Moneygall win sets up First Division decider

North Tipperary and District League Review

By Gary Culbert

PREMIER DIVISION

BT Harps 2-0 Borroway

BT Harps won their last home league game of the season on Sunday, a routine 2-0 victory over Rearcross.

The depleted Rearcross side didn’t have a lot to play for, but despite this battled gallantly throughout.Ultimately, keeper Cathal Kennedy was the player of the match which tells its own story.

Kennedy’s first big moment was superb one-on-one block to deny Harps skipper Szymon Popiela in the 18th minute when a goal looked certain.

The Templemore side took the lead on the half hour, off the back of a fine attacking move; Cian Russell crossing for Eanna McBride to head the ball back across goal into the path of the onrushing Ben Stapleton to head into the corner of the net from close range.

The league leaders put daylight between the sides just before the break, Popiela blasting home from the spot after McBride was fouled.

Michael O’Gorman and James Deegan both had chances for Rea’ in the first half, but they went in 2-0 down at the break. There were no further goals in the game, thanks in no small part to a flurry of Cathal Kennedy saves at either end of the second half.

BT Harps had the hard work done in the first half to keep them well in the hunt for league honours. Their penultimate game is away to Ardcroney on Sunday, where a win would set up final day league drama.

Ballymackey 0-4 Killavilla United

Killavilla United kept their end of the deal up too on Sunday, making light work of Ballymackey with four unanswered goals in Ballinree.

Johnny Corboy got the onslaught started after twenty minutes, netting his 17th goal in all competitions this season. Dylan Carey made a second successive start and rewarded his manager with a goal on the stroke of half-time.

A red card early in the second half for young Patrick Mounsey made life even harder for Ballymackey, who conceded a third just after the hour mark, Ben Lynch scoring for the first time since September as he continues his return to the side. Josh Wynne concluded the scoring with time nearly up.

It should be another routine win for Villa this Sunday when Sallypark travel to Villa Park.

Kevin Fogarty Tipperary Cup

Ardcroney advanced to the semi-final of the Tipperary Cup courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Arra Rovers on Sunday.

The visitors started fast and took a deserved lead after just five minutes when Eoin Moloney beat the offside trap before fizzing a low cross to Callan Cottrell, who had the simple task of tapping in from close range.

Ardcroney came into the game from this point and found a lot of joy through the hold-up play and running power of Darren Moran. The striker went close from a corner and Arra didn’t learn their lesson because he deservedly levelled shortly after from another corner; Moran the most alert inside the area after Paddy Reddin rattled the crossbar from the initial cross.

Arra were dangerous from their set-pieces too, in particular when James O’Meara had Taylor Duffy beaten with a shot-come-cross from a short free-kick routine, only for skipper Shane Doran to get back on the line to clear the danger.

Ardcroney lined out with five at the back, a formation that relies heavily on wing-backs overlapping to provide service for the strikers. That is exactly what happened midway through the first half, when Kieran Spain played a neat one-two with Darren Moran before pinging a perfect cross to the other striker Lee Doran, who had the easiest of tap-ins at the back post to restore the Ardcroney lead.

This would be the last goal in a game that Arra never fully got going in. Their biggest chance of an equaliser came late on, substitute Conor Ryan beating his man at the back post before firing low across goal, only to be astonished that none of his teammates were there at the back post to tap in.

Aaron Savage was the player of the match, the Arra keeper made some very impressive saves in the second half to keep the match within his sides reach.

First Division

Moneygall did not have it all their own way against Portumna Town in the penultimate game of the league, coming from behind to win 5-2, setting up a final day encounter away to Shinrone United on Saturday with the title at stake.

Portumna travelled strongly, but it was the hosts who drew first blood after quarter of an hour played when Jack O’Brien pressed high and won possession before finishing well when one-on-one with the keeper. The visitors rallied and were good value for their equaliser ten minutes later, Adam Fogarty on target for his twelfth of the campaign.

Portumna went 2-1 up just before half time through David O’Meara, the Moneygall defence guilty of dropping off and allowing too much space for the attacker to run from deep.

The quadruple chasers had the breeze on their backs in the second half and drew level shortly after the restart, Niall Maher directing in another great set piece delivery from Kevin Fitzgerald.

Moneygall pushed hard for a winner that their title campaign so desperately required. Portumna held out for eighty minutes, but there was nothing they could do to deny substitute Paul Costello Junior a say, the former Athlone Town man letting fly from distance in just his second game back from long term injury.

The floodgates opened after that and Jack O’Brien stole in for his second goal, another fine solo goal. Substitute Tom Sheedy added a fifth late on.

The game that we have been looking forward to all season is finally upon us. The first division league title race will go right down to the final whistle on the last day, as Moneygall travel to top of the table Shinrone knowing a win will steal the title right from under the nose of their hosts.

Of course, it has been well publicised that this is an exact recreation of the first division title race from the 2018 season which saw Moneygall’s Paidi Williams break Shinrone hearts with a late volley of the highest quality to steal the title on the final day.

From that day on the two clubs went in very different directions but somehow ended up in each other’s cross hairs again this season. Shinrone were unable to field a team the following season in the Premier Division, which resulted in the incredible transfer of Derek McLoughlin, Riann McLoughlin and Terry Bartlett all to the old enemy Moneygall.

There were two further barren years of no men’s junior football in Shinrone, right up until 2022, when Declan Mullally put together a squad and started pre-season training March for a season that eventually got underway in August!

That hard work paid off; Shinrone picked up the second division league title and narrowly lost the shield and cup finals. The Offaly outfit narrowly avoided relegation last season, subsequently a busy summer transfer window this season turned them into title contenders. Derek McLoughlin and Riann McLoughlin returned to the club from Birr whilst Scott Kelly and Kian Fallon came across from Killavilla and Moneygall respectively.

Moneygall manager and club legend Gerry Larkin rode off into the sunset following the league title win. Moneygall went on to have a few up and down years in the premier division under Eddie Brady before Billy Hayes eventually took the reins. The former goal-scorer did not have instant success however, far from it in fact. Although his teams played nice football at home, they were known for easily rolling over to a physical battle, particularly away from home.

Fast forward two years from finishing in the relegation places of the first division, Moneygall are now one of the top footballing sides in the NTDL and boast some of the most skilful players too.

They beat Shinrone in the Shield final and recently embarrassed them in the Barry Cup quarter finals. However, both those games were in Moneygall.

This Saturday, Shinrone have home advantage and crucially only need a draw. A further emotional element to this game is that it may very well be the last time we see the old guard of Derek McLoughlin, Michael Cordial, and Ray Cordial line out together. Given the fact that all three were on the losing side in the league title decider seven years ago, it is hard to see them letting it happen again. No matter the result, a tough and tense affair is expected as Shinrone will look to make life uncomfortable for their much younger counterparts.

Second Division - Nora Kennedy Cup

Sallypark Odhrans ‘B’ advanced to the final of the Nora Kennedy Cup, seeing off Rearcross ‘B’ 4-2, thanks to goals from Joe Shanahan, Darragh Murray and a Jack Hogan brace, while Eamon Devitt and Paul Carey were on target for Rea.

Sallypark have won all of their last five cup games and lost their last seven league games; a strange stat at the best of times, but one that the Latteragh faithful will be quite content with. David Young’s charges will be favourites when they face Moneygall in the final.