Tipperary Cup, 3rd Round, 26th March 2023 Match Reports
Peake Villa 2 – 3 St Michael’s (AET 2 -2)
Two of the “big beasts” of the TSDL faced off in the quarter finals of the Tipperary Cup at the weekend when St Michael’s travelled to Thurles to take on Peake Villa, and they put on a great show of football for the expectant watching crowd. Unfortunately for the home side, there was a sense of déjà vu to the proceedings, when for the second time in a week, they exited a cup by a single goal in five after bringing the game all the way to extra time. The hosts started brightly and created the first good chance in just the third minute when Ronan McGuire was through on goal, but his effort just cleared the crossbar. With the quality on show from both sides it wasn’t going to be long before a goal came, and when it did just three minutes later, it went to the visitors, with Ed O Dwyer finding the net. Villa then lost Keith Cahill through injury in the sixteenth minute, but they responded positively, by scoring the goal of the game eight minutes later, through a Mikey Wade free kick that gave the Saints netminder no chance to keep out. Dale Loughnane also went close for the home side two minutes before the break, but his shot went just wide of the post. It looked like the sides were going in level but the visitors stunned the home crowd when they broke quickly downfield and created an opportunity for Ashley Kelleher, who made no mistake to send his side into half time in front. The second half saw the home side chase the game trying to break down a good Michael’s defence and it looked like the visitors were going to hold out, until deep in time added on, Dale Loughnane came up with an equaliser with a fine finish to send the game to a further twenty minutes. But the hosts were dealt a blow only four minutes in when they didn’t clear their lines after an attack and John O Brien scored to put the Saints back in front at three goals to two. Try as they might to extend the game beyond that, the hosts simply couldn’t pick the Saints defensive lock a third time, and bowed out of the cup, albeit with their heads held high.
TSDL Premier League report 26th March 2023 Match Reports
Clonmel Celtic 0 – 5 Clonmel Town
Clonmel Town maintained their title challenge with a big win at neighbours Clonmel Celtic on Sunday morning at the Bypass. Although Celtic will be disappointed with a big home defeat you have to credit Town who were simply too good on the day, as they continue to zone in on what they hope will be a first title winning season in over a decade. The visitors started on the front foot and looked sharp in the early stages, but despite having little to play for Celtic gradually settled into the game and matched their rival’s intensity for the first half hour. Indeed, the hosts came closest to scoring when Darren Sweeney was freed following a good move but his shot was well saved by the away keeper. The league leaders finally hit the front in the thirty third minute when Stephen Kelly powered home a header from a corner, and the watching crowd felt that after going behind, Celtic needed to hold on until half time and hopefully regroup at the interval. But they were denied that opportunity when Town got a crucial second just before the break, with Jamie Ahearne sweeping home a fine effort from just outside the box. The game was effectively over four minutes into the second half when Ashley Lasslett struck a brilliant effort from an acute angle to the top corner to put his side in complete control. The home side visibly wilted and faded and with fifteen minutes to the end Stephen Kelly got his second from close range, before Alan O’Donnell scored a free kick with the final shot of the game, to see the visitors run out convincing winners.
Bansha Celtic 3 – 0 Vee Rovers
The home side knew that nothing less than three points against already relegated Vee Rovers was enough if they are going to climb away from the relegation trap door themselves, and they delivered with a good win on Sunday afternoon in Bansha. But they didn’t have it all their own way, and the first real chance of the game fell to the away side just before the quarter hour mark, when a shot from distance cannoned off the crossbar and went over the top of the goal to safety. That might have been the wake up call the home side needed however and they began to dominate proceedings before opening the scoring in the thirty second minute, when a cross from the right hand side of the pitch was headed to the net by Daniel O Dwyer. This was the only score of the first half and the hosts continued their control of the game in the early part of the second period, but they came up against some very stout defending by the visiting side. Rovers began to tire however and eighteen minutes from time, Celtic were offered a gilt edged chance to increase their advantage when Tony Egan was fouled in the area, and Daire Egan subsequently made no mistake from the penalty spot. Three minutes later they assured themselves of the points when Daire Egan scored his second and his sides third with a delicious curling effort beyond the reach of the Rovers keeper, from all of twenty yards out. The win now draws them level on points with Cashel Town, and Bansha have a number of games to play, but they will face tougher tasks in trying to claim the points they will need to propel themselves to safety and further participation at the highest level in the TSDL.
Paddy Purtill Cup report 26th March 2023 Match Reports
Galbally United 3 – 2 Clonmel Town
After a quiet first half which finished scoreless this game burst into life in the second half, going all the way to extra time before the home side finally prevailed by the odd goal in five to progress to the quarter final of this years Paddy Purtill Cup. The first forty five minutes was played at a fairly pedestrian pace, with both sides not creating a whole lot in terms of chances, the best falling to Peter Morrissey for the hosts in the twentieth minute. And the first quarter of the second period carried on in similar fashion until the visitors eventually took the lead when a speculative shot by John O Connell deflected off a home defender and left the keeper flat footed as he watched the ball pass him and nestle in the net. This sparked the home side into life and shortly afterwards Ger Quinlan stung the palms of the Town keeper, whose brilliant save only parried the ball into the path of Jordan Dineen who reacted quickest and fired home to level the game. Both sides suddenly started to make headway in their opponents’ areas, and the away side retook the lead eleven minutes from time when O Connell again got on the end of a good passing move to fire home from close range. It looked like this would be the significant score in the game, until the final minute when Dineen matched his Town counterpart, getting his second of the day to level the game and send it to extra time. The home sides tails were up by now and the first period of extra time saw Bernard o Brien go close with a headed effort. But time looked like it was going to run out on them and the game be decided by penalties when with four minutes remaining Eoin O Mahony cannoned home a spectacular effort from all of twenty five yards out to win the game for the home side.
Cashel Town 1 – 0 Dualla
Cashel Town turned league form on its head in this cup match, but it was hardly that much of a surprise with the propensity of derby games to always throw up shock results. The game started off with plenty of robust full blooded challenges, but not a lot of decent scoring chances, and the only real action of note in the first half turned out to be the home side being reduced to ten men shortly after the half hour mark. But it didn’t seem to do much damage to the home side in the second half, and when the opening goal finally did arrive, it fell to Niall Hallisey and the hosts, who volleyed to the net from twenty yards out. The visitors day got worse after, when they too had a player sent off, and they were unable to fashion a good enough chance to stop Cashel going through on the day, by the slimmest of margins.
Rosegreen Rangers 0 – 6 Old Bridge
After what was a tough season for much of the time, Old Bridge seem to have caught fire in recent weeks, and continued their good form with an excellent performance and thumping win away to Rosegreen Rangers at Nijinsky Park on Sunday afternoon. The Clonmel side were always in control, and went to the break three goals to the good, thanks to goals from Sean Martin, Jake Mulcahy and Ben Nugent. They repeated the trick in the second period, with Martin and Mulcahy on the scoresheet again, and a six star performance was completed near the end with a final goal from Eoin Leahy.
St Nicholas 2 – 0 Cahir Park
Solohead side St Nicholas provided the shock result of the weekend when they overcame newly crowned First Division league champions Cahir Park at home on Sunday afternoon to advance on the Paddy Purtill Cup. As they are always capable of doing, the Second Division outfit put on a show of both skill and grit to overcome The Park in front of an enthusiastic band of supporters. Both sides approached the game in a positive fashion, and had a number of chances before the Saints opened the scoring in the twenty first minute, when Aaron Ryan Shiner finished an Eoin Riordan free kick to the net, underlying Ryans excellent form in front of goal in recent games. The game continued to be open after that, but there were no more goals scored in an entertaining first half. Riordan himself was unlucky not to score minutes into the second period, when he headed just over from a corner kick. But he made no mistake on the hour mark, doubling his sides advantage, when he converted a through ball to the net. The First Division champions didn’t go down without a fight and were awarded a penalty kick ten minutes from time, but the hosts were not for moving and the spot kick was saved by Jack Wilton to preserve his sides two goal advantage.
Peter O Reilly Cup, 2nd Round, 26th March Reports
Moyglass United 2 – 1 Two Mile Borris
There was one game in the Peter O Reilly Cup at the weekend, and it saw Moyglass United carry their good league form into the Cups, when they defeated Two Mile Borris at home. The home side started well and went ahead in the ninth minute when Craig Nolan headed the ball down into the path of his strike partner Keith Cleere who placed it into the corner of the net from all of six yards out. They continued to dominate the possession and chances, and extended their lead ten minutes before the break when Nolan then got a goal himself after Eoin Byrne played a great through ball to put him clear on goal. But five minutes later, the visitors pulled a goal back through Cathal Mc Elgunn, when he was first to react from a corner kick to fire home from close range. That was how the game went to the break and the second half saw few chances for either team with defences being mostly on top, allowing the home side to move into a semi final and leave them continuing to battle on two fronts for silverware after a number of fallow seasons.
TSDL Youths Cup report 26th March 2023 Match Reports
Tipperary Youths Cup
Clonmel Celtic 3 – 0 Shanbally United
Clonmel Celtic reached the Tipperary Youth Cup final on Saturday afternoon after eventually coming good against a stubborn Shanbally Utd side, who belied their Second Division status against the newly crowned First Division title winners. The visitors started well and had the better of the earlier exchanges and had they scored first the hosts couldn’t really complain. But eventually the hosts knuckled down and got more of a hold of the game, but the final pass or finish was poor and the first half finished scoreless. Celtic started the second half on the front foot and went ahead six minutes in when Julian Kerton fired home from close range. They added a second ten minutes later when Paddy Ormond’s great cross from the left was turned in by Max Ryan with a brilliant first time effort. And finally Jack Norris’s clever turn in the box resulted in a penalty eight minutes from time, and Norris dusted himself down to coolly slot it home to leave the final score three goals to nil to the home side.