FAI Junior Cup, 4th Round 4th Dec 2022 Match Reports
St Michael’s 1 – 0 Portlaw
Saints came out on top here after a tough uncompromising cup battle at Cooke Park on Sunday afternoon. Both teams went at each other right from the outset, as they wanted to set a physical tone on the game. But that also meant that some of the chances were rushed and often the quality of the final ball into the area was not to the quality required by either team to get past two very experienced defensive units. In the end the first half finished scoreless and it became obvious that this was unlikely to be a high scoring game. That meant that getting the first goal was going to be vital and it fell to the Tipperary side in the sixty fourth minute when two of their most experienced players, Jimmy Carr and David Slattery combined to set Slattery up to sweep a ball to the net. Minutes later Saints thought that their lead had been doubled when Slattery found the net for a second time, only to see the score wiped off for an offside infringement. The game opened up a little with the Waterford side chasing an equaliser, but it looked like the famed Saint’s defence had the measure of the Waterford team, until they conceded a penalty in the final minute of the game. But Portlaw eschewed the opportunity and Tom Holland made a brilliant save to ensure his team would be joining rivals Peake Villa in the next round of this prestigious competition.
TSDL Premier League 4th Dec 2022 Match Reports
Wilderness Rovers 0 – 0 Cashel Town
Wilderness Rovers returned to league action on Sunday after their run in the FAI Junior Cup, and faced off against a young Cashel Town side, in a game that both teams wanted to get something from, as they try to move further away from the wrong end of the table. The home side started the brighter, with some excellent passages of play and they dominated the ball for most of the first half. However, they found it difficult to fashion any really clear chances, and when they did, they found the visiting keeper in fine form and he ensured that the sides would go to the break scoreless. The momentum of the game switched after the break, with Cashel now beginning to see a lot more of the ball, but again chances were at a premium on a day that was really all about the two defences. Midway through the second period, the home side were reduced to ten players, but even with the advantage in manpower, the visitors were not able to break down that home sides back line and in the end the two teams had to be happy with a share of the points.
Peake Villa 1 – 0 Two Mile Borris
Peake Villa lined out on Sunday afternoon fresh from their FAI Junior Cup success in Limerick last weekend, to face another tough task against local rivals Two Mile Borris. Missing some regulars the home side knew this was not going to be an easy game and that was proved throughout the afternoon. They did start brightly and had some good efforts in front of goal with Pippy Carroll, Robbie Stapleton and Mick Ryan coming close. But keeper Willie Tierney was also called into action on a few occasions in the first half before the sides went to the break scoreless. The second half was pretty much a carbon copy of the first with the home side always looking the most likely, while being wary of getting caught at the back, but they eventually overcame the resistance of Borris when with ten minutes left to play, a free kick was sent into the visitors area, and Robbie Stapleton headed to the bottom corner to the home supporters delight. The last ten minutes was end to end and the last chance of the game fell to the visitors who were awarded a free kick which struck the crossbar before it was scrambled away to safety, leaving the home sides perfect start to this season intact.
Clonmel Celtic 2 – 1 Vee Rovers
Clonmel Celtic’s unlikely title push stalled in recent weeks, but they still had enough to grind out this hard-fought win against a Vee Rovers side rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. The home side had the best of the early play and opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute when Seanie Hawkins finished off an assist by Darren Sweeny. This was how the game eventually went to the half time break as Rovers put in a hug defensive effort to nullify the Clonmel side. The second half continued much as the first ended, but the visitors did carve out a few half chances without really looking like they could open up the home team. But Celtic themselves had to wait until four minutes from time to get the insurance goal when Hawkins added his and his sides second by turning home Paddy Ormonde’s attempted shot from close range. As the clock ran down, the visitors pulled a goal back deep into time added it when Alan Condon converted after a defensive mix up, but the home side held on to claim the three points.
TSDL First Division 4th December 2022 Match Reports
Cahir Park 5 – 2 Peake Villa
Cahir Park took advantage of other teams slipping up at the weekend to go joint top of the First Division, thanks to a comprehensive win over a Peake Villa second team who would already have had their eyes on next weekends Munster Junior Cup tie in Cork. The home team took control of the early exchanges and took a deserved lead in the eight minute when Willie Dunne headed home a Shane Regan cross from six yards out. After that they dominated proceedings but were unable to add to the score line before the half time break. They remained the better side at the start of the second period and finally added a second two minutes in when Conor Murphy finished from close range following good play on the wing by Stephen Duggan. The visitors to their credit didn’t lay down and found a way back into the game when Danny Tracey finished from close range five minutes later. But within a minute Stephen Duggan restored the home teams two goal advantage when he headed home at the edge of the area. The topsy turvy nature of the second half continued when Villa added a second in the sixty seventh minute, after Jack Kelly finished after a scramble from a corner kick. But the home team kept the pressure on and added two more goals before the end through Willie Dunne and Hichem Berim, to ensure they would take all three points on offer.
Tipperary Town 1 – 2 Clonmel Town
Clonmel Town’s second team put themselves right back into the First Division title race, when they upset league leaders Tipperary Town on Sunday morning, but taking an away victory that wasn’t envisaged before the game started. The home side made the early running and had two good chances of opening the score in the first five minutes. But they were made to pay for those misses when the away side was awarded a penalty in the twenty fifth minute, which although the initial spot kick was saved, Lekan Oki fired home the rebound from close range. This was the only goal of the first half, and it looked like the hosts would get back on level terms early in the second period, when they were awarded a penalty of their own, but the Clonmel keeper guessed correctly and kept his side in front. Midway through the half things got better for the visitors when confusion at a corner kick allowed Shane Heffernan in to score a second with a neat header. Unperturbed the home side kept throwing men forward in search of a goal, and they pulled one back twenty minutes from time when Vinny Godfrey set up Tony Byrnes to dispatch a curling effort to the top corner. The home side sensed an equaliser was coming after that, and had a number of good chances, the best falling to Matty Moroney and Vinny Godfrey, but in the end they couldn’t break down a resolute Clonmel side who held on for a well earned win.
Mullinahone 1 – 1 Old Bridge
Both goals in this game came in a frantic first half, with both sides trying to get points that will move them away from the bottom half of the First Division table. The home side have been having a tough run since the early part of the season, but managed to get in front here in the twenty fourth minute when Liam Hicks fired to the net. But they were never really dominant in the game and the Bridge got back level twelve minutes later with a well worked team effort. Both sides were well matched in the game, and as the second half wore on, a sticky wet pitch made it harder for either side to get any real fluidity going and they had to make do with a point each at game end.
TSDL Third Division 4th December 2022 Match Reports
Powerstown 2 – 1 Cahir Park
Powerstown had their seventh win of the season against Cahir Park’s second team on Saturday night at Cahir Park Astro Pitch, as they cemented their position at the top of the Third Division, and set themselves up for what they hope will be a title win in the New Year. The home side were quick out of the blocks, and in the sixth minute a Gino Lonergan corner found Brian McKeown at the back post and he volleyed home leaving the visiting keeper rooted to the spot. But Cahir almost had the perfect response when four minutes later, they almost equalised from a corner of their own, but the effort just trailed narrowly wide. The home side maintained their early pressure and had a number of chances before they were awarded a penalty kick eight minutes before the break, that Conor Mc Grath coolly slotted to the net to double their advantage. But this time the visitors response was immediate, when they turned over a ball in the middle of the pitch, and Brandon O’Donoghue rifled a shot from the edge of the box into the right bottom corner, wrong footing the home keeper. The home side took their advantage into the break, and then had to weather an onslaught from the Park in the early part of the second period. But as the half dragged on, both teams were guilty of poor decision making and poor finishing and there were no more goals, leaving the home side to take all three precious points.