Division 2
Nenagh Celtic ‘B’ travelled to face Ballymackey in this rearranged fixture last Tuesday evening and witnessed some clinical finishing from the home side. Half time saw the hosts ahead by the minimum with a goal from Mark Casey on the half hour mark. The second half saw Ballymackey score three unanswered goals from Timmy Fleming, Andy Loughnane and Niall McDonald to secure a welcome 3 points.
Division 3
Wednesday evening saw Clodiagh Rangers ‘C’ travel to neighbours Rearcross ‘B’ and come out the wrong side of a 2 nil score line. With both sides losing their previous fixtures it was always going to be a well contested game. Rearcross settled quickest into the game and took the lead when Kieran Devitt was played through and slotted home. Clodiagh had a great opportunity to level the game mid-way through the second half when Pa O’Dwyer found himself one on one with the home ‘keeper only to see his effort clip the top of the cross bar. The visitors were soon made to pay when Devitt notched up his second of the game after he sprung the offside trap and coolly finished to secure all three points.
Gurtagarry welcomed Templetouhy last Wednesday and both sides shared the points with a 0 – 0 draw. Both sides came close to winning the contest but it was both defences who shun in this match as the visitors notched up their second draw of the season.
Shannon Rangers made the short trip to face Streamstown Celtic ‘B’ who were looking to keep the pressure up at the top end of the table and were made to work hard for the three points with a 2 – 1 victory. The hosts had the first goal of the game after just four minutes with Murty Grimes scoring, and their lead was doubled on twenty three minutes when Shane Carroll finished well. Shannon Rangers got back in the game with a strike from Keith Kelly on fifty four minutes. Streamstown held out for a hard earned victory despite the visitors carving out some very good chances.
Ballywilliam welcomed Ballymackey ‘B’ to the Birdhill venue and were good value for their first win of their league campaign. James Coady was first on the mark for the hosts after being played through by David Corrigan. Anthony Sullivan made it two nil with a well taken goal from all of 20 yards. Ballymackey came back into the game with Gary McCarthy scoring on 70 minutes. Rory Mounsey levelled matters from the spot in the 75th minute. However, the hosts were not to be denied when Corrigan capped a fine performance with the winning goal in the 86th minute.
Barnane travelled to league pace setters Borrisokane ‘B’ and lost out on a 2 nil score line. Matty Power with both strikes for the home side as he put in a man of the match performance to put his side clear top of the league at this early stage in the season.
Lough Derg ‘B’ made the long trip to Latteragh to face Sallypark ‘B’ and will deservedly feel hard done by not to have got something from this game, especially after taking the lead with a strike from Noel McInerney on 34 minutes. The home side eventually got going in the second and were thankful for strikes from Shane Hogan and David Young to help maintain Sallypark’s 100% home record.
Youths Shield
New additions to the Youths Division, Birdhill travelled to last season’s cup finalist’s Ballymackey and found the hosts in ruthless fashion as they won out 5 – 2. Ballymackey were two up at half time with strikes from Tommy Teer and Alan Ryan. Denis Haverty tagged on an impressive brace in the second half and Calvin O’Rourke scored the fifth.
This year’s Joe Delaney Cup finalists, BT Harps welcomed Nenagh Celtic to Templemore and it took penalties to separate these sides in a well contested and entertaining encounter. The game ended 1 all after ordinary time with strikes from Jamie Kelly for Celtic. BT Harps progressed in the shield thanks to a narrow 5 – 4 win in the penalty shoot-out.
Premier League
Last weekend saw the first round of premier league fixtures and last season’s champions continued their winning ways with a comprehensive 5 – 1 win away to Lough Derg. The visitors were two goals to the good after just 8 minutes with strikes from Nathan Kelly and Dan Dalton. Lough Derg got back in the game with a strike form Mates Vaselka but shortly afterwards saw Mark Cahill add on a third for Nenagh. Thomas Sheppard and Oisin Fitzpatrick added two more for the visitors in the second half as they ran out comfortable winners.
Sallypark edged out Thurles Town 3 – 2 last Saturday in Latteragh in a highly entertaining game. The hosts took the lead with a long range speculative effort from Padraig Ryan only to see Thurles Town reply in spectacular style with a superb free kick from Eoin Dorney. With both sides level at the break, the hosts took the lead again in the 65th minute through a well taken strike from David Keogh. It was 3 – 1 on 70 minutes when Simon O’Meara found himself unmarked on the front post from a corner and cleverly headed home. Padraig Fogarty reduced the deficit with ten minutes to go, but Sallypark held on and will feel they were good value for the win.
Templemore was the venue for BT Harps and newly promoted Clodiagh Rangers Sunday morning and despite losing, the visitors will feel they deserved a share of the points in a well contested encounter. Clodiagh took the lead when new signing Colm Breen finished from close range and were good value for their lead and in truth could have been ahead by more only for some good goalkeeping from Kirwan in the home goal. BT Harps levelled with a top quality free kick from Paddy Guerin which saw both sides go in at half time all square. Clodiagh were caught out on the counter attack 20 minutes in to the second half when Guerin notched his second with a powerful header. Clodiagh had a number of chances to level matters with Breen again coming closest. However, BT Harps made sure of all three points with a late penalty after Cathal Scully was deemed to have been fouled and Sean McCormack clinically dispatched the penalty.
Last season’s Division 1 Champions Roscrea United travelled to the VEC in Nenagh to face Nenagh Celtic in the pick of the weekend’s premier league fixtures. First blood went to the home side when Danny Ryan played a quickly taken corner to Dylan Walsh who slotted home with some style. Roscrea were soon back on level terms when their inform striker Paul Kirwan took full advantage in front of goal to power home. However, the hosts went in at the break ahead after Mark Walsh finished off a fine move and neatly place the ball past the on rushing Roscrea custodian. The Kennedy Park side began to take control of the game and Celtic had to thank Aidan Herlihy in goal for a number of vital saves. The match was level when Paul Kirwan scored his second from the penalty spot. Both sides pushed for the winner and when it looked like it was going to be honours even, Craig Connolly popped up for the Hoops after being played in on goal by Jimmy Hynes and found the back of the net to secure all three points.
Division 1
Holycross continue to set the pace at the top of the first division and overcame Ardcroney last Sunday morning. Holycross made their journey to Ardcroney worthwhile and had to thank the free scoring Jo Jo O’Meara for a hat trick and Kyle Denny for a brace, although it took 45 minutes before the visitors broke the deadlock. Paul Farrell was on the mark from the penalty spot for the hosts when they were 3 – 0 down, but they failed to rally any further as the Glenbane side ran out comfortable winners.
Borrisokane ‘A’ and Moneygall shared the spoils in this match played at the Community College venue Sunday morning. The game was evenly contested between two sides that will both be anxious to be in the mix for promotion at the end of this season. Gordon Harding was on the mark for the home side for the second week in a row. Moneygall’s goal came from Michael Parlon to help his side to their first league points of this season.
Nenagh AFC ‘B’ and Arra Rovers contested the highest scoring game from the weekend which ended 7 – 4 to the hosts as they look to regain the league title after finishing runners up last season. The Brickfield side continue to score freely and were thankful to an Oisin Fitzpatrick hat trick, a Willie Darcy brace and strikes from Mikey Duff and Birinder Singh. Arra took the game to Nenagh and were good value for their 4 goals with Chris O’Riordan challenging Fitzpatrick for the match ball with his own hat trick, and Kevin O’Halloran also getting in on the action for the Portroe side.
Division 2
Clodiagh Rangers ‘B’ fell to a heavy defeat to a strong Portumna side on a score line of 7 – 1 in Drombane Sunday afternoon. The home side were dealing with a number of positional changes through various absences and were brushed aside in clinical fashion as the visitors saw their goals coming from Sean O’Meara who was the weekend’s top scorer with 4. Colin Burke, Gary Hogan, Gary Curran also got on the score sheet for the Galway side and Patrick Lowry bagged the solitary reply for the hosts.
Nenagh Celtic ‘B’ were good value for their 3 – 1 win over Kilcommon at the VEC venue Sunday evening. It wasn’t until the second half when the game sparked into life with 4 goals. The hosts went ahead with a great strike from Brian Duffy. Kilcommon were soon on level terms when Leo Ryan scored from a corner. Terry Delaney was the hero with two late goals to seal the victory, one of which was from the penalty spot.
Nenagh AFC ‘C’ and Ballymackey ‘A’ were again another one of the weekend games which ended in a draw after it finished 2 – 2. Alan Kelly and Mikey Duff were on the mark for the home side only to see their strikes cancelled out with efforts from Darragh McDonnell and Robbie O’Gorman.
The weekends second 4 – 4 game saw Cloughjordan ‘B’ and Roscrea United ‘B’ share the points in an entertaining encounter. In a game that saw Cloughjordan raced into a 3 goal lead only to fall behind 4 – 3 before finding the equalizer with little time to spare.
Division 3
Gurtagarry reinforced their challenge for third division honours with a facile 8 – 0 win over an understrength Clodiagh Rangers ‘C’ side in Drombane Sunday morning last. Hats trick each for Ronan Kinane and Paddy O’Rourke with the remaining goals coming from Ger Ryan and Ger Hogan.
Barnane continued their recent goal scoring form when the entertained Sallypark ‘B’ last Sunday in a game which finished 4 – 4. Sallypark will feel that they left points behind them in Barnane after they were 4 -1 up in the second half with goals from Paddy Ronan, Paidi Ryan, Joe Shanahan and Eoin Ryan. Barnane must be complimented on their never say die attitude as they rallied with 3 late strikes to earn a well-deserved point. Declan Ryan scored twice for the home side with the other goals coming from John Paul Dwan and Michael Everard.
Rearcross ‘B’ were looking to build on their mid-week victory and travelled to face Lough Derg ‘B’ at the Carlisford venue. The home side continued their good run of form and found themselves 3 nil up with two strikes from Eric Monaghan and a third from Keith Stritch. Kieran Devitt was on the mark for Rearcross to add to his brace during the week but it was a case of too little too late as Lough Derg added a fourth through Ethan Mowat late in the game.
Ballywilliam were looking to build on their mid-week victory as they ventured to Ballinderry to face Shannon Rangers but were ruthlessly brushed aside by the home side who found the net 8 times without reply. It was the second third division match this weekend which saw two hat tricks for the victors with Andy Austin and Sean Moran competing for the match ball. The other strikes for the home side came from Brian Freeman and Keith Kelly.
Ballymackey ‘B’ overcame Borrisokane ‘B’ on a 2 – 1 score line in Ballinree in a game which the visitors were looking to build on their impressive start to this league campaign. The hosts went ahead in the 25th minute when Kevin Mounsey scored from a pin point header. The lead was doubled 5 minutes later when Conor O’Meara nipped in to tap home from close range. The visitors halved the deficit two minutes after the half time break by scoring directly from a corner and pushed hard for the equalizer but saw the hosts defence stand firm for the remainder of the game.