TSDL Premier League 12th May 2024
Peake Villa 1 – 0 St Michaels
There was a good crowd at the Tower Grounds on Saturday evening for the last league game of the season for both these sides, even if it wasn’t a title decider game as many hoped, between the top two sides in Tipperary football. It was a very competitive League game played at a high tempo, and Villa started well, getting at the champions from the start, and putting them under a lot of pressure. They came close through Ronan McGuire in the twelfth minute but were denied by an excellent save. They finally did break the deadlock ten minutes later, when captain fantastic Pippy Carroll scoring from close in to make it one nil. Both sides had efforts leading up to the half time but it remained like this at the break. The Saints were hoping to go the season unbeaten, and came out in the second half with real purpose but found Villa defenders Evan McCormack and Sean Condron in great form and they kept the visitors at bay. Micheal Quinlan was having a fine game in midfield and Dale Loughnane was hurting the visitors with his runs up the wing. In the end, there were no more goals, as one champion handed over the crown to another. There’s no doubt, that both teams will be very much in the mix come next season again.
Wilderness Rovers 2 – 4 Two Mile Borris
Played on Saturday evening in beautiful sunshine, these two teams served up a fine game of football with six goals that kept the watching supporters entertained. Both were up for playing attacking football from the start, and twelve minutes in the visitors opened the scoring when Danny Rafter produced a neat turn and a tidy finish from twelve yards out. The game continued at a fast pace on the dry ground, with plenty of chances, but the twop defences held out until two minutes before the break, when the home side broke down the right, and from a pass into the box from Michael O Hara, found Joseph Cummins, and calmly slotted home. The start of the second period saw the two sides battle for domination, until a fifteen minute spell around the hour mark, saw Borris take control, scoring three times without reply. First through a penalty from Martin Darmody, and then two goals from precocious youth player Tom Ryan, the second being a fantastic finish from a tight angle. Wilderness battled away and went looking for goals, and it took a fantastic save from the visiting keeper, to deny Ashley Keane from reducing the deficit ten minutes from time. In the final minute however, the home side got some consolation, when from a corner by Jamie Dunne, O Hara adding a second with an excellent finish from seven yards out.
Clonmel Celtic 2 – 0 Tipperary Town
Clonmel Celtic played their last home game of the season on Sunday afternoon overcoming Tipperary Town on a two goal to nil scoreline, that leaves their opponents still battling against relegation. With one eye on Wednesday’s Tipperary Cup semi final Celtic made a number of changes, but they started well and played some good football in the early stages. Sean Browne put the home side a goal up in the fifteenth minute, from a spot kick after the visitors were punished for a handball. They came close to doubling the advantage moments later when an excellent volley from Keenan Kerton struck the bar. Well on top at this stage, they doubled their lead on twenty five minutes with a fine finish from Peter O’Dowd and it remained like this at the break. The hosts made a number of changes in the second half and the game became a little ragged. The visitors kept plugging away but couldn’t get the goal that would have given them a route back into the game and Celtic were good value for their win.
TSDL First Division 12th May 2024 Match Reports
Shield Division 1 semi finals
Cullen Lattin 1 – 2 Cashel Town
Cullen welcomed Cashel to Aisling Park Cullen on a sunny Sunday morning with some silverware and a place in a final at stake. The visitors and league champions had the best of the opening exchanges. But were caught out eleven minutes before the break, when Cullen took the lead thanks to a strike of the highest quality from Darren Mc Grath. Mc Grath picked up the ball on the left wing and cut inside to release a shot into the top corner, that gave the visitors keeper no chance. The home side could have made it two, just after the break when Mc Grath carried the ball into the Cashel box and tried to square it instead of shooting. After this, the visitors began to dominate, and thirteen minutes from time, finally found an equaliser when a long ball into the box was headed down for Kyle Ryan to strike to the net. This awakened Cullen a small bit, and chance fell to Tony O Neill who failed to hit the target on two occasions. The game looked destined for extra time, but in the final minute another long throw from near the corner flag, was thrown to the near post and flicked on to where Kyle Ryan was on hand to smash the ball to the net for a deserved win for the away team.
Shield Division 1 semi finals
Peake Villa 1 – 1 Vee Rovers (AET Vee Rovers win 3 – 1 on penalties)
Vee Rovers make up the other side of the final pairing when they had an unexpected win over Peake Villa on Sunday afternoon in Thurles. Villa started well and took the game to Vee playing some great passing football, but when the Clogheen based side came into the game there was nothing between the sides, and it went to the break level at nil all, despite half chances at both ends. The second half the game opened up a bit and both sides had chances before Villa took the lead in the sixty first minute when Mark Lennon’s corner found Liam McCormack at the back post and he made no mistake. The visitors side had to go for it in the closing minutes and got an equaliser deep into stoppage time when Shane McGrath scored to make it one all at full time. The sides could not be separated in extra time so it went to penalties where Vee won out, and will now join Cashel Town in the final.
TSDL Second Division 12th May 2024 Match Reports
Wednesday 8th May
Powerstown 7 – 4 Two Mile Borris
A scintillating display from Powerstown in Wednesday evening saw them comfortably dispatch of Two Mile Borris ‘B’ to this seasons Division Two Shield final. But they had to come from behind, as it was the visitors who found themselves in the lead after just eight minutes, when a ball was not dealt with by the home defence, and Tristan Kelly fired home. But the hosts responded well and Brian Mc Keown won a penalty six minutes later, which Gino Lonergan comfortably finished to make the score one all. Powerstown went ahead after twenty one minutes, when Cathal Mc Keown was fouled on the edge of the box and David Grace scored the resulting free kick. Just a minute later, Mc Keown started off his scoring which was to finish with a five-goal tally, when a superb cross field ball from Eddie Sweeney found him in space and he neatly finished. A minute later it was four, when Mc Keown skinned the visiting defence and calmly slotted beyond the helpless Borris keeper. On thirty-three minutes he had his hat trick when a Gino Lonergan cross found Mc Keown again, and he smartly headed home inside the box. Nine minutes before the break, Borris pulled one back, when Eddie Sweeney put the ball in his own net after Powerstown failed to deal with a corner. But in first half added time, Mc Keown added a fourth and his sides sixth, when he headed home from a Darren Murphy cross.
The second half saw the visitors pull another goal back six minutes in, when D J Troy converted form ten yards out. And ten minutes from time, Borris made it a two-goal game, catching the hosts out with another set piece. As the game entered injury time, the visitors had a golden opportunity to make it six to five but James Brennan made a big save from a corner to keep his side comfortable. And they closed it out three minutes into time added on, when Mc Keown was taken down in the box but got up and dusted himself down to score.
TSDL Youths Report 8th May 2024 Match Reports
Div 1 Youths Shield semi final 2nd leg
Clonmel Town 3 – 1 Clonmel Celtic
The two Clonmel Youths sides played out their second leg of the shield semifinal on Wednesday evening, with Town coming in holding a slender one goal lead after the first leg on Saturday. The home side started the brighter taking the game to their opponents, and on eight minutes, Milo McNamara hit a free kick from all of thirty yards out, that left the Celtic keeper stranded to put his side in front. After that, the game flowed back and forth until on eighteen minutes, Cian McGrath was pulled down inside the box and a penalty given to the hosts. This was converted by Nazarii Melynk to give Town a three goal aggregate lead, and put them completely in control of the tie. But Celtic didn’t go down easily, and were unlucky not to pull a goal back just after the half hour mark, when they hit the crossbar after the home side were unable to clear a corner kick. Town was more than happy to sit off of Celtic and try and get a third on the counter, which finally came five minutes before the break, when Cian McGrath ran through and slotted home a well taken goal. After the break, it became a scrappy and feisty affair with both teams picking up numerous cards and a Celtic being reduced to ten men. Neither team letting the other get into a flow any kind of rhythm, but Celtic did finally pull one back fifteen minutes from time, but it was no more than a consolation goal, as town just were happy to let the game run out and move smoothly into the final.