Villa's winning run ended by 10-man Harps
By Padraig Hogan
BT Harps have blown the Premier Division title race wide open with a 3-2 victory over rivals Killavilla United at Villa Park on Friday.
A late Johnny Coleman penalty proved the difference as Harps moved level with Villa at the top of the table, despite being reduced to ten men early in the second half.
Harps manager Johnny Doran knew that victory here was crucial to their hopes of a title challenge this season and he was rewarded for making some brave tactical changes following the dismissal of centre midfielder Jordan Moloney. The Harps number 8 received his marching orders on 55 minutes for a second bookable offence.
It is a disappointing result for the previously unbeaten Villa, they dominated the early part of the second half and will rue not being able to build on that period or make full use of the extra man advantage.
Over 100 people came out to watch this Friday evening, testament not only to the decent weather but also to the relative good recent form of both these sides.
To read more, pick up a copy of this weeks Nenagh Guardian locally or subscribe to our e-paper to access it online each Wednesday.