the middle of the pitch that finished in Jamie Dunne firing to the net. But all the good work they had done in getting their noses in front, was undone two minutes later when Robbie Byron finished to level the game. There were no more goals in the first half, and the visitors began to take control of the game in the early part of the second half. Just after the hour mark, they got the lead when a quick break down the right wing saw a ball crossed to Eamon Quirke, who just got ahead of the advancing keeper to poke the ball home. The hosts kept battling and worked really hard to get back in to the game, coming close twice through a Josh Greene header and a shot from Keane Farrell that went just over. Bansha had another chance to score fifteen minutes from time, but absolutely never say die defending from Leon Hopkins kept the ball out of the net. The home side were reduced to ten men for last few minutes of the game, but they still continuously attacked in search of an equaliser that ultimately never came.
Clonmel Celtic 2 -1 Cahir Park
A last-minute goal from substitute Jack Aylward saw Clonmel Celtic get back to winning ways as they overcame Cahir Park by a single goal in an exciting encounter at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon. It was a good quality game dominated by defences, but it didn’t look like that after in the early stages as both rearguards were breached in the first eight minutes. The visitors were ahead after two minutes when Celtic didn’t deal with a high ball into the box and the ball dropped to Niall Daly who nodded home from close range. But the hosts were level within six minutes with a well worked goal. Cillian Hogan did well on the right and his centre was swept home to the corner of the net by Jack Purcell. After the early drama both defences tightened up and chances were few and far between. The rest of the first half was an entertaining even affair but both solid backlines dominated with neither side able to create any clearcut chances. The second half followed a similar pattern but as the game progressed Celtic began to get on top. A fine move on the hour mark opened up the visitor’s defence, but Brian Sweeney got down well to deny Peter O’Dowd. A draw probably wouldn’t have been a bad outcome for either side but the home side were rewarded in the eighty ninth minute for pushing that bit harder for a winner. It was another finely worked goal. Sean Brown did well to win and hold up the ball before releasing Philip Drohan and his cross was expertly despatched to the corner of the net by Aylward, to the delight of the watching crowd. Cahir tried to respond in injury time and had a couple of efforts on target but both were comfortably saved by Fabian Kerton as Celtic held on for an important three points.
TSDL Second Division 24th March 2024 Match Reports
Two Mile Borris 9 – 4 St Nicholas
The supporters at this game were treated to thirteen goals, with neither defence covering itself in glory on a wet Sunday afternoon in Newhill. The home side are pushing for a title, and dominated the first half, going into the break six goals to one ahead, after a first half hat trick from DJ Troy along with two goals from Jake Jordan and one from Jack Delaney. The visitors goal in response came from the head of James Scanlon. The second half started off slowly, but once both teams got going again they exchanged six goals between them. The home side saw Troy add two more goals to finish up with five for the game, along with a goal by Conor Ryan. While Saint’s three came from Nick Cummins, Aiden Riordan and Jason Sutton, for a final scoreline of nine goals to four on the day.
Suirside 3 – 2 Rosegreen Rangers
Suirside took all three points here in a huge game in their push for promotion against a very game Rosegreen side at Grange on Sunday. The home side started brightly and should have been a goal up in the eight minute when good work by Gavin Sheehan set up John Darmody, but his shot was brilliantly saved by the visiting keeper. But in the twentieth minute, it was Rosegreen who took the lead when the home defence failed to deal with in innocuous cross and the ball fell to Darren Corbett who coolly finished to the net from six yards out. The home side continued to press and they were level eleven minutes from the break when Gavin Sheehan tapped in from close range. There were no more goals before the break, but the home side continued to play well at the start of the second period and they took the lead with goal from a corner when Colm O Gorman headed to the net just on the hour mark. They extended the lead fifteen minutes from time when John Allen Lowes took advantage of some excellent play by his team mates to score from twelve yards, and made the game look safe. But Rosegreen kept fighting and pulled a goal back in the final minute when Luke Quinlan scored after a mix up in the Suirside defence. For the last few minutes, the visitors threw everything at the hosts, but Suirside held on to take the precious points.
Moyglass United 1 – 1 Powerstown
Moyglass United put a dent in Powerstown’s fading title hopes when they held them to a draw at Moyglass on Sunday. The game was pretty even for most of the first half, with what few chances that were created, falling to the away side, but they were easily dealt with by the home keeper. However, they finally did manage to take the lead ten minutes before the break when a long ball over the home defence was controlled well by Aaron Kiely, and he fired a shot across the keeper into the top corner with an excellent finish. Moyglass however responded well, and were level within five minutes when Johnny Gleeson came up from left back, and hit a thunderous shot that could only be parried by the visiting keeper, into the path of the inrushing Niall Doocey, and he made no mistake from six yards. There were no more goals in the game, with the defences being on top, and the teams shared the spoils.
TSDL Third Division 24th March 2024 Match Reports
SC & K United 2 – 1 Clonmel Celtic B
Kilsheelan United’s juniors finished off their league campaign on Sunday afternoon with a two goals to one win over Clonmel Celtic FC ‘B’ in Kilsheelan, on a day that they were presented with the Third Division league trophy as this season’s champions. They got off to the perfect start in the game, when after some early dominance, Cathal de Faoite fired home after picking up the loose ball from Billy O’ Connor’s corner kick delivery after in the fifteenth minute. They came close to doubling the lead later in the first half, with de Faoite firing narrowly over the Celtic crossbar, and Mark Heffernan dragging a shot just wide of the Celtic near post, but they ultimately went in, just a goal in front. Both sides shared possession in the second-half, but found it difficult to break each other down. It wasn’t until the seventieth minute when the visitors found their equaliser, when a corner wasn’t dealt with before their centre-half struck a low volley beyond a host of bodies in the home box. It looked like both sides were going to have to settle for a point each, but the champions found the winner six minutes from time through Mark Heffernan. Nathan Dolan found space on the edge of the Celtic penalty area, before his shot fell to Cathal de Faoite who found Heffernan open inside the area to fire home his 18th league goal of the season. They saw out the final remaining minutes to pick up another three points, as they ended the season with a 100% home record in their league campaign.
Tipperary Town 1 – 2 Donohill and District
In a close contest that finished the league campaign for the home side, the two teams swapped half chances, but ultimately went to the break scoreless. The second half came to life ten minutes in with a great strike from Christy Malone from twenty yards out, into the top corner, to give Donohill the lead. The hosts bounced back and got rewarded when Fergal Mc Namara cut in from the left side and was able to loop the ball over the Donohill keeper, fifteen minutes from time. Both sides pushed to get the winner and the visitors got joy when the ball broke for Sean Ryan, who pounced on a save from Timmy Esmonde, to slot home almost right on the full time whistle to make it two to one, and take the three points.
TSDL Youths Report 24th March 2024 Match Reports
TSDL Youths Cup ¼ final
Cashel Town 4 – 1 SC & K United
Cashel’s youths got over their loss in the Division 1 decider last weekend, when they ran out comfortable winners against Division Two side SC & K United at home on Saturday afternoon. But the hosts didn’t have it all their own way, as the game was quite even for the first half hour, before the visitors took the lead through Ciaran Lonergan who finished well after a quick break down field. The home side stepped up a gear after this setback and had a number of chances before Artem Izhko finished from close range after the keeper failed to hold blistering shot a minute before the break. In the second period, the home team began to dominate and took the lead on fifty four minutes with a shot from outside the area by Sami Laaksonen that gave the visitors keeper no chance. They put the game to bed five minutes from time, with another screamer, this time Niall Hallisey. Artem Izhko got a fourth in time added on with a nice finish from twelve yards, from a cross from the right by Colm Ryan.
TSDL Youths Cup ¼ final
Two Mile Borris 6 – 0 Mullinahone
League champions St Kevin’s, welcomed Mullinahone to Newhill on Saturday, with both teams slow to start in the cold weather, and creating very little until eight minutes from the break, when the hosts hit the front with Tristan Troy’s deft finish from six yards. Louis Coughlan made it two just before the break, and they started the second half on the front foot, with Jake Cullen adding a third only four minutes in, with an excellent solo effort, beating three defenders before scoring with a rifling shot from twenty yards. Borris scored their fourth after Sean Treacy battled well to win the ball and pull it back for Jason Kelly who cooly finished, on the hour mark. Well on top now, Sean Treacy set up Louis Coughlan to score Borris’ fifth with a long range finish to the bottom corner, fifteen minutes from time. And they rounded off the afternoon when a darting break by Jason Kelly who rounded two defenders, set up to Tom Ryan to coolly finish to the net.