Villa and Moneygall hit the spot in Munster
North Tipperary and District League Review
By Gary Culbert
Munster Junior Cup
Moneygall and Killavilla United progressed to last 16 of the Munster Junior Cup following their respective penalty shoot-out wins over Cork AUL opposition on Sunday.
Killavilla United 4-4 Gratton United (AET, Killavilla win 6-5 on pens)
NT&DL champions Killavilla United welcomed Cork AUL Premier Division side Grattan United to a freezing cold Villa Park on Sunday, where penalties were required following a 3-3 draw in normal time and 4-4 draw after extra time.
The home side were stunned early on when, out of no danger, a front post header Adam Lee-Reynolds looped into the net at the back post – to the delight of the small but vocal travelling Corkonians.
Villa steadied themselves from this point and started to dominate possession and make the visitors look surprisingly average. A particular area of joy was down the left where pacy 20-year-old winger Michael Fitzgerald had the beating of Grattan full-back Adam Harte.
The Villa equaliser would come from the right side; however, a free kick was not dealt with by the Grattan rearguard, allowing Dylan Carey to force home the equaliser from close range.
The home side continued to dominate, whilst Grattan did not show much in terms of passing play, instead opting for a long ball. But even with the limited service, it was clear that the Grattan strikers were very dangerous, particularly from crosses and anything in the air.
The Roscrea men scored from another free kick just before the break, this time captain Michael Ryan leaped highest from a standing jump to skilfully loop the header into the top corner from all of fifteen yards.
Villa led 2-1 at the break and extended that lead shortly after the restart through Johnny Corboy’s fourth goal in as many games.
Grattan were a changed team in the second half, however, and they halved the deficit almost immediately with a superb header from Christopher Bullman. The Cork side drew level midway through the half when Ian Jordan nestled a free kick into the top corner. There was some confusion around the goal as players from both sides were debating how far back the wall was, but Jordan did not wait around for the conclusion, and instead whipped the ball up and over the wall.
Grattan were the side in the ascendancy up until their equaliser, but Villa managed to steady the ship and for the remainder of normal time, both sides somewhat settled for extra time.
Grattan were reduced to ten men early in extra time for a dangerous tackle by Thomas White in the middle of the park. The home side capitalised when Michael Ryan was brought down in the area and Roddy Teehan netted the penalty to restore the lead.
However, the ten men from Cork would not lie down and again it was the defending of a set-piece that was Villa’s downfall as Jamie O’Connell scored. And so, with eight goals shared, a penalty shoot-out would be required to separate these sides.
Villa scored their all five of their penalties through Roddy Teehan, Tom Ahern, Ruairi Murphy, Jason Fitzpatrick and Miko Palasic. Grattan also converted their five to ensure sudden death penalties were required. The visitors were up first in sudden death and missed their spot kick, but Killavilla captain Michael Ryan made no mistake, sending Villa through to the last 16.
Killavilla won’t know their opponents in the next round until the New Year.
City Wanderers 4-4 Moneygall (AET, Moneygall win 3-0 on pens)
Moneygall travelled to Bishopstown to take on City Wanderers, a club who ply their trade one division below the Premier League of the Cork AUL.
The NT&DL first division side were perhaps underestimated by their Cork counterparts who made a sleepy start, which Sean Moroney punished in the fourth minute. The 20-year-old striker finishing at the back post following good work from Niall Maher down the left side.
David Reardon levelled for the home side in the 33rd minute, but Moneygall restored their lead almost immediately through Kevin Fitzgerald; the goal coming after a very weak defensive clearance from the Wanderers rearguard.
Moneygall went in 2-1 up at the break and extended their lead on the hour mark through captain Jack O’Brien; one-on-one with the keeper down the inside left, O’Brien finished neatly inside the front post after some industrious work by Niall Maher in midfield.
Billy Hayes’ side were cruising and had multiple chances to extend their lead, but they did not take them and were pegged back to 33 with a brace from Arseni Lamonov in the 72nd & 78th minutes.
It looked like heartbreak for Moneygall when Shahzad Jehan gave City Wanderers the lead in the 90th minute, however Moneygall were not done yet and found an equaliser right at the death. The goal came when a mazy run by right-back Dylan Maher freed up space for Sean Moroney, who got his head up and crossed for Niall Maher, who ran off the back of his marker to get a free header at the back post and made no mistake, meaning extra time would be required.
Extra time was largely uneventful, aside from red cards for Moneygall’s Jack O’Brien and Wanderers Arseni Lamonov, so a penalty shoot-out would be required to find a winner.
Cameron Fleming, Kevin Fitzgerald, and Dylan Maher converted Moneygall’s first three penalties; whilst City Wanderers ballooned their first two over the bar, before Julian Camilo Bentancourt Pava became the hero for Moneygall by saving the third.
This is a huge achievement for the border outfit, who will effectively have a free hit at their opponents in the next round. However, they will be without their captain for the next round unless they can win an appeal on Jack O’Brien’s soft red card.
Premier Division – Ricky Fogarty Cup
Arra Rovers advanced past Ardcroney courtesy of a 3-2 win in Portroe on Sunday.
The visitors took the lead when a long ball from Matthew Moyles was chased down to the end-line by Ross Austin, who beat the keeper to it before squaring for Jamie Ryan to tap home. There wasn’t a lot separating these sides in the first half, but Ardcroney went in at the break in front.
However, a defensive mix-up shortly after the restart saw Conor Ryan steal in for an easy finish into an empty net to draw the sides level. Ryan was on the scoresheet again midway through the half, the winger finishing powerfully past the keeper after marauding down the right.
The home side doubled their lead shortly after through Aiden O’Dwyer, a goal which came directly following an Ardcroney corner. Ardcroney pulled one back from a set-piece, Jamie Ryan forcing home at the back post for his second goal.
The home side were good value for the win in the end and will now go away in the semi-finals, to play the winners of Killavilla v Ballymackey.
BT Harps had a routine 5-1 win away to Borroway Rovers on Sunday.
Ben Stapleton had been plagued by injury this season, but he got his first start of the campaign and was off the mark within minutes, heading home a Szymon Popiela cross.
Cormac Foy doubled the lead on fifteen minutes and Harps were now coasting. Indeed, they could and should have added to their tally in the first half. However, it was the home side who scored next; Colm Breen pulling a goal back on the stroke of half time.
Unfortunately for Borroway, the comeback did not last long; Harps resumed their dominance after the restart when Stapleton got on the end of a Foy corner. And game was ended as a contest in the 69th minute when Stapleton completed his hat-trick.
Substitute Lyndon Fairbrother concluded the scoring with a long-range strike in the 90th minute to set up an away trip to Rearcross, Sallypark or Holycross in the semi-final.
Nora Kennedy Cup
A shock result, going by recent form at least, saw Birdhill knocked out of the Nora Kennedy Cup at home to Sallypark ‘B’. Jack Delahunty and Aaron O’Neill scored for the home side but an own goal and strikes from Mikie Ryan and Niall Madden ensured ‘the Park advance to the semi-finals, where a home tie against Rearcross ‘B’ or Ballymackey ‘B’ awaits while Birdhill fall into the Stephen McGrath Cup.
First Division League
Borrisoleigh’s woes continued with a 5-2 loss away to Clodiagh Rangers on Sunday.
Michael John Carroll netted a brace for the victors, whilst there were also goals for David Butler, and the duo of youth players, Jim O’Dwyer and Rian Treacy. Borris would now need a huge upturn in form to pull off the great escape, but it looks ever more likely that they will be going straight back down to the second division.