Third Division Shield report 30th April 2023
Powerstown 1 – 0 Donohill and District
Powerstown booked their place in the Division 3 Shield final, and kept up their hopes of a double this season, when they narrowly got past Donohill and District on Sunday after an absorbing cup tie. The home side dominated the early exchanges, but found Donohill to be doughty opponents, who thwarted every effort thrown against them. The dam eventually had to break however, and it did so eight minutes from the break when Cathal Mc Keown slipped his namesake Brian Mc Keown through on goal, and the striker made no mistake with the finish, firing the ball across the keeper and into the bottom right corner. This was the only goal of the first half, and second half was a more competitive affair. Donohill were unlucky not to equalise, on a number of occasions, with Jamie Dunne, at the heart of the home defence clearing two certain goals off the line to keep his side in front. At the other end, Conor Mc Grath hit the crossbar with a well-crafted effort, and not long later Brian McKeown almost doubled his and his sides tally, only seeing his effort also cannon off the woodwork and away to safety. The away side finally got a gilt edged chance to level the game when they were awarded a penalty, but the effort struck the post and flew wide, leaving the hosts to hang on and secure their place in the final.
Tipperary Youth Cup final report, 30th April 2023
Tipperary Youths Cup final
Cullen Lattin 3 – 2 Clonmel Celtic (AET)
On a sunny Sunday afternoon Cooke Park hosted the Tipperary Youth Cup Final, with Clonmel Celtic going into the game was warm favourites after winning this years Youths title. But no one told the hardy West Tipperary lads of Cullen and Lattin, and by the end of the afternoon, after serving up some wonderful entertainment, it was the local lads that took the cup home the short few miles to great celebrations from their watching supporters. It wasn’t as big as surprise to those in the know of Youths football this season, as Cullen were one of only two teams to beat Celtic in that winning league campaign, and after a tight and tense first quarter, they drew first blood, when they opened the scoring in the twenty fourth minute, after a well delivered ball by Tom Ryan Bob was met at the back post for Tristan Stokes to head home. This seemed to awaken the league champions however, and they started to dominate midfield and finished the half the stronger side. They got the perfect opportunity to level the scoring when they were awarded a penalty six minutes before the break, but much to the relief of their opponents, they spurned the opportunity and Cullen went to the break a goal to the good.
But the pattern of Celtic dominance continued in the early part of the second period and only for Micheàl Ryan Bob in the Cullen goals would have being back in the game straight from the off of the second half. But they finally did get their reward in the fifty seventh minute when a well delivered corner was headed home by Jake Forristal to level the game. Cullen looked tired and leggy at this point, and suffered further when they went behind twenty two minutes from time after some good work down the left saw the ball fall to the feet of Aaron Costin, and he tapped home from close range. But Cullen didn’t give up and sprung some fresh legs from the edge and made a few tactical tweaks. One of which paid off, when Paddy Downey who had been moved into centre forward, was fouled just outside the area, and up stepped Tom Ryan Bob to fire the free kick into the top corner, and level the game again. It was Celtic who finished stronger, but the Cullen keeper was in inspired form and he made some spectacular saves to ensure that his side would get at least another twenty minutes of extra time to try to find a winner. Both teams had chances in the first half but no extra goals were scored, and at the kick off for the second period, Celtic made an inexplicable error right from the kick off that allowed Javi Serrano to square a cross to Paddy Downey who rolled the ball into the net. This seemed to drain the energy from the Clonmel side, and the home defence made sure that they would get no more clear chances on goal, ensuring a famous victory for the West Tipperary side, to the delight of all their connections and supporters.