TSDL Premier League 26th May 2024
Premier League relegation Play off
Bansha Celtic 2 – 1 Tipperary Town
It was an all or nothing game for these two West Tipperary sides, with the prize of a continuation in the top division of the TSDL at stake. Bansha started the better and deservedly took the lead on fifteen minutes, when a cross into the box was headed out to the edge of the area and Robbie Byron volleyed the ball back to the corner of the net. In control now, Celtic were dominating both play and chances, and made it two just before the half hour mark, when Adam Hennessy turned a Town defender, and crossed into the box for Eamon Quirke to side foot home from close in. They had chances to extend the lead after this, but Town hung on, and the game went to the break at two to nil. The Town management obviously had some strong words for their side, and they came flying out of the blocks in the early stages of the second period and pulled a goal back five minutes after the restart, when a corner wasn’t cleared properly, and Olek Usyk fired a low shot into the net. Bansha were dealt a further blow on the hour mark, when one of their players received a second yellow, and they were reduced to ten men. Town dominated the rest of the game, but the Celtic defence defended brilliantly, and on the few occasions they were breached, their keeper saved them on a number of occasions. Tipp threw everything at the game in the final minutes, but couldn’t find the goal that might even bring the tie to added time, and it finished with Bansha preserving their Premier league status for another season.
Paddy Purtill Cup Final 26th May 2024
Cullen Lattin 3 – 2 Cashel Town
Cullen/Lattin claimed their second ever Paddy Purtill Cup on a wet Saturday evening in Cahir, and a five goal thriller against rivals Cashel Town, in front of a fine crowd for such a poor evening. It was the Cashel side that got off to a flier when a mix up in Cullen defence allowed Kyle Ryan in and he produced a top quality finish from the experienced striker inside the first minute. But Cullen got back in the game on fourteen minutes, when some good build up play from the right involving Mikey Stokes and Darren Mc Grath, saw Mc Grath square the ball and Tony O Neill fired home from ten yards out. The game was only level for less than five minutes however, and when in the nineteenth minute, a Mikey Mc Dermott corner was swung into the back post where Lee Reardon was on hand to knock it down to Sean Fitzpatrick to slot it home and put Cashel back in front. Nevertheless, from then on, Cullen started to look a little better in possession, and almost drew level again in the twenty third minute when an excellent cross field ball from Darren Mc Grath found Tony O Neill who unleashed a cannon of a left footed shot in off the crossbar. They didn’t have long to wait for the leveller. In fact just a minute later, O Neill picked up the ball on the left wing, beat a defender, and when his team mates were lining up for a cross, he unleashed an unstoppable shot from an acute angle and rippled the net to the delight of the Cullen supporters. Cashel continued to push with a lot of corners and free kicks and long throws into the Cullen box but Cullen defence was managing to deal with it. And eight minutes before the break, Cullen took the lead for the first time when they built up play down the right and set Micheàl Elligott to square the ball to Tony O Neill who finished with the coolest of right footed finishes and complete a first half hat trick.
The 2nd half was an onslaught of set plays from Cashel with the young back line of Cullen withstanding the more physical team on many occasions. They did have chances of their own to extend the lead, notably when Darragh O Brien broke from left back midway through the half but his right footed shot sailed over the bar. With ten minutes left Micheàl Elligott rocket of a shot skimmed the outside of the post and wide. Cashel began getting desperate and started firing balls into the area, coming close on a number of occasions, especially when Darragh Browne headed off the outside of the post, with the goal open. Deep into time added on, they had one last chance, from yet another set play, but the freekick was headed just wide by Ciaran Fitzpatrick, and the West Tipperary side held on for the win. After the match Cullen/Lattin’s Darren Mc Grath was presented the man of the match award and captain Brendan O Sullivan received the Paddy Purtill cup from the Purtill family and representatives of the TSDL.
TSDL Third Division Shield 26th May 2024
Div 3 Shield final
SC & K United 5 – 0 Donohill and District
Kilsheelan’s juniors created club history on Friday evening in Cahir, when they completed a league & shield double for the season, defeating Donohill & District FC in this year’s TSDL Division 3 Shield Final. After an even opening to the game where both sides shared possession, Kilsheelan began to see more of the action in front of goal, with Jamie Roche and Billy O’Connor both narrowly missing chances mid-way through the first-half. It looked like they were going to find it difficult to break down a stubborn Donohill defence, until the final ten minutes of the half produced not one, but three goals. Billy O’Connor opened the scoring with a stunning volley from the edge of the Donohill penalty area on thirty seven minutes, before Mark Heffernan doubled the lead three minutes later, getting on the end of a glanced header at the back post. John O’Dwyer then swept home from close-range to make it three in the forty second minute, sending Donohill to the break shell shocked and broken.
The second-half took a while to get going, before Donohill were reduced to ten men with twenty minutes to go. United then began to introduce fresher legs, and it was one of the substitutes who made the next mark on the game. After some smart play down the left wing, the ball fell to Aaron Costin who made no mistake from close range to make it four, ten minutes from time. Billy O’Connor rounded off the scoring with seven minutes left, leaving Kilsheelan to be crowned champions, to the delight of their supporters.
TSDL Youths Report 26th May 2024
Div 1 Youths Shield final
Two Mile Borris 4 -1 Clonmel Town
Two Mile Borris added the Division 1 Shield trophy to their recent league win with a comfortable victory over a game Clonmel Town side at the weekend. Town started the quickest and could have been a goal up after fifteen minutes except for a brilliant block on the line by Borris’ John Lacy. This was the wake up call the league champions needed needed and they started to impose their style on the game thereafter. Their persistence paid off in the twentieth minute, when Tom Ryan collected the ball just inside of the opposition penalty box and found a yard of space to get a shot away. He managed to find the bottom right-hand corner of the net to put his side ahead. Ten minutes before the break, a ball broke to Eddie Mullally who made no mistake with a cool finish from six yards out to give Borris a two goal lead. Their dominance of possession continued for the remainder of the half but no further goals resulted.
And Borris continued where they left off at the start of the second half with some nice possession and came close to extending their lead on a few occasions. The Town defence was eventually breached just before the hour mark, when Louis Coughlan went through on goal before being taken down inside the penalty area. But the Town goalkeeper made a great save to deny Borris a third, and the Clonmel side broke down the field straight after setting up a Milo McNamara goal within a minute to make the score two to one. A few nervous minutes later but Borris’ two goal lead was restored Louis Coughlan with when with twenty minutes remaining, he fired a direct free kick into the net off the underside of the crossbar. Borris saw out the remaining minutes with a lot of possession and patient football. They came close to extending their lead a few times before Finn Jones scored a fabulous individual effort to secure the trophy and the double. A historic treble awaits the winners of the Tipperary youth cup next Saturday when Borris Youths A take on Borris Youths B in Newhill.