Munster Junior Cup, semi finals 25th February 2024 Match Reports
St Michael’s 2 – 1 Avenue United
Saints showed good spirit and tenacity to come from behind with a second half comeback to reach the 2024 Munster Junior Cup final, after a fantastic game of football in tough conditions on Sunday afternoon in Cahir. The Clare side came with intent and forced Aido Walsh into a fine save in just the third minute, as they sprinted out of the blocks. Once the TSDL side settled however, they started to create chances of their own and were unlucky in the thirteenth minute when Ed O’Dwyer found Jimmy Carr on the left but his shot went just wide of goal. Paul Breen did well to head away an Avenue Utd free kick shortly after, and Jimmy Carr tested the visiting keeper on a number of occasions. Eventually in such an open game between two well matched and very skilful sides, a goal was bound to come, and it did in the thirty second minute. Saints failed to clear after a corner and after the ball bobbling around the penalty area, Avenue’s Ronan Kerin forced the ball home from close range. The Tipperary side had a golden chance to equalise six minutes before the break when Russell Quirke hit the crossbar after lay off from Jimmy Carr, but eventually they went to half time a single goal in arrears.
Old hands at this type of game at this stage, the record Cup holders were sharper in the early exchanges of the second period, forcing a number of corners and pinning their opponents back for long period. They levelled matters in the fifty fifth minute, when DJ Cremins got on the end of a Rhys O’Regan cross to put the ball past Woodrow in the Avenue goal, to huge cheers from the Michael’s faithful. They began to probe deeper after Nesa faded in midfield after a bright first half, and went in front on sixty seven minutes, when after winning a free kick, Joey Mulcahy put the ball onto the head of Seanie Guerins and he made no mistake from six yards out. After this, the Saints did what they do best, squeezing the life out a game and giving their opponents very little sight of goal to try to force their way back into the game. They brought in the whole bench of subs to give themselves some fresh legs and closing out experience, and held out to once again, reach another Munster Junior Cup final.
Munster Junior Cup ¼ Final
Peake Villa 0 – 4 Villa FC
It was a day to forget for the current TSDL champions, who despite playing well, fell to a heavy defeat against namesakes Villa FC of Waterford. Both sides sounded each other out in the first twenty minutes with defences on top, and neither able to fashion a decent chance of note. The home side had the first real sight of goal in the twenty third minute when a Keith Cahill corner found Evan Mc Cormack at the back post, and though his header looked like it was going in, it hit a defender’s legs on the line and it was cleared to safety. Had that found the net, things may have turned out differently, especially as it was the visitors who broke the deadlock nine minutes before the break when a cross was met by the head of Dean Walsh, and he headed powerfully home. The hosts did have one more chance to get level before half time, but Pippy Carroll’s shot just went the wrong side of the post and wide.
Peake came out in the second half with some purpose and came close to equalising on a few occasions, with the Waterford side’s defenders doing very well at the back to clear their lines on numerous occasions. The momentum changed in the sixty fifth minute when a mistake in the home defence saw Aaron O Connor capitalise, and he made no mistake to make it two to nil. Though Peake tried their best to get back into the game, they took to committing too many players into attack and were picked off twice in the final two minutes of the game, leaving them defeated on a four goal to nil scoreline that barely reflected the totality of the game itself. But that is Cup football and they will now like their wound and head to Gorey next weekend where they will be hoping for better luck.
Clonmel Credit Union Tipperary Cup, 25th February 2024 Match Reports
SC & K United 0 – 2 Cullen Lattin
Cullen Lattin justified their favourites tag in this Cup tie, and defeated a gamey home side by two goals to nil on a wet and windy day in Kilsheelan. The home side started off the stronger of the two sides and twice came close to opening the scoring through Cian Roche and Evan Forristal, but they found the Cullen keeper in fine form, and he saved on both occasions. They were sure they finally had broken the deadlock just before the half hour mark, when Jamie Roche rifled an effort from all of twenty-five yards out, that slammed off the inside of the Cullen post before rebounding back into play. And the misery was compounded just seconds later, when the visitors were awarded a penalty down the other end of the pitch, which Mikey O’Brien converted to give them the lead which they held to the break. With the weather conditions worsening and the surface proving difficult to play in, the second-half was much more of a battle for both sides with both teams struggling to play their usual football. The hosts pushed forward looking to find an equaliser, but as they pushed on they were punished when the visitors doubled their lead through Micheal Elliott who struck twelve minutes from the end. Cullen held onto this two goal margin to secure their passage into the next round.
TSDL Youths Report 24th February 2024 Match Reports
TSDL Youths Div 1
Cashel Town 5 – 1 Clonmel Town
Cashel Town’s Youths put the two narrow cup defeats they suffered over the past two weekends behind them when they returned to domestic action and make short work of Clonmel Town with a comprehensive victory on Saturday at Palmershill. In control from the start of the game, they took the lead in the tenth minute with a goal from Cillian Fitzgerald after a goalmouth scramble from a corner. Ciaran Byrne doubled the lead ten minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box after a great passing move. But the visitors did put up some resistance and pulled a goal back seven minutes before the break, when Milo Mc Namara converted a penalty kick. But the home side didn’t let that setback harm them, and they restored their two goal lead, when Jack Lawlor fired home from close range on the stroke of half time. The second half was a more sedate affair with the home side dominating, and they added a fourth on the hour mark thanks to a curling effort by Callum Butler from just inside the area. The cherry on the cake was a fifth fifteen minutes from time, when Conal Moloney finished to the net after some great work from Artem Izhko set him up
TSDL Youths Div 1
Two Mile Borris 5 – 0 Clonmel Celtic
Two Mile Borris set up a winner takes all game to win the Youths Division 1 title when they dispatched rivals Clonmel Celtic, in a game played in perfect conditions on an immaculate pitch at Newhill on Saturday afternoon. The better of the teams from early on in the game, the hosts took the lead halfway through the first half when Jake Jordan put a pin point cross on to the head of Tristan Kelly who made no mistake with a great finish. They added a second just on the half hour mark when Jordan played a ball across the visitors six yard box, that was met by Finn Jones at the back post who coolly side-footed to the net. The home side also missed a penalty just before the half ended, but went to the break two goals to the good. A further three goals were added before the end by Tristan Kelly, Darragh O Dwyer and Jake Jordan, the Borris side a vital three points in the race for the title.