Killavilla complete double in blistering fashion

SOCCER: North Tipperary & District League – Kevin Fogarty Tipperary Cup Final

Killavilla United 5

Clodiagh Rangers 1

Report: Gary Culbert at Michael Fennell Park, Templemore

Killavilla United completed a league and cup double in the space of a week as they came from a goal down to beat Clodiagh Rangers in the blue-ribboned Tipperary Cup final on Saturday evening.

A spectacular free-kick goal from Clodiagh’s TJ Butler was nowhere near enough on Saturday night to stop Michael Lynch’s rampant Killavilla side who responded with five unanswered goals to claim the Kevin Fogarty Cup.

Villa were ruthless in the wet conditions, raining attack after attack down on Adrian Cooke’s goal.

The newly crowned premier league champions went very close to taking the lead early on, only for Cooke to scramble across goal for the first of many big saves he would have to make in the game.

Clodiagh pressed high early on in the slippery conditions and were rewarded with just seven minutes gone when John Ryan dispossessed Dylan Carey and won a free kick in a central area, over 35 yards from goal.

The sizable crowd were left in absolute awe when Clodiagh’s centre-half TJ Butler stepped up and smashed it into the far top corner of the Killavilla goal. The physically imposing defender had no right to even take the shot on, but he masterfully fizzed it in off the post despite Aaron Mulready getting a fingertip to it.

Killavilla were a little rattled by going a goal down, so much so that Clodiagh had a chance to double their advantage, but they will rue the missed chance as Villa got a stranglehold on the game from the fifteenth minute onwards and never looked back.

Michael Ryan put in a player of the match performance from his attacking right wing back role; he is very vocal on the pitch, leading by example, and in the seventeenth minute to draw Villa level, heading in at the back post following a cross from his opposite wing back, Ben Lynch.

Killavilla continued to make hay down the wings with Ruairi Murphy and Ben Lynch both getting to the end-line before fizzing wicked crosses in for Josh Wynne and Tom Ahern on multiple occasions.

Adrian Cooke made a huge save to deny young Lynch in the 20th minute, but he could not deny Murphy seven minutes later when he was the most hungry and alert inside the six-yard box. The goal came after Ben Lynch headed a Michael Ryan cross down into the ground and onto the crossbar, only for time to seemingly stand still as both keeper and defenders all looked at each other, whereas Murphy appeared from nowhere to smash Villa in front from a yard out.

Clodiagh were flagging now and Roddy Teehan took advantage of the drop in the high press, using the extra time and space afforded on the halfway line to ping a beautiful ball into the path of Ruairi Murphy’s perfect run from deep and the red hot striker got a bit of luck with the headed finish, a double ricochet, but it was well earned and Villa went in 3-1 up at the break.

Clodiagh Rangers came out fired up in the second half, but an unfortunate string of events saw the ball bounce over the keepers head for 4-1, captain Tom Ahern getting the plaudits for what really was a cross.

One for the future, Miko Pasalic made it 5-1 in the 78th minute thanks to a perfect through ball from David McNamara.

Killavilla lifted their second trophy in as many weeks to cap off a great debut season for Michael Lynch.

Player of the Match: Michael Ryan (Killavilla United)

Killavilla United: Aaron Mulready; Ian Treacy, Roddy Teehan, Dylan Carroll; Michael Ryan, Dylan Carey, Darren Coleman, Tom Ahern, Ben Lynch; Josh Wynne, Ruairi Murphy.

Subs: David McNamara for Carey (46); Miko Pasalic for Wynee (68); Michael Fitzgerald for Murphy (80); Craig Phelan for Ahern (83); Aaron Loughnane for Lynch (86).

Clodiagh Rangers: Adrian Cooke; Sean Stakelum, Connor O’Brien, TJ Butler, James Griffin; John Carew, Brian Hanrahan, Matthew Stakelum, Michael John Carroll; John Ryan, Daniel Moloney

Sub: Paul Doyle for Moloney (45)

Referee: Jim McGrath.