TSDL Premier League 26th February 2023 Match Reports
Cashel Town 0 – 2 St Michael’s
Cashel Town put out a youthful side against league champions St Michael’s on Sunday afternoon, but were undone by the experience of veterans when they went down by two goals to nil at Palmershill. The home side started well but found it difficult to create chances against a very compact Saints defence. As the first half progressed the visitors came more into the game, and finally opened the scoring in the thirty second minute when a long throw was flicked on into the home area, and Jimmy Carr finished at the back post. The hosts thought they had got a leveller five minutes before the break, but a goal bound shot was cleared off the line to the dismay of the home supporters. The second half followed a similar pattern to the end of the first, with the away side having the majority of the possession but Cashel kept them at bay until eight minutes from time when the visitors were awarded a penalty which Jimmy Carr converted for his and his sides second of the game, a goal that was enough to ensure the Saints would pick up all three points.
Vee Rovers 0 – 6 Peake Villa
Although the final score might suggest otherwise, the already relegated home side gave a very good account of themselves for the first hour of this game, before the greater fitness of the title challengers from Thurles asserted themselves on the game and came away with a comfortable win. Both sides had their chances in what was an even first half, with special mention going to sixteen year old debutant Ryan Breedy in the home goal pulling off some excellent saves to deny Villa on a number of occasions. However even he couldn’t keep them out when on the stroke of half time, a flying header by Eoin O Dwyer sent Villa to the break in front. The first fifteen minutes of the second period followed a similar pattern, but as it went on, the away side began to turn the screw and they finally got a second on the hour mark when substitute Ronan Maguire headed home from a corner kick. Ten minutes later they scored a third through Kieran Hennessy, and from then on ran the home side ragged. They added two more goals in two minutes through Keith Carroll ten minutes from the end, before Breedy in the home goal capped his debut with a penalty save. Even he though couldn’t stop Evan Mc Cormack adding a sixth on the stroke of full time.
Wilderness Rovers 3 – 2 Bansha Celtic
Promoted to the Premier League at the beginning of the season, Wilderness Rovers all but ensured they will be staying at the top table of TSDL football when they carved out a hard earned win against a struggling Bansha Celtic side in Clonmel on Sunday afternoon. As they have done in a number of recent games, the Wildies flew out of the traps attacking from the off and it took just six minutes for them to get their noses in front, when Sean Brown set up Dan van der Wal for his first goal of the season. In a first half where the home side had plenty of chances, their failure to convert left them vulnerable and they were made pay just on the half hour mark when Celtic took advantage of confusion in the home defence and sneaked a goal to draw the game level. But the response from Rovers was positive and four minutes later a long ball by Ciaran Stapleton found the head of Van der Wal turned provider for ace striker Brown to hit the net from close range and put the home side back in the driving seat. But the scoring in the half wasn’t completed yet, and six minutes later the game was back all square when the away side were awarded a penalty and made no mistake from the spot. That was how the game went to the break, and with so much on the line for both sides, the early part of the second period was a cagey affair with both teams relying more on long balls to the front, rather than playing through the middle. Chances were created by both, but neither were able to capitalise. A turning point seemed to arrive just after the hour mark when the home side were reduced to ten men, but incredibly they seemed to use this as the catalyst to raise their game even more, and ten minutes from time forced a penalty kick from their opponents. With so much riding on the shot, Sean Brown was coolness personified and made no mistake, sliding the ball to the corner of the net, and re-establishing a lead for his side for the third time in the game. They showed massive resilience after this as the visitors threw everything at them to try to salvage a precious point, but in the end the Wildies prevailed to the delight of their management and supporters.
Tipperary Cup, 2nd Round, 26th February 2023 Match Reports
Two Mile Borris 0 – 3 Clonmel Town
Although this game finished with what looked like a reasonably comfortable win for Clonmel Town, it was anything but, with the visitors scoring two late goals to put a gloss on the scoreline. The game started evenly enough with the two sides sharing some chances before the visitors took the lead when Lee Costello deftly flicked the ball to the net from a corner kick in the fifteenth minute. After that Borris came close with Jamie Lee heading just over the bar, and Jack Hackett seeing an effort skidding the wrong side of the upright. A big moment in the game came in the thirtieth minute when the home side were reduced to ten men after a sending off, but they still dominated possession and had chances for long periods in the rest of the first half and much of the second. Town were very content to sit back and look for chances to arise on the break, and two came very late in the game. The first minutes from time saw them awarded a penalty kick which Ryhs O Regan fired home, and while the home side sent most of their players up for a corner kick in time added on, Town broke again and Ashley Laslett got a third goal with a very tidy finish.
Paddy Purtill Cup report 26th February 2023 Match Reports
Clonmel Town 3 – 1 Mullinahone
Town advanced to the semi-finals of The Paddy Purtill Cup with a hard-fought victory over Mullinahone on Sunday afternoon in Clonmel. The home side started brightly and opened the scoring in the seventh minute when a through ball by Shane Heffernan was calmly slotted home by Dylan Guiry. But the lead didn’t last long, when just three minutes later, the visitors found themselves level after a speculative ball over the top caught the home defence unawares and the visitors fired to the net. The home side were presented a wonderful chance to retake the lead in the twenty fourth minute when they were awarded a penalty, but the initial shot was brilliantly saved. Alas for the keeper the rebound fell to Kevin Kirwan who slide a ball across the area to Keenan Kerton to tap home from three yards out. After this, both teams had chances to score before the break, but both keepers were in brilliant form and no more goals were recorded. Shane O Connor in the Town goal, was once again on hand to keep the hosts ahead early in the second period, and throughout the half the two teams missed chances or were denied by fine defending. With the teams almost out on their feet approaching the final minute however, the hosts made sure of their win when a long ball was excellently flicked on by substitute Alan Spain and the ever dangerous Dylan Guiry broke through the visiting defence to score his second of the game, and his sides third.
TSDL Second Division 26th February 2023 Match Reports
Rosegreen Rangers 4 – 1 Cashel Town
Rosegreen Rangers picked up the bragging rights in the local derby with close neighbours Cashel Town on Sunday afternoon, sending the vanquished down to the Third Division and securing a very respectable mid table position for themselves in the process. The home side started the game well went and had already had a number of chances before they opened the scoring in the fifteenth minute through a Ben Young header. The game flowed over and back after that with Cashel having a number of efforts of their own, but the second goal also went to the home side when Jamie Lennox rose highest to head home ten minutes before the break. In control at this point the only blip for the home side was being reduced to ten men just before the break, but they held their two goal lead to half time. Cashel regrouped in the second period and dominated much of the possession for the opening fifteen minutes, finally pulling a goal back just after the hour mark. This gave them the impetus to push on looking for an equaliser, but the home side showed resolve and scored a third goal ten minutes from time, when they were awarded a penalty kick that Pakie Farrell rolled to the net. Five minutes from time a snap shot by Jack Marshall caught the Cashel keeper unawares and gave the hosts a fourth goal, which was the final significant action in the game.
Galbally United 2 – 1 St Nicholas
Galbally United came from behind in a nervy encounter to put themselves in the promotion spots and potentially winning a title, on Sunday afternoon against local rivals St Nicholas. Both teams were making basic errors in passing early on, with neither able to impose themselves, before the visitors made the best of their first real chance in the twenty second minute and James Scanlon looped a headed effort over the stranded home keeper. This seemed to settle the home side and five minutes later Cathal O Mahoney went close with a low angled shot after cutting in from the right wing. The game continued to be pretty even until a minute before the break, Galbally finally got level, when Owen O Sullivan headed home a Bernard O Brien corner kick. The second half saw the game become a midfield battle with neither side creating much for the first thirty minutes, until Peter Morrissey headed onto the crossbar for the home side. Five minutes later, they finally got the goal they chased when substitute Ger Quinlan finished well after being put through on goal. With so much at stake in the game, the home side sat back to try to ensure their points, and invited the visitors onto them. But they held firm and if anything had the best chance to score a third, when John English hit the post late on.
TSDL Third Division report 26th February 2023 Match Reports
Powerstown 0 – 5 Kilsheelan United
Powerstown’s hopes of winning the Third Division title suffered a blow when they fell to a heavy defeat at home to Kilsheelan United on Sunday afternoon. In a result that will come as a surprise to many, the home side were always second best to a much hungrier Kilsheelan outfit on the day. The away side served their intention of causing an upset as early as th thirteenth minute when they took the lead after a corner kick found Nathan Dolan all alon in the penalty area and he made no mistake from ten yards out. They were dominant throughout the half and doubled their lad ten minutes before the break when Mark Heffernan finished off a devastating counter attack. Ten minutes into second half, Billy O’Connor got the third goal, when his shot from outside the box found the top left corner, giving the home side a mountain to climb of they were to get anything from the game. But the visitors made sure that wouldn’t arise and hit two goals in two minutes around the sixty fifth minute mark through John O Dwyer and Jamie Roche, leaving the league leaders shell shocked and nervously looking over their shoulders before the final few games of the season.
Bansha Celtic 1 – 2 Tipperary Town
It was derby day at the patch in Bansha when the home side welcomed local rivals Tipperary Town for this Third Division clash. They played out a pretty even first fifteen minutes as a lot of the ball was played with in the middle of the field. As the half progressed the home side started to control the game and opened the scoring when a ball played through by Alan Carter into David Ronan’s feet, saw him taken down in the area, and Kyle Hayes stepped up to convert. The visitors came roaring back after this however, and fashioned a number of opportunities before getting an equaliser ten minutes before the break. The home side re-grouped and got a hold of the game, almost re-taking the lead five minutes before half time when a ball broke to Jamie Buckley, whose excellent strike from twenty five yards out drew a magnificent save from Mikey Ryan in the Town goal. Bansha continued pressing in the early part of the second half, creating chances numerous chances, but the away side held their own by and large. The significant moment in the game, came ten minutes from time when a speculative long ball over the top of the home defence was latched onto by a Town striker and he was taken down, resulting in a penalty for the away side that was tucked away to give them a lead that they held until the end of the game.
Burncourt Celtic 2 – 3 Cahir Park
This game was played on Saturday night in the magnificent astroturf facilities in Cahir Park, and was a very competitive game throughout. Both teams had early chances before the Park opened the scoring in the twenty fourth minute, when a cross from Shane Bennett took a deflection off a Celtic defender, and ended up in the net. But Burncourt continued making chances and found themselves level ten minutes later when some fine work by Pimmy Darcy along the endline gave Pa Ryan a simple tap in to make it one all. That was how the game went to the break, and five minutes into the second period a shot from Cahir’s Dean Fitzwater from the edge of the box ended up in the bottom corner of the net to put his sid back in front. But Celtic were not going down easily, and with twenty minutes left, were level again when Nathan Byrne headed home from a Shane O Neill free Kick. Both sides had half chances after this, but the game looked like it was petering out into a draw, until the final minute, when a strike by Ikaro Matteus again took a wicked deflection off a Burncourt defender and ended up in the net, giving the hosts all three points on the night.
TSDL Youths 26th February 2023 Match Reports
TSDL Division 2 Youths Cup final
Shanbally United 3 – 4 Cashel Town
Cashel Town’s Youths twice came from behind to win this thriller of a Youths Cup final by the odd goal in seven at Scart Park on Saturday afternoon. Both teams have been the standard bearers at the top of the Second Division in Youths football this season, and promised a great final, and they began to deliver as soon as the third minute when the home side broke downfield and were awarded a penalty kick that was despatched to the net by Ben Carey. But the visitors responded and upped their game, having a couple of half chances before finally levelling the games thanks to a Lee O Riordan effort in the twenty third minute, when he finished off a sweeping movement by planting a headed effort to th net at the back post. The rest of the half flowed up and down the pitch but no mor goals were scored. It took just eight minutes of the second period to change that, and again it was the hosts that took advantage when they found Ben Doyle in space in the Cashel area and he headed to the net from eight yards out. But this just presaged a period of dominance from the away side, and they levelled six minutes later when Blake Doyle Carroll found the net with a shot from the edge of the area. Five minutes after that, the visitors finally got their noses in front for the first time when Ciaran Fitzpatrick fired home, and it looked to be all over when Ciaran Fitzpatrick extended the lead to two goals twenty minutes from time. But the home side showed their battling qualities and reduced the deficit to a single goal five minutes from the end, when they were awarded a second penalty and Carey made no mistake for a second time. This set up a grandstand finish when the home side threw everything at their opponents to try to bring the game to extra time, but Cashel held on to finish deserving winners in front of a large crowd of supporters.
TSDL Youths Division 1
Clonmel Town 0 – 3 Clonmel Celtic
Clonmel Celtic made another giant leap towards securing the Division One Youths title with a comfortable three goal victory away to neighbours Clonmel Town last Saturday. Celtic who won the opening league game of the season against the same opponents very comfortably, went ahead after just ninety seconds when Jack Aylward pounced on indecision in the Town defence to finish neatly past John O Connell. Smelling blood right from the off, the visitors went in search of a second and only a last ditch tackle from James Power deprived Reece Farrell in the tenth minute. However Town eventually settled down and both Cian McGrath and John Buckley produced two good saves from Oisin O Donoghue, as the Celtic netminder showed his importance to his team. But nine minutes from the break, Celtic got a deserved second when Jack Aylwards free kick from the edge of the box, missed everyone and ended up in the corner of the home sides net. Town should have pulled a goal back immediately but Cian McGrath couldn’t manage to finish after being put through by a great Ronan Walsh pass, and the league leaders almost ended the half three up when Alex Greene’s shot hit the butt of the Town post and cannoned away to safety. The second half was a far more balanced affair. In the sixty seventh minute O Donoghue pulled off a great save to deny Dara Walsh and then Joey Browne did well to set up a shooting chance for himself but his shot lacked any real power. But right on the stroke of full time, the visitors made the points certain when Julian Kerton and Jamie Ryan, who were both excellent in midfield, combined to set up Alex Greene for a goal that his work rate deserved and with it complete a comfortable afternoons work for the Champion’s elect.
Slievenamon Celtic 1 – 1 Peake Villa
Slievenamon Celtic wrapped up their historic first season in the top Division of TSDL Youths football with a very respectable draw after coming from behind against a strong Peake Villa side on Saturday afternoon. A poor start from the home side led to an early goal from the visitors inside the opening five minutes when a well worked short corner got pulled back to the edge of the box before being struck to the net by James Woodlock. After that the game settled down into a cagey affair with neither side creating any more clear cut chances before the break, and the visitors going in a goal up. The second half saw a much improved home side spring into life, as Tommy o Connor and Ben Power started to dominate in the centre of the pitch. This hard work finally paid off with ten minutes left on the clock, when a short Sam Power throw found Eoin Condon who put a quality delivery into the back post finding Tommy O Connor for the leveller. Both sides pushed on looking for the winner after that, but despite creating a number of half chances were unable to find the net and had to be content with a share of the spoils.
Tipperary Youths Cup, 2nd Round
Cullen Lattin 4 – 2 Bansha Celtic
After beating Clonmel Town in the previous round, Cullen welcomed Bansha Celtic to Aisling Park today for the second round of the cup on Saturday afternoon. On a beautiful day for football the home side started really well and were on top in most parts of the field. In the twentieth minute, the finally made the early pressure count when Jake Ryan fired a cross field ball that was met by Dylan Mc Grath at the back post to put the home side ahead. They continued to dominate the game putting massive pressure on the Bansha back line, and this finally told when after another good move Tristan Stokes received the ball about twenty yards from goal and struck a great effort into the bottom corner. The visitors finally awoke from their stupor and started to make some inroads into the home sides territory, but were unable to pull a goal back prior to the break. They continued this at the start of the second half, but against the run of play Michael Ryan Bob got in behind the visiting defence to finish well, and put Cullen three up and very much in the box seat in the fifty third minute. The visitors did finally get some reward just on the hour mark, when they were awarded a penalty and Adam Hennessey made no mistake to bring it back to three goals to one. But that just seemed to get the home side focused again, and they got a fourth fifteen minutes from time when Dylan Mc Grath fired home his second of the day. A gutsy Bansha forced a penalty with ten minutes to go, and Adam Hennessey put away to make it four goals to two, but after that the home side shut up shop and made sure their name would be going in the hat for the next round of the competition.