Killavilla take their chances to claim League glory

SOCCER: North Tipperary & District League Premier Division

Killavilla United 2

BT Harps 0

Report: Gary Culbert at Villa Park

Big games come down to microscopic moments!

The NT&DL Premier Division title was retained by Killavilla United on Sunday because their big players in key positions stood up to be counted when needed most in the title decider with BT Harps.

Goalkeeper Aaron Mulready made some fine saves for Killavilla when called upon, while Ian Treacy was a man possessed in defence.

However, it was Ruairi Murphy who provided the key moment in the game, a couple of magical touches inside the area to give Villa the all-important opening goal.

The home side needed a win and thus set the tempo from the off, enjoying the majority of possession for the opening quarter of an hour, but without ever threatening the Harps goal.

Even by their own standards, Villa were incredibly fired up for this one, but as that initial intensity wore off, Harps began to get a foothold through their more technical players.

Cormac Foy was increasingly dangerous down the left despite the heavy tackling from the Villa back three. The youngster won and took a free kick in the 20th minute which Harps almost scored from, the impressive Eanna McBride rattling the angle of the goal with a back post header.

Ian Treacy was increasingly getting Villa out of trouble with last ditch interventions, but the water break came at the perfect time for to re-group. The home side had not had a shot on target in the opening half hour and were, in truth, looking very limited in attack.

That was the case right up until a fairly innocuous cross from the left was controlled and perfectly dispatched to the net by Ruairi Murphy.

The hosts had the all-important lead and it all came from Harps trying to play out from the back, Ben Lynch pressing high before crossing for Murphy, whose touch, turn and finish were of the highest quality and in the blink of an eye, but nevertheless Harps will be wondering how he had the time and space to do that in the box.

Villa finally relaxed and began to play their football, however, for the entirety of this game they were susceptible to a long, early ball over the centre half’s head and into the channels.

Indeed, Harps had a huge chance just before half time when Szymon Popiela broke through on the counter only to be denied by Aaron Mulready at point blank range. The 18-year-old goalkeeper kept Villa’s heads above water during their period of shaky form, and this was just another in a long line of top class saves.

Harps came out strongly in the second half and pressured the Villa goal from successive set-pieces, which Ian Treacy consistently headed away.

The visitors had a huge chance draw level when Dylan Cody slipped Szymon Popiela in down the inside right, but the skipper fired narrowly wide across the goal when you would have put your house on him to score.

The next big chance fell to Cormac Foy just after the hour mark, Harps didn’t know it at the time, but it was to be their last big chance of the game. Again, it looked like a simple square ball for young Jack Johnson to leave young Foy a tap in, but as he bore down on goal the noise of the crowd may have got to him, resulting in an undercooked pass.

Villa emptied their bench, and as Harps threw caution to the wind, the energetic substitutes combined to effectively end the title race. Josh Wynne with a composed finish after being played in by Miko Pasalic, but of course, in sticking with the theme of the day, the move started with Ian Treacy winning a defensive header.

BT Harps arguably created the better chances, but that fact will be quickly forgotten in the history books as Killavilla skipper Michael Ryan lifted the brand new premier division trophy.

The Templemore side have an immediate chance for redemption this Saturday though, as the sides meet once more, this time in the Premier Division Ricky Fogarty Cup final.

Player of the Match: Ian Treacy (Killavilla United)

Killavilla United: Aaron Mulready; Eddie Simmons, Roddy Teehan, Ian Treacy; Ben Lynch, Craig Byrne, Darren Coleman, Tom Ahern, Michael Ryan (Capt); Ruairi Murphy, Johnny Corboy.

Subs: Josh Wynne for Murphy (60); Miko Pasalic for Lynch (76); Michael Fitzgerald for Corboy (78); Jason Fitzpatrick for Ahern (82); Dylan Carroll for Byrne (90)

BT Harps: Davide Augustyniak; Cain Russell, Jack Kennedy, Sean Paddy Guerins, Lyndon Fairbrother; Dylan Cody, Jack Johnson; Cormac Foy, Szymon Popiela, Ben Stapleton; Eanna McBride.

Subs: Jordan Moloney for Augustyniak (38); Dean McEnroe for Foy (66); Ryan Loughnane for Stapleton (85); Filippo Fini for Johnson (85).

Referee: David Butler.