Willis takes flight to inspire Arra into Champions Cup semi-final

SOCCER: Munster Champions Cup Quarter Final

Arra Rovers 2

Ringmahon Rangers 1

Report: Gary Culbert at Nenagh Brickfield

North Tipperary Premier League champions Arra Rovers advanced to the last-four of the Munster Champions Cup on Sunday thanks to a 2-1 win over Cork king-pins Ringmahon Rangers.

AJ Willis captained the side on what was his first and last match of the season, the 23-year-old jetted back to New York the day after the match but what a mark he made as the physically imposing box-to-box midfielder turned in the man of the match display, thanks to the intervention of his manager.

Willis’ original flight would have seen Arra without their talisman for the game, but an enquiry from boss Dermot O’Halloran about a possible change put the wheels in motion for what will surely go down in Portroe folklore as the Fairytale “before” New York.

And it was Willis at the centre of the first major piece of action after just fifty seconds, playing in Christopher O’Riordan who was fouled for the penalty. However, huge credit must go to Aidan O’Dwyer, who took the ball from full back all the way to the edge of the Ringmahon area from the kick-off. Cathal O’Brian dispatched the penalty with aplomb and Arra had something to hold on to.

The Tipp men went on to dominate the opening ten minutes and Stephen Kennedy was leading the way all over the pitch, but the Cork side did eventually settle and went on to own the remainder of the half.

Ringmahon’s lone striker Ciaran Kearney looked very dangerous in the air, but the youthful Arra backs just about managed to keep him at bay. Arra’s greatest strength is their youthfulness, but with that comes naivety and on the stroke of half time their inexperience was brutally punished.

The youngsters had given away a number of free-kicks in really dangerous areas and they were finally caught out as a 35-yard thunderbolt from James Manahan flew past Luke Conneally in the Arra goal. The keeper had already produced three wonder saves to keep his goal in tact up to then.

Everyone in attendance expected the second half to pick up where the first ended, but to the travelling Cork faithful’s dismay, Arra burst to life again and nullified the rebel’s threat. What resulted was a poor enough footballing spectacle, but cometh the hour cometh the man - AJ Willis had a flight to catch so he was not hanging around for extra time. With seconds to spare he burst into the box down the left before just about doing enough to be awarded a penalty, which he dispatched himself to joyous scenes of celebration from the Arra faithful.

Player of the Match: AJ Willis (Arra Rovers).

Arra Rovers: Luke Conneally; Aidan O’Dwyer, Jack O’Brien, Barry Connaughton, Cathal Conneally; Stephen Kennedy, Eoin Moloney, Cathal O’Brian, Christopher O’Riordan; AJ Willis, Brian McEvoy.

Subs: Diarmuid Boyle for O’Brien (54); Ethan Powell for Connaughton (54); Jack Moloney on for Conneally (65); Callan Cottrell for O’Brian (85).

Ringmahon Rangers: Cian O’Connor; David O’Shea, Jordan Delurey, Robbie White, Ian Fleming; Dylan Oregan-Forde, James Manahan, James Morrissey, Ciaran Kearney; Aidan O’Shea, Iain Aherne.

Subs: Kalem Cashman for Aherne (58); Roy Collins for O’Shea (70); Jack Gibson for Manahan (83).

Referee: John Hayes (NT&DL)