Match Reports from 25th/26th of November 2023

FAI Junior Cup 4^th Round, 26^th November

Tramore 0 – 2 St Michael’s

The Saints beat the Seagulls at Graun Park in an entertaining and competitive FAI Junior Cup tie on Sunday afternoon. Perennial specialists in this competition, the TSDL side hit the front early when Colin Bargary was on hand to follow up good play by Rhys O’Regan and Jimmy Carr, and his right foot effort from the edge of the area nestled in the net on just three minutes. After this, the visiting defence was composed but Adrian Walsh produced an excellent one handed save in the eleventh minute from Sam Sheperd to keep his side ahead. Shepherd again went close again shortly after, but the visitors thought they had doubled their lead in the nineteenth minute, only to see Shane Ryan’s header ruled out for offside. The rest of the half saw a very even game with most played around the midfield and no more real chances of note being created. Shane Ryan went close again early in the second half, but the game developed back into a tight battle as the teams approached the hour mark. Just after it, came the defining moment, when Ryan won a corner for the Saints, and from the resulting set piece, he headed home from a Rhys O Regan cross. This seemed to deflate Tramore and the away side were able to sit and soak up pressure while looking for chances to hit on the counter. The closest either of the sides came after that was a botched chance by the visitors in the final minute, but by that stage they’d done more than enough to book their place in the next round of the competition.

Strand Celtic 0 – 3 Peake Villa

TSDL Champions Peake Villa made the long trip to Sligo to take on Strand Celtic in the FAI Junior Cup on Sunday, but the distance travelled was worth it as they came away with a very good win against tough opponents. Villa started well and pressed high, making the home side defend early on. They were rewarded for good pressure in the twelfth minute when Ronan McGuire capitalised on a mistake in midfield and ran with the ball directly at the heart of the Strand defence. Space opened up for him and he scored to the bottom corner to make it one nil with a fine individual goal. But the home side were not without chances of their own coming close on a couple of occasions, only to find Willie Tierney in good form and he easily dealt with their efforts. The visiting team were having great joy on the wings with Darragh Byrne and Dale Loughnane a thorn in the home side all game. And that led to them extending their lead three minutes before the break when good play from Pippy Caroll saw him cross the ball into a dangerous area forcing a home defender to put into his own net and make it two to nil at half time. The second half was a half of few chances with Strand trying to get back into the game. They did have a great chance midway through the half, but the shot was again well saved by Tierney. The final act of note came six minutes from the end when the Thurles side but all chances of a comeback beyond doubt, getting a third when Mc Guire controlled a ball into the box with his chest and scored with his left foot, to the delight of the travelling supporters.

Two Mile Borris 1 – 2 Avenue United

A young Borris team faced up to one of the favourites in this years Junior Cup and probably gave them a little too much respect before bowing out on Sunday at Newhill. The home side started slowly and were punished in the sixth minute when a cross into their box eluded the whole defence before landing at the feet of Ronan Kehir who made no mistake from six yards out. As the game went on though the nerves began to settle and the TSDL side more than matched their Clare opponents. They had one really good chance to level the game close to the break, but Stuart Hanrahan’s header went narrowly wide, and they when to half time still a goal down. But they continued probing right from the beginning of the second period and levelled the game in the fifty fifth minute when a superb through ball from Jamie Carey found Urban Nolan in space and he buried the ball in the net. The game ebbed and flowed after that with both sides having chances, until the moment of the game arrived fifteen minutes from the end, when Avenue striker Na unleashed a screamer from all of twenty yards out that would have troubled any keeper in the country. Borris spent the last quarter of an hour in and around the Avenue box trying to find an equaliser, but the closest they came was a mishit shot by Daniel Rafter in the final moments that the Clare keeper managed to scramble away to safety. In the end, Avenue prevailed but the TSDL side laid down a marker for themselves in this and other competitions in the future.

Munster Junior Cup 3rd round 26th November

Munster Junior Cup, 3^rd Round

Clonmel Celtic 2 – 1 Newport Town

Clonmel Celtic battled past Newport Town to reach Round 5 of the Munster Junior Cup on a two goals to one scoreline at Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon. The visitors started well and had the first effort on target when Christopher Doyle’s header was comfortably saved by Fabian Kerton in the sixth minute. They were definitely up for the challenge as they harried and hassled the home side who struggled to get a grip on proceedings. The away side finally hit the front in the eighteenth minute when Elliot Slattery’s deflected free kick found the net. However, the visiting supporters were still celebrating when Celtic levelled a minute later with Graham Kelly scoring from the spot after Philip Drohan was fouled. The goal seemed to settle Celtic and just after the half hour mark Cianan Kerton connected with Seanie Hawkins’s cut back but Newport keeper Seamus O’Regan brilliantly saved his effort. Celtic went ahead just before the break when the hardworking Graham Kelly did well to win the ball in midfield and release Cianan Kerton who went on a fine run before unleashing an effort that beat the keeper with the help of a deflection. The second half was a dour affair with both teams battling for supremacy, The visitors tired a little as the second half progressed though Cillian O’Shea caused an anxious moment for the home supporters with an effort that just went wide. Celtic defended well to see out the game out though Newport nearly grabbed an equaliser in the last minute with an effort that was blocked and scrambled clear.

TSDL Premier League 26^th November 2023

Cahir Park 4 – 0 Wilderness Rovers

Cahir Park jumped up to third place in the Premier League when they came out on top on Sunday against a Wilderness Rovers side who are still looking for their first points of the season. The home team started well and controlled the match from the off, creating a number of half chances before taking the lead on fourteen minutes when Kyle Delaney found the bottom corner from the edge of the area after the visitors keeper had made a great double save. The home side were completely dominant from there and should have added to the lead on a number of occasions before Niall Daly finally made it two with a great individual effort ten minutes before the break. The second period continued in the same vein as the first and Daly made it three five minutes in, when finishing well after being put through one on one with the visiting keeper. Though the home side continued to add chances to their play, credit must go to the Wildies keeper who had a superb game. But even he could not stop the fourth goal in the final minutes, when David Clifford found the net after a smart turn and finish from inside the box.

Tipperary Town 2 – 0 Bansha Celtic

The home came out of the blocks quickly in this west Tipperary derby, and were rewarded in the sixth minute when a route one clearance from Eric Higgins was controlled well by Ryan Maher who cut into the area and hit a low shot beating the keeper on his near post. After this the visitors battled back into the game, and gave the hosts a few worrisome moments, none more so than when Eamon Quirke was brilliantly denied from close range by Eric Higgins, and the rebound fell to William O’Dwyer, who was denied by a remarkable Michael Frawley block. The second half saw the home side take control and they had a number of shots from distance, before Vinny Godfrey hit a stunning thirty yard free kick which brought big celebrations from the home support. Celtic kept going but were caught on the break a few times, and had to be happy that in the end they weren’t beaten by more. Both sides had chances in the final ten minutes but it was the home side who saw out the game and took a valuable three points.

TSDL First Division 26^th November 2023

Cashel Town 5 – 0 Old Bridge

Cashel Town continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comprehensive win at Dixie Currivan Park on Sunday, that already puts them in prime position for the First Division title and promotion back to the Premier League, even at this early stage. They were on top from the start and the only surprise was the it took twenty-eight minutes to open the scoring when Devon Ryan headed home a Kevin Keating cross, that gave the visiting keeper no chance of stopping. That was it until the break, but seven minutes into the second half Keating got a goal of his own when he swept the ball home from less than six yards out. On the hour mark Lee Riordan got a third with a good finish from fifteen yards, to assure the home side would take the points. But they weren’t finished with the scoring, adding two more before the end. Ryan St John produced a poachers finish from six yards out with a quarter of an hour to play, and Sami Laaksonen produced the goal of the game from the edge of the eighteen-yard box five minutes later to wrap the scoring up.

Vee Rovers 2 – 3 Galbally United

Galbally United had to survive a late onslaught in this game before they took the points, as the home side came back from three goals down late in the tie to almost snatch a point. The visitors were the better team from early on, and were only denied taking the lead by some great saves from the Rovers keeper in the first quarter of the game. Eventually though pressure told and Kieran Sheehan opened the scoring in the twenty sixth minute after a wonderful through ball that cut open the defence. They continued to boss the game, but could not add to their tally until ten minutes into the second period when Eoin O Sullivan added a second, taking advantage of the home sides hesitancy at a corner kick. When Peter Morrissey added a third with a strike from the edge of the area in the seventy fifth minute it seemed like a routine win for Galbally. But five minutes later, Bob Childs managed to get in behind the defence and score from twelve yards out, to pull a goal back for the hosts. Four minutes from time, the relentless pressure they were putting on, resulted in a second goal being scored, this time by Tommy Childs. Nevertheless although the home side camped in the Galbally area for the final minutes of the game, they were unable to add a third, and Galbally took the precious points.

TSDL Second Division 26^th November 2023

Powerstown 5 – 0 Dualla

Powerstown went in front here after just five minutes, when a quick throw from Cathal McKeown in behind the visiting defence found Conor McGrath, and he made no mistake with the finish. Four minutes later, Nicholas Ryan grabbed the home side’s second, taking advantage of an Oisin Napier corner to put a crucial touch on it, and flick the ball to the net. Dualla struggled to create anything throughout the half, and Napier came close again with a free kick just before the break, forcing the away keeper into a magnificent save the keep the game at just two. But a third wasn’t long coming and five minutes into the second period, Nicholas Ryan got his second, coming again from a corner. An inch perfect cross found Ryan unattended at the back post and he didn’t look the gift horse in the mouth. A fourth followed just five minutes after, when after being played in behind Brian Mc Keown composed himself well and placed the ball beyond the keeper. Mc Keown grabbed his second and finished Powerstown’s scoring on the seventieth minute with another good finish after some excellent build up play.

TSDL Third Division 26^th November 2023

Ballingarry Albion 3 – 0 Burncourt Celtic

The home side started very strongly creating numerous chances before the dealock was finally broken in the twenty first minute when despite all the domination the hosts had, Ian Ivors who made it all on his own after he went through two tackles and found the ball at his feet, lobbing the keeper from all of thirty yards out. The goal drove Powerstown on and they continued to create all the chances. Patrick Ivors saw his effort from outside the area come back off the cross bar before the move of the match which saw all eleven players involved, working over and back before finishing with the ball cut back to Michael Ivors who smashed the ball off the crossbar denying his side what would have been a spectacular team goal. The visitors had the better of the early moments of the second half but once the hosts weathered that little period, they started to turn the screws themselves and got a second twenty minutes from the end when Riain O Callaghan put two up with a classy finish. They added a third sixteen minutes from time after Adam O Connell played a quick give and go with Ricky Cashin, before finding O Callaghan again to add to his and his sides tally.

TSDL Youths Report 26^th November 2023

U17 FAI Cup, last 32

Two Mile Borris 1 – 2 Midleton

A brave Borris u17 side bowed out of the FAI Cup on Saturday when they went down by the odd goal in three against a very strong Midleton side from Cork at Newhill on Saturday. The visitors started the quicker and got a deserved goal to take the lead in the fifteenth minute. This seemed to wake up the home side and they started to control the middle of the field creating numerous chances and finally taking one to level the game when Cian O Dwyer got in behind the visitors defence and scored with a superb finish. There were no more goals in the first half but the home side went to the break the happier. They continued the good form into the second period, but crucially could not find the reward they desperately required as they were thwarted time and again by some superb defending and goal keeping. And they cruelly suffered for their misses twenty minutes from time when the Cork side put together an excellent move that resulted in them going back into the lead. The last twenty were frantic for the home side, but they just could not add that tiny bit of quality needed to get the goal that might extend their run in the competition, and bowed out in the end.

TSDL Youths Division 2

Clonmel Town 2 – 2 Galbally United

This game was played in ideal conditions in Ferryhouse and the home side opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Jack Burns was taken down in the area, and Cian LeBlanc coolly dispatched the spot kick to give his side the lead. But Galbally reacted well and had a lot of pressure on the home goal drawing a good save from Peter Carroll and a few minutes later an off the line clearance by Cillian Britton. The teams exchanged chances and the visitors were rewarded a penalty of their own following good play down the left flank. The home guessed the right way but there was too much power on the shot, and it fizzed to the net to level the scores in the twenty fifth minute. The teams continued to make chances throughout the half, but it was the away side the finished stronger and they went in front right on the stroke of half time when they finished to the net after a corner from close in. In the early part of the second period, the visiting defence look very solid giving up very few clear cut chances to Town. A lot of the second half was being played in the middle third and Galbally seemed happy to hold what they had and used all their cunning to slow the play and frustrate the hosts, while always looking for opportunities to catch them on the counter. On more than one occasion Adam Johnson was required to make some excellent challenges for Town sprinting back towards his own goal. As the clocked ticked the homes side had no option but to commit more men forward and finally were rewarded for their positive when they combined to put Issac da Silva through for a well finished equaliser to the corner the net with ten minutes left to play. Though sensing another goal was possible, in the end the teams shared the points on a two all scoreline.

TSDL Tipperary Cup Draw 2023 – 2024

Tipperary Cup Draw 2023 – 2024

Tipperary Cup 2023 -2024