BT Harps run riot in Rearcross

North Tipperary & District League Review

By Gary Culbert

PREMIER DIVISION

Rearcross 0-6 BT Harps

Rearcross fell to a rampant BT Harps outfit on Friday night as the Templemore side came to town and went through them for a shortcut.

Christmas has been kind to Harps and manager Henry Newman must have been very good last year, as his present was former League of Ireland player Sean Patrick Guerins.

And my, what a difference one player can make to a team. From his central midfield position, Guerins does the work of two men at snuffing out any chance of a counter, and the peace of mind that this brings allows the Harps full-backs to rampage up and down the touchline at will, with left-back Lorcan Campion who was the player of the match for his relentless attacking.

Sean Patrick Guerins got the onslaught started inside the opening ten minutes with an exquisite front post flick-on from a Stevie Nolan corner. The former Treaty United man used the outside of his boot to perfection, sending the ball high into the net and at some speed.

After the opener you could tell it was going to be a long night for Rea’, and sure enough the floodgates opened almost instantly. Again, it was a Nolan corner from the left that did the damage, this time Lorcan Campion was the one to fire home from a central area.

The Rearcross net was only recovering when Campion went raiding down the left again, crossing for young Jack Johnson, who made no mistake to leave Harps with a healthy 3-0 lead after fifteen minutes.

The home side were obviously shocked but to their credit did manage to stem the flow whilst also enjoying a spell of possession, but ultimately, they were unable to get a goal back.

A dream first half for Henry Newman’s side was topped off with a beautiful finish just before the break; an innocuous enough long kick from the Harps keeper was flicked into the path of Eanna McBride, who found himself bearing down on goal and produced a sublime lob over the onrushing keeper.

Rea’ started the second half brightly with Michael O’Gorman and James Deegan going close. However, any hopes of a comeback were undone by another set-piece goal from BT Harps; Eanna McBride completing his brace with a poacher’s goal from inside the six yard box following a free kick won Syzmon Popiela.

With ten minutes remaining, Sean Patrick Guerins made it six with the pick of the goals. He showed great strength to win possession on the edge of the Rearcross box when he had no right to, before nonchalantly curling the ball into the top corner. The ease of the finish for Guerins was staggering.

It is also worth noting the electric pace that BT Harps called on from the bench in the closing stages, and with Ben Stapleton yet to come back too they have a bench equal to that of Killavilla’s. It is very much game on in the title race.

I’d like to say things get easier from here on in for Rearcross, but up next is a daunting away trip to a wounded Killavilla side, who were defeated 11-0 in the last 16 of the Munster Junior Cup.

Arra Rovers 2-1 Ardcroney

While BT Harps have made the signing of the season in Sean Patrick Guerins, Arra Rovers boss Dermot O’Halloran has most definitely dabbled in the transfer market more than any other manager across all the divisions.

Having tempted Mark Carey from Ballymackey at the start of the year, it should probably come as no surprise that his older brother, Adam Carey has now donned the red and white of Arra Rovers.

The older of the Carey’s slotted in for the absent Conal Moran on Sunday against Ardcroney and put in a player of the match display from central midfield, which included scoring the equaliser with a daisy cutting half volley from 25 yards out.

Ardcroney were by far the better of the two teams for almost the entirety of the first half. They took the lead on the half hour mark when Darren Moran got on the end of a Kieran Spain cross in the box and deftly directed the ball into the far corner.

Callan Cottrell scored the winner midway through the second half for Arra. Ardcroney pushed for an equaliser but could not find a way passed the former Nenagh Town goalkeeper, Aaron Savage.

Due to the heavy rain on Saturday night, this was the only game that went ahead of the ten down for decision on Sunday.

Division 2

League leaders Borrisokane were held to a shock draw on a wet and windy Thursday night in Rearcross.

Borrisokane were quick out of the traps and were it not for some wayward shooting would have taken an early lead. Gary Ryan in particular was causing problems for the Rea’ defence with his movement between the lines.

Rearcross settled and had good chances fall to Paddy Carey, Oisin Kelly, and Mikey Feehan. But it was Borrisokane who took the lead on the half hour mark when they were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. Gary Ryan stepped up and produced a sublime curling effort which left Brian Hammersley in goal with no chance.

The opening ten minutes of the second half saw the game completely turn on its head, as Borris’ John Doyle saw red and Rearcross scored a quickfire double. The equaliser was tapped home by Oisin Kelly off the back of a Colm Carey cross, the goal coming after a strong run down the middle of the park by Mikey Feehan and a nice flick-on from Paddy Carey.

Just four minutes after drawing level, the home side took the lead when a fine team move ended with Robert Harrington taking two fine touches, one to knock it past the defender and a second to rifle the ball into the Borris net. The move started with Donnie O’Brien feeding the ball out to the right wing for Paddy Carey, who’s cross to the edge of the box was dummied by Mikey Feehan for the onrushing Harrington, who fired low across the keeper.

To their credit, Borris did not lie down and in the 65th minute managed to force an equaliser from a long free kick into the box, James Hough on hand to flick the ball passed the post.

Rea’ had the better of the chances to win it, but in the end a mixture of lady luck and Joshua Claffey in goal ensured that Borris escaped with a hard earned point.

Youths

League leaders Arra Rovers played their penultimate league game on Saturday away to Killavilla United.

Only a win would do for Arra if their title hopes were to be in their own hands going into the final round of matches. And although Killavilla went into this match at the lower end of the table, Arra did not look like getting that all important win for large parts of this game.

There was very little between the teams in the first half, and it was actually the team with less to play for that scored the only goal of the half, Eoghan Mcloughlin slotting his penalty into the visitor’s net.

With Arra pushing on in search of an equaliser, Killavilla broke at pace early in the second half and shot for goal, Joe O’Dwyer making the save but could only watch on as Eoghan McLoughlin swept in to stick the rebound into the net to double Villa’s lead.

Arra kept pressing and were rewarded in the 67th minute with a penalty when Dara O’Dwyer was taken down in the box. Diarmuid O’Donoghue converted from the spot to reduce the deficit heading into the final furlong.

Arra thought they had equalised shortly after but Dara O’Dwyer's finish after a goal-line scramble was ruled out for offside. Killavilla were defending resolutely while also looking dangerous on the break, but the equaliser finally came five minutes from time as Luke Power's in-swinging corner was deftly tucked away by Tom Boland, with a perfect glancing header to the far post.

This set up a pulsating final few minutes with Arra going all out for the win, and in the final minute of injury time they were awarded a free kick five-yard outside the box. Cometh the hour cometh the man, Conor McKeown stepped up to send an arrowed strike over the wall and straight into the top right hand corner of the net, leaving the Killavilla keeper with no chance and resulting in much jubilation from the Arra contingent.