TSDL Premier League 27th August 2023 Match Reports
St Michael’s 1 – 1 Peake Villa
It sems only yesterday since Peake Villa picked up last season’s Premier League title after a draw in Cooke Park, but the two big beasts of the TSDL faced each other again on Saturday evening last, and if the game and result are anything to go by, the destination of this season’s title might go all the way to the wire again. This was a game of two halves with Saints having the better of the opening period, before the champions roared back in the second, to salvage a point. Hurt by giving up their title, the home side started well and David Slattery saw his ninth minute effort after some good approach play on the left flank had set him up. Cian Fadden went close minutes later, and Russell Quirke was also unlucky as the Saints battled to turn possession and chances into scores. They finally took the lead just before the half hour mark, when Ashley Kelliher found Russell Quirke on his inside and his left foot shot evaded Willie Tierney in the Villa goal, to the delight of the home fans. The Thurles side’s best chance came minutes before the break, when Adrian Walsh had to make a fine save from Dale Loughnane, to make sure his side went to half time in the lead.
But the visitors came back into the game from the restart and had half chances from Darragh Byrne and Pippy Carroll turned aside before they levelled the game in the fifty seventh minute, when the constantly dangerous Loughnane set up Pippy Carroll to flash a shot to the net from ten yards out. Saints rallied a bit and David Slattery was unlucky not to restore his sides lead five minutes later, seeing his hooked effort slide agonisingly wide, with the keeper beaten. But Villa eventually took control again, and were unlucky not to get a second, with Cian Fadden excellent in the centre of the Micheal’s defence, keeping the game level. In the end, that was probably the fairest result, and will keep both teams on their toes even from this early in the season, to the fact that any lost points this year could be the difference between who will or won’t finish the season as top dogs again.
Bansha Celtic 1 – 2 Cahir Park
Having been the team to sit it out last weekend, Cahir Park finally made their much-anticipated return to Premier League action on Sunday, away to Bansha Celtic, and came away with the three points, while the home side will be rueing a second loss on the bounce and will be hoping to get off the mark soon, lest they make it another long hard Premier League season. The visitors seemed to just be a little bit sharper throughout the first quarter, and finally opened the scoring in the twenty fifth minute when a long ball over the top was latched onto by Willie Dunne, and although his first shot was well saved, the rebound was put away to the delight of the travelling supporters. This presaged a period of quiet in the game, with neither side creating much and what was created snuffed out easily enough by the defences. Going then to the break without either keeper being further troubled, the home side started the second period the better, and forced a number of saves from the Cahir keeper. Alas, it was another defensive error which undid them for a second time and it allowed former Celtic player Niall Daly to roll the ball into an empty net and give the away team a two-goal cushion. Bansha didn’t throw in the towel however and pulled a goal back eighteen minutes from time, when a Darren Mc Grath shot cannoned into the roof of the net. They then proceeded to dominate the final twenty minutes, but had to wait until the final one before being presented with a gilt-edged opportunity when they were awarded a penalty kick. But the Park keeper guessed correctly and pushed it around the post to secure all three points for his side.
TSDL First Division 27th August Match Reports
St Michael’s 2 – 0 Vee Rovers
Saints took the points here, but Vee will rue their cursed luck in front of goal, that dogged them all last season when they were relegated from the Premier League, and seems to have followed them down to the First Division. The game was barely sixty seconds old, when the home side took the lead, after Antonio Rea turned in a Danny O’Brien cross, to leave the visitors shell shocked. But they gradually worked themselves back into the game and wer unlucky on a number of occasions not to get a leveller, with both John English and Adam Condon going close. A free kick in the twenty fifth minute saw Anthony Crotty rattle the bar and Robert Child’s following up hit straight at Adam McGrath, as the home side hung on to their advantage. They kept this to the break, and eight minutes into the second period added a second when the Vee keeper misjudged a back pass and ever predatory Danny O’Brien, took full advantage to fire into an unguarded net. The visitors continued to try to get back into the game, and were creating some brilliant chances, but for bad shooting and good defending by the hosts to deny them. Rea though, had the ball in the net ten minutes from time, in what looked like the insurance goal, but was deemed to have run offside leaving Rovers breathing a sigh of relief. It made no difference in the end however, as th home side held on to start their season with a very good win.
Galbally United 5 – 6 Cullen Lattin
Both of these teams were promoted from the Second Division last season, and both sets of fans, will be hoping they mean to go on as they started, after they produced an eleven goal thriller in Galbally on Sunday last. The game was just three minutes old, when the visitors took the lead through a powerful run and finish by Thomas O Mahoney. That lead last the next twenty minutes, though both sides did have half chances unconverted before Ger Quinlan fired an excellent James O Sullivan cross to the net. After that the game seemed to slow down and there were no more goals for the rest of the half. Five minutes into the second period Ger Quinlan made a powerful run past the visitors defence and slammed the ball to the net to give Galbally the lead. But they were left reeling when six minutes later Cullen were back on terms through a Max Reardon goal, and behind when the same player hit Cullens third a minute later. In the sixty eight minute a Tony O Niell goal made it four to two for the visitors, but Galbally were not going to lie down and they pulled a goal back minutes later when Pa Murphy sent a thunderbolt to the net. Fourteen minutes from time Cullen re-established their two goal lead when they were awarded a penalty kick that was scored by Micky O Brien, and they looked to have finally made sure of the win when they were the beneficiaries of an own goal ten minutes from time to make it six goals to three. But two penalties awarded in the final four minutes, both fired home by Ger Quinlan brought the deficit back to a single goal, and left Cullen hanging on perilously to the end before they eventually secured the points.
TSDL Second Division 27th August 2023 Match Reports
St Nicholas 2 – 2 Two Mile Borris
These two sides played out a very entertaining game at Danny O Dwyer Park in Solohead, before sharing the spoils in a two all draw. The first five minutes saw Jason Sutton for the home side force a brilliant save from the Borris keeper, and after that the tone was set with both teams having good spells of possession and creating numerous chances. The deadlock was finally broken just after the half hour mark when the home side conceded a penalty kick and Robert Jordan made no mistake from the spot to put the visitors in front. The closest that the home side came to equalising was a Jack Downey free kick that went just over the top on the stroke of half time. Three minutes into the second half, the home side gave away another set piece opportunity, conceding a free at the edge of their area, and Jordan got his and his sides second with a brilliantly taken free kick. This could have rally taken the wind out of the home teams sails but the Saints rallied and pulled a goal back when twenty minutes from time, Jack Redican slid a shot home from ten yards out to make it a single goal game. They completed the comeback right on the stroke of full time when Jason Sutton reacted fastest to a long clearance and he finished to the net to the delight of the crowd, winning in the process a share of the spoils for his side.
TSDL Third Division 27th August 2023 Match Reports
Tipperary Town 1 – 2 Cahir Park
Football made its long-awaited return for Division Three at the weekend, when Tipperary Town hosted Cahir Park at the Arra Road complex in Tipperary. This was a very entertaining, open game, which saw both sides play nice football with plenty of half chances for both sides. Cathal Ryan and Alex Ivanov were especially causing problems for the Park defence, but despite a number of half chances, neither side was able to fashion a goal in the first period. The home side also started the second half the quicker and hot the front with a brilliant goal by Ivanov, who cut in from the left and placed a beauty of a curling shot into the far bottom corner. This however seemed to spark the visitors into action and they levelled just before the hour mark when Padraig Farrell finally punished the home defence after a period of pressure with a well taken goal from the centre of the six-yard area. The tie flowed to and from after this, and looked like it was heading for a draw, until four minutes from time a mix up in the home defence, gifted the ball to Hisham Birem, and the Cahir striker made no mistake in firing the ball to the net. The home side threw the kitchen sink at the visitors from there to the end, but Cahir hung on for hard earned three points.
Bansha Celtic 1 – 1 Killenaule Rovers
In the first league game of the season for both teams, Bansha started the brighter in all areas of the field controlling the game comfortably with some great passing, but the visitors time and again broke down their attacking prowess with some physical defending that gave up very few clear chances in the first quarter of the tie. As the half progressed the Killenaule started to make some chances of their own, but Celtic too proved more than up to the task. The best chance of the half fell to the home sides Adam Hennessy, who after taking on his man down the left, fired a shot goalwards only to see it skim the outside of the post and took on Killenaule’s right back who took a shot skimming off the post and wide. The hosts came out with plenty of purpose in the second period, and finally opened the scoring nine minutes in, when a ball over the visiting defence was spilled by the keeper and was finished by the advancing home striker. But the lead lasted less than ten minutes before Killenaule were awarded a free kick just outside the home area, which was fired into the bottom corner of the net. The game continued to be end to end with both teams creating chances toward the finish, but it ended honours even, which was probably the fairest result.