FAI Youth Cup – Saturday 24th January 2026
Tullamore 1–5 Clonmel Town
On a pitch badly affected by a week of heavy rain, Clonmel Town delivered a statement performance to progress comfortably in the FAI Youth Cup, producing moments of real quality despite difficult underfoot conditions.
Town started with authority, pinning Tullamore deep inside their own half for the opening half hour. A series of half chances came and went as Town patiently worked the ball, probing for an opening. The breakthrough arrived on 27 minutes when Leon Kelly Joyce stepped up to curl a superb free kick around the wall and low into the corner, a goal that fully reflected Town’s dominance.
Rather than pushing on, Town briefly dropped their intensity and allowed Tullamore into the contest. The home side created a couple of dangerous moments, but just before the break Town struck a decisive blow. A sharp move down the left ended with the ball squared to Kelly Joyce, who turned on the edge of the box and unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
The importance of the next goal was clear, and Town exploded out of the blocks after the restart. Within five minutes, the tie was effectively over. Shane Hennessy struck first before Shay Scully followed quickly, both goals coming from high-tempo attacking play that Tullamore could not live with.
As the pitch deteriorated further, the game became scrappier, but Town retained control. Substitute Patryk Galka made an immediate impact, winning and converting a penalty to make it 5–0. A late penalty concession allowed Tullamore a consolation goal with seven minutes remaining, but it did little to alter the outcome.
Verdict: A professional and ruthless away performance. Town showed patience, quality, and cutting edge when it mattered most. While tougher challenges lie ahead, this was a strong marker of their cup credentials.
FAI Youth Cup – Saturday 24th January 2026
Evergreen 6–0 Peake Villa
Peake Villa endured a difficult afternoon in Kilkenny as league leaders Evergreen underlined their quality with a dominant display.
Villa struggled to match Evergreen’s tempo from the outset and found themselves under constant pressure. Despite defensive efforts, Evergreen went in at the break with a deserved 2–0 advantage, having controlled possession and territory throughout the first half.
Any hopes Villa had of regrouping were quickly extinguished early in the second half when Isaac Okorafor struck a superb effort from the edge of the box, extending Evergreen’s lead. From that moment on, the game followed a one-way pattern, with Evergreen pressing relentlessly and capitalising on their superiority.
Villa battled on but were unable to stem the tide as the scoreline continued to grow, leaving the visitors with a harsh but honest reflection of the gap on the day.
Verdict: A sobering result against top-class opposition. Villa will need to reset quickly and refocus on league matters, starting with their upcoming clash against Cahir Park.
Premier League – Sunday 25th January 2026
Cullen/Lattin 0–6 St Michaels
League champions St Michaels delivered a commanding performance in Aisling Park, overcoming tricky surface conditions to produce a clinical and composed display.
The Saints dominated the early stages, circulating possession well but initially restricted to shots from distance as Cullen/Lattin defended resolutely. The hosts’ best moment of the half came on 19 minutes when Dylan McGrath broke forward from left back, though his effort failed to materialise into a shot.
St Michaels broke the deadlock on 32 minutes from a well-delivered free kick. Cullen stand-in keeper Thomas O’Mahoney could only palm the ball to the edge of the area, where DJ Cremins reacted quickest to fire home. Just before the interval, another set piece caused problems, with Cian Fadden’s back-post header deflected into his own net by a Cullen defender.
The contest was effectively decided three minutes after the restart. Jimmy Carr’s precise left-footed cross from the right was met by Daniel O’Dwyer, whose header found the net to make it 3–0. Carr then took centre stage, cutting inside to score on 53 minutes before calmly converting a penalty seven minutes later after French Davis was fouled.
David Slattery completed the rout on 85 minutes, powering home a header to cap a dominant display.
Verdict: Champions in full flow. St Michaels were patient, ruthless, and technically superior, showing why they sit at the summit of the league.
Premier League – Sunday 25th January 2026
Two Mile Borris 1–3 Peake Villa
A heavyweight Premier League clash in Newhill Park lived up to its billing, with Peake Villa emerging victorious in testing conditions.
The heavy pitch made fluent football difficult, and the opening half hour was evenly contested. Borris went close through Tom Ryan, who narrowly dragged a shot wide after a well-constructed move down the left.
Villa struck decisively on 30 minutes. A rapid counterattack ended with Peter O’Dowd unleashing an unstoppable left-footed drive into the top corner. Ronan McGuire doubled the lead just before half-time, timing his run perfectly to break the offside trap and finish calmly.
Borris responded with urgency after the break, applying sustained pressure without seriously troubling the Villa goalkeeper. Their persistence paid off on 65 minutes when Jake Jordan was fouled in the box, and he confidently converted the penalty to reduce the deficit.
For ten minutes Borris pressed hard for an equaliser, but Villa struck the decisive blow with ten minutes remaining. As Borris committed bodies forward, Dale Loughnane finished off another swift break to seal the win.
Verdict: A mature and efficient away performance from Villa. Clinical finishing and disciplined game management proved decisive in a high-stakes encounter.
Premier League – Sunday 25th January 2026
Cahir Park (Away) 2–0 Clonmel Celtic
Cahir Park claimed a valuable away victory in a fiercely contested Premier League encounter, showing resilience and composure under pressure.
The match began at a high tempo, with both sides eager to assert control. Cahir struck first on 17 minutes when Niall Hallissey’s free kick forced a save from Robert Bagus, allowing Niall Daly to pounce on the rebound from close range.
Celtic dominated possession for much of the first half but struggled to break down a well-organised Cahir defence. That pattern continued after the restart, with Celtic enjoying territory but lacking a cutting edge.
The hosts came agonisingly close on 60 minutes when a powerful header crashed against the crossbar, followed by an outstanding save from Cahir keeper Evan O’Neill to deny the rebound. Another dangerous free kick passed just wide on 72 minutes.
As Celtic pushed forward, spaces opened up, and Cahir remained a threat on the counter. Deep into stoppage time, substitute Josh Davey was brought down in the box, and Willie Dunne calmly converted the resulting penalty to secure all three points.
Verdict: A disciplined, backs-to-the-wall performance. Cahir absorbed pressure and struck decisively at key moments to earn a deserved away win.
Division 2 – Sunday 25th January 2026
Oldbridge 1–1 Mullinahone
Honours were even in Ferryhouse after a hard-fought Division 2 contest played on a heavy surface.
Oldbridge started brightly and created several opportunities, but familiar finishing issues prevented them from building a commanding lead. Their breakthrough came on 24 minutes following excellent build-up play involving Gino Lonergan and Dylan Guiry. The move ended with Niko Ciesnik producing a superb strike into the top right-hand corner.
The second half was scrappier as the conditions took their toll. Mullinahone remained patient and were rewarded on 71 minutes when a corner caused chaos in the Oldbridge box, resulting in the home side inadvertently turning the ball into their own net.
Both teams searched for a winner in the closing stages, but neither could find the decisive moment.
Verdict: A fair result, though Oldbridge will rue missed chances. Mullinahone showed resilience to claim a valuable point.
Paddy Purtill Cup Round 1 – Sunday 25th January 2026
Vee Rovers 1–2 Ballingarry
A competitive and entertaining cup tie unfolded on a very soft pitch, with Ballingarry snatching victory late on.
Vee Rovers started strongly, forcing early corners and drawing several fine saves from the visiting goalkeeper through Shane McGrath. The breakthrough came when goalkeeper Cormac Flynn spotted Paddy Morrissey in space, and Morrissey showed great composure to lob the advancing keeper and make it 1–0.
Ballingarry improved after the break and won a penalty midway through the half, only to strike the post. However, they capitalised from the resulting corner, with Ian Ivers rising highest to head home the equaliser.
Both sides pushed for a winner, but it was Ballingarry who struck decisively. A late free kick on the edge of the box was whipped in, and once again Ian Ivers dominated in the air to head home the winning goal.
Verdict: A narrow and hard-fought cup defeat for Vee. Ballingarry’s aerial strength and late composure proved the difference.
Paddy Purtill Cup Round 2 – Sunday 25th January 2026
Peake Villa (B) 3–1 Powerstown
Peake Villa B responded superbly to last week’s disappointment with a commanding cup performance at the Tower Grounds.
Villa began on the front foot and could have been two goals ahead inside the opening minutes, only for excellent saves from the Powerstown goalkeeper to deny Liam McCormack and Adam Garrett. The breakthrough finally came on 25 minutes when Eoin O’Dwyer played a perfectly weighted through ball to Cathal McElgunn, who finished confidently for his 15th goal of the season.
Villa dominated the first half and continued to control proceedings after the restart despite Powerstown showing greater intent. The Villa defence, marshalled impressively by Kevin Croke and Tristan Kelly, stood firm.
On 65 minutes, Darren McGuire’s pinpoint corner was met by veteran Kevin Croke, who powered home a header to make it 2–0. Fresh legs from the bench maintained Villa’s momentum, and substitute Ben Moroney delivered an excellent ball for Robbie Stapleton to finish on 75 minutes.
Powerstown grabbed a late consolation through a superb strike from Harry O’Connor in stoppage time.
Verdict: A strong and controlled response from Villa. Well-balanced across the pitch, they fully deserved their place in the semi-finals.
Peter O’Reilly Cup Semi-Final – Sunday 25th January 2026
Cashel Town (B) 2–2 Dualla (AET) – Dualla win 4–3 on penalties
Dualla edged a thrilling semi-final after a dramatic contest that delivered quality, resilience, and nerve-shredding drama.
The visitors started brightly and took full control in the first half. Jake Canny opened the scoring before Jack Quinlan doubled the advantage, giving Dualla a deserved 2–0 lead at the interval.
Cashel Town B showed tremendous character in the second half. Cian McGrath pulled one back to ignite belief before Ronan Connolly struck the equaliser, forcing extra time after an intense battle.
With no further goals forthcoming, the tie was decided by penalties. Both sides matched each other kick for kick before sudden death, where Dualla held their nerve. Briam Carrig converted the decisive spot kick to send Dualla through.
Verdict: A classic cup tie. Dualla’s strong start and composure under pressure ultimately carried them through a memorable semi-final.
Peter O’Reilly Cup Semi-Final – Sunday 25th January 2026
Mullinahone (B) (Away) 0–1 Donohill
Donohill edged a closely fought and evenly balanced encounter to book their place in the final, overcoming Mullinahone B by the narrowest of margins on home soil.
The opening half was a tense and cagey affair, with both sides well organised and reluctant to concede ground. Chances were at a premium, as strong defensive shape and disciplined pressing ensured neither goalkeeper was seriously tested. Mullinahone battled well in midfield, while Donohill looked to build patiently, but the sides went in level at the break with little to separate them.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with intensity high and space limited. Both teams pushed for a breakthrough, aware that one moment could decide the contest. That decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute when Joe Shanahan reacted quickest inside the box to steer the ball into the net, sparking celebrations among the home support.
Mullinahone responded with urgency in the closing stages, committing numbers forward in search of an equaliser. Despite sustained pressure and determined effort, Donohill defended resolutely, managing the final minutes with composure to protect their slender advantage.
Verdict: A tight, disciplined cup semi-final decided by a single moment. Donohill showed resilience and game management when it mattered most, while Mullinahone can take pride in a strong performance that deserved more than the scoreline suggests.