Munster Junior Cup 4th Round 10th December 2023 Match Reports
Peake Villa 4 – 1 Ringmahon Rangers
TSDL Premier League champions joined Clonmel Celtic in the quarter finals of this year’s Munster Junior Cup, when they overcame Cork side Ringmahon Rangers at the Tower Grounds in Thurles on Sunday afternoon. The conditions were harsh, and hampered the home sides usual free flowing game, with a lot of rain and high winds. Villa played against the wind in the first half and had the majority of possession, creating some half chances throughout the half with Pippy Carroll, Darragh Byrne, and Mick Ryan going close, but unable to make a breakthrough. The visitors played with the wind and created a few chances of their own with the strong wind behind them, but Villa keeper Willie Tierney was in fine form and the game went to the break scoreless. The second half saw the home side press higher up the pitch, and they finally took the lead in the fifty first minute when they were awarded a penalty after a hand ball in the area. Pippy Carroll stepped up and made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way. It took them only three minutes to add to that goal when Ronan Mc Guire was put through on goal and he was clinical with the finish. And two minutes later the tie was as good as wrapped up with Carroll got his second and his sides third in that devastating five-minute spell. In the sixty-eight minute, a good run and cross from Eoin O Dwyer saw a Ringmahon defender put the ball into his own net to make it four for the Tipperary side. Ringmahon did pull a goal back thirteen minutes from time, when Humberto Januairo scored a fine effort, but with conditions worsening as the game went into the final stages, they never looked like being any danger to the final result.
ST. MICHAELS 2 AISLING ANNACOTTY 0
Saints dug out a victory here against a very good Aisling Annacotty side but cup football is about adapting to windy bad conditions and days when you can’t fly a kite. On 2 mins a cross from Foley saw Riordan head wide of Adrian Walsh’s goal. On 8 mins a long ball from DJ Cremins saw Shane Ryan nearly in on goal. Rhys O’Regan was probably off balance on 11 mins when he had a right foot shot that went wide of goal from a Colin Bargary cross. On 11 mins a shot from burly centre forward Barry was blocked from Cian Fadden Adrian Walsh was solid always and gathered a Foley cross on 16 mins. A poor kick out from Cody on 20 mins saw Ed O’Dwyer gather but he was tackled as he kicked and the ball went over the bar. From the resultant corner from.Rhys O’Regan corner saw Shane Ryan head narrowly wide. From a Rhys O’Regan corner saw Boevi make a last ditch clearance to save the goal.
Shane Ryan went close on 39 mins before the first big moment in the game came on 41 mins when Jimmy Carr made space on the left and his cross saw a sublime finish from Rhys O’Regan saw the Saints go in a goal ahead at the break despite Aisling having the bulk of the ball it was first blood to St Michaels.
Aisling started the second half well and Cian Fadden cleared a ball on 48 mins to keep the Saints goal intact. A cross on 53 mins saw the ball just miss Barry in the area. A huge turning point on 53 mins saw Barry sent off for a second yellow card after an awkward tackle on.Cillian Coonan. The game was in the melting pot as the game reached the hour mark. Aisling had a lot of the ball but met a resilient outfit in St Michaels. Saints had a huge chance on 79 mins when a Cillian Coonan cross saw Russell Quirke get a bad bounce of the ball and Russell hit the bar on 82 mins from an Ashley Kelliher pass. Jimmy Carr made it 2-0 on 81 mins from Rhys O’Regan cross which was the insurance goal for Saints. A frantic finish and about 10 mins injury time saw Aisling press Saints defence which didn’t yield and they booked a quarter final place in the Munster Junior Cup allled to the last 32 in the Fai Junior Cup which keeps the wagons rolling into 2024.
Munster Junior Cup, 9th December 2023 Match Reports
Munster Junior Cup, 4th Round
Blarney United 0 – 2 Clonmel Celtic
Clonmel Celtic are through to the last eight of the Munster Junior Cup after an accomplished display in Cork on Saturday afternoon in Cork. They were good value for their two goal win against Blarney Utd and a rock solid defence provided the platform for a top performance. The TSDL side started the game well with good periods of possession and they hit the front on eighteen minutes when Philly Drohan showed some good control before firing home. The home side had some decent spells but found an obdurate Celtic rearguard difficult to break down and they only managed one decent chance in the first half. The visitors continued to control the tie in the second period, but had to wait until ten minutes from time to put the game to bed. Peter O’Dowd who was outstanding throughout found space down the left and picked out Sean Brown with a pass. He in turn teed up the in-form Graham Kelly who smashed his effort to the top corner to settle the contest for the Clonmel side.
Munster Shield 6th Round, 10th December 2023 Match Reports
Powerstown 1 – 2 Ballynanty Rovers
Powerstown’s fairytale run in the inaugural Munster Junior Shield came to an end on Sunday afternoon against Limerick giants Ballynanty Rovers, after a brave performance in Clonmel. The strong wind and soft pitch made playing conditions tough for both sides, and the home side found it tough to get out of their half early on. A flurry of Ballynanty long throws caused the home side problems, but they still managed to keep the game all square until nine minutes before the break. That was when a free kick by Jamie O’Sullivan put the Limerick side a goal in front. His well struck effort from the wide right found its way into the back of the home net, aided by the strong wind. The hosts best chances came from counterattacking football. The closest they came in the first period was five minutes before the break when Cathal McKeown won the ball high up the pitch, took it down the wing and crossed in to the back post where Brian McKeown headed it just over the visitor’s crossbar. But at the resumption of the game for the second half, and with the wind at their back, Powerstown started much better. Gino Lonergan came closest getting on the end of a corner, but despite having the majority of possession, it was not capitalised on. And they were made to pay on the hour mark when the Limerick side doubled their lead. A ball in behind wasn’t dealt with and Dean O’Brien made no mistake with the finish. Cathal McKeown pulled one back for Powerstown seventeen minutes from time. His header halved the advantage and brought the home side back into the game. They continued to apply pressure in search of that all-important equaliser but it was not to be. Ballynanty held strong and did enough to see themselves through to the next round.
TSDL First Division 10th December 2023 Match Reports
Old Bridge 0 – 4 Cashel Town
Cashel Town’s march towards the first Division League title continued at Ferryhouse with this victory over Old Bridge, but they were the first to admit that the scoreline flattered them at the finish. They got off to the best possible start when Ciaràn Fitzpatrick looped a header into the opposition net following a corner after eight minutes. Five minutes later, the same player doubled Cashel’s advantage when he volleyed home again following another corner that the Bridge didn’t adequately deal with. The home side were reeling at this stage, but to their credit, they pulled themselves and made a real contest of the game until the last few minutes. The second period continued in the same manner with The Bridge having more of the ball, but the visitors defence holding firm. Colm Guiry and Connie Power had attempts at goal, but again without success. The winners were dangerous on the break and were awarded a penalty five minutes from time. The home keeper Kian Quinn superbly saved Ciaràn Fitzpatrick’ effort. But it was a brief respite, as the away side did get a third just two minutes later, through a magnificent twenty-five-yard strike from Padraic Ryan, which flew into the top right-hand corner of the net. Devon Ryan completed the scoring in the ninety first minute when he poked home from close range. It was a good win for Cashel Town, and it will take something extraordinary to stop them winning the title. As for Old Bridge, a better performance and if they can strengthen the squad, they could get out of the rut that they seem to be in.
TSDL Third Division 10th December 2023 Match Reports
Clonmel Celtic 1 – 2 SC & K United
SC & K Utd recorded an important win in this Division 3 clash between two sides chasing promotion, on a wet and windy Sunday morning in Clonmel. After a great start to the season the home sides form has dipped alarmingly so they would have been well pleased when a Jason Barnes’s header at the far post gave them a single goal lead at the interval. However, the visitors came out strongly in the second half and two quick fire goals from Nathan Dolan from the penalty spot and Aaron Costin turned the game on its head. Celtic pushed hard to find an equaliser late on, but the visitors held on for three important points that saw them leap frog their hosts in the Division Three table.
TSDL Youths Report 9th December 2023 Match Reports
TSDL Youths Division 1
Two Mile Borris 1 – 2 Cashel Town
This eagerly awaited clash between two good youth teams took place in stormy conditions in Newhill Park and didn’t disappoint the spectators with a fine game. The first thirty minutes flew by and chances were at a premium. Cashel took the lead just after the half hour mark when a corner was poorly defended and the ball broke to Ryan St. John on the edge of the box and he made no mistake with a fine finish to put his side ahead. Jake Cullen Jordan looked like he’d found an equaliser five minutes later, when did all the hard work to beat the visiting defence and place the ball past the keeper, but it came agonisingly back off the post. Two other players had chances to put the ball away but the first shot was blocked on the line and the second was put over the crossbar. Borris then started the second period on the front foot, and had a period of sustained pressure on the visitors goal. However, despite numerous good chances the home team couldn’t put the ball past the excellent Cashel defence and keeper. This wastefulness came back to haunt them in the sixty fifth minute, when Cashel extended their lead against the run of play. Niall Hallissey hit a sweet left footed shot from outside the box which found its way into the bottom left hand corner of the Borris net to the delight of the Cashel contingent at the game. Borris then threw caution to the wind and went in search of a goal, eventually puling one back from a Tristan Kelly header with ten minutes left to play. This set up a grandstand finish to the match. But despite the hosts throwing the kitchen sink at the Cashel goal, they could not find the equaliser, leaving the away side to move further up the Division One table.
TSDL Youths Division 2
Mullinahone 1 – 3 Two Mile Borris
The away side began the better, playing some lovely football with the home side struggling to get to terms with the pace being set. For the first fifteen minutes it was all Borris but they failed to turn their dominance into any real clear-cut chances. The first that finally came fell to the home side when some good play by Michael Cuddihy and Phillip Dunne led to a good effort by Liam Doyle that went just wide. The home side were now growing into the game but found themselves two goals down after conceding twice in five minutes. On twenty-seven minutes a pass was intercepted in midfield and the ball fell to Lorcan Burke who placed a brilliant low curling effort past the keeper. Burke then grabbed his second when confusion in the Mullinahone box saw a ball failed to be cleared and the striker was on hand to fire home from close range. Mullinahone to their credit came out firing in the second half and were really on the front foot. They got a well-deserved goal in the fifty seventh minute when Phillip Dunne curled in a deflected effort. This seemed to spur on the home side with Liam Doyle and Colin O Brien both going close. But they were dealt a huge blow twenty minutes from time when a long pass over the top was ran onto by Aaron Dwyer who tucked home a good effort and put the game beyond the home side.
SC & K United 1 – 0 Clonmel Town
Kilsheelan’s youths returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with a gutsy single goal win at home over Clonmel Town thanks to a first-half strike from Gus Nolan. In an opening period that was played in dreadful conditions causing both sides to take a while to get into the game, it was the home side that broke the deadlock in the twenty fifth minute. Nolan was fed the ball at the edge of the area, before his drilled effort was fired beyond the visiting keeper. The away side began the second-half with a higher tempo, but the home defence was more than a match for anything that was thrown at them. Alec Knightly pulled off two fantastic saves in the half to secure a first clean sheet of the season and a crucial three points.
Cullen Lattin 2 – 0 Galbally United
This was a west Tipperary derby between local rivals that was always going to entertain the spectators particularly on a cold windy December day. Cullen started this game with crisp passing play and showing the improvements which has been evident over the last few weeks. With a strong breeze at their backs the home side were dominant and restricted Galbally to rare passages of play in the Cullen half of the pitch. The hosts pressed hard and forced a number of corners but couldn’t find the breakthrough, despite hitting the post on two occasions. It was a worry that their profligacy would once again negate their fine build up play, and when the half time whistle came with both sides scoreless, the visitors were the much happier side. The 2nd half started with the hosts now playing into the stiffening breeze, but they remained comfortable doing and forced Galbally back early on and which led to a more open game. But they still had to wait until eight minutes from time to get the opening score. Seanie Burke and John O Brien orchestrated a brilliant counterattack, threading a perfectly weighted through-ball to Jamie McGrath, who calmly slotted the ball past the opposition goalkeeper. Barely recovering from the first blow, the away team found themselves under siege as the home team continued to press forward with relentless determination. With just minutes left on the clock, the home supporters were treated to another moment of brilliance when Reece O Dwyer netted the second goal two minutes from time with a twenty-five-yard free kick which left the opposition goalkeeper with no chance, sealing the victory for the home team.