Munster Junior Cup, 2nd Round 8th October 2023 Match Reports
TSDL Premier League 8th October 2023 Match Reports
Peake Villa 3 – 1 Two Mile Borris
Current champions Peake Villa entertained local rivals Borris in the league Sunday morning, in ideal condition, and advanced their title defence with three more points after a good win. Like any Derby it was a tight affair for the first twenty minutes with both teams playing at a quick pace. Villa did have a few good chances but it was the visitors who took the lead when Jamie Lee rounded the keeper to score in the twenty sixth minute. Stunned by this the home side pushed for an equaliser and came close on two occasions with Ronan McGuire having a shot cleared off the line and Evan McCormack hit the post from a header. Borris themselves had a couple of half chances to extend the lead before the break, forcing Shane McGuire into a number of good saves, but there were no more goals in the first half. The champions came out with greater purpose in the second period and were finally rewarded six minutes in when Michael Quinlan sent in a great corner and Mick Ryan headed to the top corner to make it one all. They took complete control of the game after this and scored again in the seventy sixth minute when Keith Cahills free kick was dropped by the Borris keeper and Pippy Carroll was on hand to fire home. And they made sure of all three points ten minutes from the end when another Cahill free kick was sent in and Evan McCormack reacted quickest as the ball pinged around the area to poke home from close range. They saw out the the final minutes to secure a vital win that sends them to the top of the league once again.
Tipperary Town 1 – 1 Clonmel Town
Both teams secured a hard fought point in this game at the Arra Rd on Sunday morning, with the home side coming from behind to finally get a point on the board for this season. The visitors had the better of the early exchanges and forced a brilliant save from Eric Higgins midway through the half when Shane Heffernan thought he had opened the scoring. They finally did talk a deserved lead midway through the half when Oisin Looney beat the home keeper with a shot that went through a few bodies to go one nil up. The hosts responded with good efforts from Ryan Maher and Andrew Wade, but were unable to bring it back level before the break. The second half saw the home side having more joy and limiting the visitors to shots from distance. They finally got a breakthrough themselves when Higgins went long with a clearance and Brian Roche got between both centres halves before being bundled to the ground. Ryan Maher stood up to take the spot kick and made no mistake. This was the home sides first goal of the new season, and was enough to gain them a precious point with neither side creating anything of note in the final quarter of the game.
St Michael’s 5 – 0 Clonmel Celtic
St Michaels produced an excellent performance here against a good Clonmel Celtic side but some good play and good finishing by the home side saw the game effectively over as a contest by half time. Both teams had early chances. Danny O’Brien went close for the hosts in the third minute, from an Ashley Kelliher cross, and a sublime pass from Cian O’Sullivan four minutes later saw Sean Hawkins hit a superb strike which was matched by a top save from Adrian Walsh, resulting in a corner. Celtic then won four corners in a row but were rocked back in the eleventh minute when a good pass from Sean Murphy freed Rhys O’Regan who crossed from the endline for Ashley Kelliher to tap home from close range It was two nil to the Saints, in the sixteenth minute, when Danny O’Brien played in Rhys O’Regan who again crossed for Kelliher to score a similar goal to the first. They almost made it three in the twenty fifth minute when Shane Ryan tested Fabian Kerton from the edge of the area, but the Celtic keeper pushed the shot round the post. On thirty three minutes, the visitors almost caught out the home side with a long ball out from backline which saw Darren Sweeney square the ball across the eighteen yard line but Ben Browne got under the shot and it went up and over the bar. This was enough to focus the home sides minds again and three minutes later they got their third, when O’Brien played in Ashley Kelliher to score from six yards and complete his hat trick. Just on half time it was four with the move and goal of the game, after a series of one twos between O’Brien and Kelliher saw Kelliher turn provider for O’Brien to meet the ball in mid air and guide it to the net. The game was over as a contest and Saints could afford to ease back and use their bench with Ed O’Dwyer coming in at half time for Shane Ryan. Celtic also used their bench and threw a bit of caution to the wind in order to try and reduce the deficit. Ed O’Dwyer saw his shot saved by Kerton on fifty one minutes and Kelliher followed up but hit the ball wide of goal. At the other end substitute Keenan Kerton also fired wide of goal, before fifteen minutes from time O Brien got his second, from close range to make it five as Saints, closed out the game with relative ease.
Munster Shield 1st Round, 8th October 2023 Match Reports
Cahir Park 4 – 1 Clonmel Celtic
The home side got off to the perfect start in this game when Hichem Briem finished off good play from David Clifford to put the Park in front within three minutes, and they continued to be the better team without creating much of note for the rest of the first quarter of the game. Celtic eventually settled and got back into the game in the twenty seventh minute, when David Garrett headed home a Jason Barnes free kick. The remainder of the half was an even affair, but from the start of the second period the home side dominated creating chance after chance, only to see a misfiring forward line unable to take advantage, and unable to find the net again in regulation time, sending the game to an extra twenty minutes. The first half of extra time was even enough, with the home side thankful to keeper Oisin Lavin for a brilliant save to keep the score level just before the end of the first period. But the second period turned into one way traffic as the home side finally found their shooting boots and added three goals. The first came from Leigh Murphy who prodded home from close range five minutes in, and with Celtic still reeling the same player added a second two minutes later with an excellent individual effort. A close range finish from David Clifford right on the final whistle saw the hosts through to the next round comfortably enough in the end.
St Nicholas 3 – 1 SC & K United
The home side took the win here with a very good performance in Solohead on Sunday. They were unlucky not to take the lead in the fourth minute when Jason Sutton’s shot was well saved by the visitors keeper, but they finally did get their noses in front in the twenty first minute when a mistake by the Kilsheelan keeper saw a mix up in defence that led to an own goal. The Saints continued to dominate and five minutes before the break, added a second goal when Jason Sutton finished off a sublime pass from Declan O Riordan. But just as they looked like going to the break with a comfortable lead, the visitors scored against the run of play, when they were awarded a penalty kick that was despatched to the net. This could have made the second period tough for the home side but they came back out firing on all cylinders again and re-established their two-goal lead just before the hour mark when Sutton again, produced a brilliant finish. The rest of the game fizzled out a little after this with the home side ensuring that the visitors never really built up any head of steam to get back into the game.
Donohill and District 2 – 5 Powerstown
Donohill hosted Powerstown at home in the newly inaugurated Munster Shield competition and despite taking the lead were eventually blown away by an excellent performance from the Clonmel based side. Both sides played nice football in opening quarter, with both keepers tested several times before some great work from Kevin Browne down the right was finished off by a Dinny Crosse header to put Donohill into the lead. And they looked like they would take that advantage to the break until on the stroke of half time, the visitors were awarded a penalty kick, and Gino Lonergan made no mistake from the spot. The visitors buoyed by this, came out much stronger in the second period and took the lead five minutes in when Aaron Kiely produced a fine finish. Twenty minutes from the end, a long range effort from Seamus O Brien saw that lead extended, before some fine work from Dinny Crosse saw his shot find bottom corner to give the home side some hope again. But ten minutes from th end an unfortunate own goal restored Powerstown’s two goal advantage, and when the home side threw themselves forward to try to get back into the game, they were punished on the counter attack in the final minutes when David grace put game to bed and gave his side a five goals to two win.
Bansha Celtic 1 – 5 Two Mile Borris
Borris’ seconds made the journey to Bansha for the first round of the Munster Shield and came away with a well-deserved win the end early on Sunday afternoon. The game started slowly for both sides and the first half an hour was uneventful before Jack Delaney finished a fine through ball from DJ Troy to give the away side the lead. Borris pressed on and were unlucky not to extend that lead before the break, coming close when Adam Daly saw his effort hit the cross bar from distance before being scrambled away. The second half started like the first with nothing happening before DJ Troy slotted home from a corner to put the visitors two up, and a few minutes later Troy headed home another corner kick to take control of the tie. Very dominant now Delaney added another before Tristan Kelly finished a through ball to make it five. The home side did pull a consolation goal back as the game was winding down, but it was no more than a consolation as Borris moved smoothly into the next round.
TSDL First Division 8th October 2023 Match Reports
Cashel Town 4 – 1 St Micheal’s
A beautiful morning at Dixie Currivan Park in Cashel saw an entertaining game between two young sides committed to playing attacking football last Sunday morning. After an even first fifteen minutes, the home side finally took the lead when some really clever play in the middle of the pitch set up Kyle Ryan to finish well. They made it two five minutes later, when a great team move saw Lee O’Riordan finally squaring for Callum Meagher to slide home. Well on top during this period of the game, they effectively ended the tie as a contest when they added a third ten minutes before the break, when Donie Reade tucked away a shot into the bottom corner with the visiting keeper left stranded. The second half saw the Saints come into the game a bit more and to be fair never dropped their head nor their endeavours, pulling a goal back twenty minutes from the end when Antonio Rea fired home a free kick. The game fizzled out from there and in the final minute, a Corey Hines cross was diverted into the net by a visiting defender to end the game at four goal to one to the home side.
TSDL Second Division 8th October 2023 Match Reports
Moyglass United 1 – 1 Suirside
Both these teams went into this game looking to break out of mid table to try to launch a promotion push, and will be both happy and disappointed in equal measure with the share of the points here. The game was very even in the early stages with both having some half chances. Eventually the home side began to dominate and finally took the lead in the twenty second minute when John Mc Menimen got onto a ball over the top from Mikey Hickey and he placed his shot past the keeper into the bottom corner of the net. For the rest of the half the home side had the upper hand but were unable to add to their tally and went to the break a single goal in front. Suirside battled back in the second period and fashioned a number of chances before finally making one count late in the game when Paul Kennedy headed a long ball back into the path of Andy Hickey who smashed a volley to the net to rescue a point for his side.
TSDL Third Division 8th October 2023 Match Reports
Burncourt Celtic 2 – 3 Tipperary Town
Burncourt welcomed Tipperary Town to Ballyhurrow Sunday with three points up for grabs, and it was the visitors who started the brighter hitting the front in the tenth minute, after a foul in the box led to a penalty that was dispatched by Mark Browne. The rest of the half ebbed and flowed with both sides having periods on top but the hosts finally equalised ten minutes before the break, when Robbie O Brien hit a fine twenty-yard strike that flew into the top of the net. The score remained like this until the break, and in the second half, the visitors started the brighter again, taking advantage of a mix up in the home defence and winning a second penalty ten minutes in. Browne stepped up again and held his nerve slotting the penalty home to make it two goals to one. Celtic showed their fighting spirit once again when on the hour mark, they grabbed the equaliser; Sean Cagney with a well-placed free kick twenty-five yards out gave the visitors keeper no chance. It set up an interesting last half hour but Town hit the front fifteen minutes from time, when Mark Ellard got on the end of a long throw to head to the net. There were chances for both sides in the closing stages with Celtic having the majority of them but couldn’t find the elusive equaliser, leaving the final score three to two in favour of Town.
TSDL Youths Report 7th October 2023 Match Reports
FAI U17s Cup
Bridge United 3 – 4 Clonmel Town
Clonmel Town had to dig deep in Kilkenny to get the better of a very physical Bridge Utd in the U17 National Cup. The home side started strongly and had the better of the opening fifteen minutes. Town defended well but had a let off when a deflected shot hit the post and was cleared to safety. This seemed to stir the visitors into action and they eventually started to get on top. After twenty five minutes, they were awarded a free kick, and Harry Tobin stepped up and hit the post from thirty yards, but Monsur Emiabata was quickest to react and headed the ball into the net to give the visitors a deserved lead. It was short lived however, as the equalizer came three minutes later, when the Town defence was caught square and allowed Bridge to get in behind to fashion a goal. But they continued to have the upper hand in the middle of the pitch and regained the lead after thirty five minutes when they were awarded a free kick in a similar position to where they created the first goal. This time Harry Tobin hit a spectacular shot from thirty yards that left the Bridge keeper rooted to the spot. That was how the game went to half time, and ten minutes into the second half the home side equalised following good play from their centre forward. Their tails were up now and they took the lead four minutes later following a free kick when a high ball into the area was slotted home. Despite this, Town rallied and were awarded a penalty on seventy minutes following a foul on Joyel Joby. Harry Tobin made to mistake from the spot to level at three all. The TSDL got back on top now but it took a wonderful individual goal to win it. Joby picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and beat three defenders before calmly slotting home to the delight of the Clonmel contingent. They had a couple of chances to add to the scoreline but that was how the game finished to see them advance to the next round.
TSDL Youths Div 1
Cashel Town 2 – 2 Clonmel Celtic
These two teams met in a top of the table clash at Palmershill on Saturday afternoon in perfect weather for a game of football, and by the end it was clear that they will likely push each other all the way for the rest of the season. The first half in this game was tight, with neither side wanting to make mistakes, and defences were on top, allowing no goals to b scored. But four minutes into the second period, the home side took the lead when Alex Richter fired to the net from ten yards out. That opened up the game with both sides switching from defensive mode to attacking, and the visitors pulled themselves level in the sixty seventh minute when Jack Aylward surprised the home keeper beating him at his near post. Cashel immediately went on the attack to get back into the lead, and were caught with a sucker punch when Aylward added a second after a classic breakaway counter attack. And they held that lead until five minutes from time when the home side finally got the goal they deserved after Celtic had difficulty clearing their lines from a free kick and Colm Ryan smashed to the net to win his team a deserved point.
Cahir Park 1 – 3 Two Mile Borris
The home team started this game strongly with Keelan Darcy hitting the bar after just two minutes, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring four minutes later when Finn Jones finished tidily after some good build up play. The game continued to produce chances at both ends with Cahir hitting the bar again on sixteen minutes, though it was Borris who were proving to be more clinical in front of goal and got their second six minutes before the break when Sean Treacy found the net, to go in two up at the break. They made it three on the hour mark with a Tristan Kelly that looked like wrapping up the result. But the Park didn’t give up and got a consolation effort from a Leigh Murphy strike fifteen minutes from the end. The game was very open to the finish but the home team could not get another breakthrough and it finished three goal to one to a good young Borris side.