Goals galore as Harps bridge 17-year gap for Premier Cup glory

SOCCER: North Tipperary & District League - Premier Division Ricky Fogarty Cup Final

BT Harps 4

Killavilla United 3

Report: Gary Culbert in Drombane

A week is a long time in football; the nervous tension of the previous weeks league finale was replaced by an end-to-end goal fest on Saturday evening, as a much-changed BT Harps team came out the right side of a seven-goal thriller over Killavilla United in the Premier Division Ricky Fogarty Cup final.

Harps boss Henry Newman was forced into a number of changes, as a number high-profile players all over the pitch were unavailable for the game. However, their names were soon forgotten as one-by-one the young Harps replacements stood up to be counted.

Ryan Loughnane and Filippo Fini were the pick of the surprise starters, with both getting on the scoresheet, but it was the eventual player of the match that got the goal-fest started, Sean Paddy Guerins scoring direct from a free-kick with just two minutes gone.

Harps had poked the bear; Killavilla roared into life, drawing level and then taking the lead in the space of just seven minutes. Ruairi Murphy flicked in at the front post from a Darren Coleman free-kick to restore parity in the fifth minute, before Johnny Corboy fired in from close range to complete the turnaround four minutes later. The former Birr Town striker seemed to have the freedom of Drombane at the back post, taking his time to finish Murphy’s cross high into the net.

It was end-to-end, the tight game a week ago seemed a distant memory as Ryan Loughnane bore down on goal on the quarter hour, the seventeen-year-old made a name for himself as a lethal finisher in youth competitions this season, and you could see why; when Ben Stapleton slipped him through there wasn’t a moments hesitation before he let fly into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Harps were visibly growing in confidence with youngsters Fini, Jack Johnson, and Cormac Foy all increasingly comfortable on the ball.

However, just as Harps were beginning to turn on the style, their weakness down the right flank was exposed once more and Villa went 3-2 up just after the half hour; Michael Fitzgerald finishing after some good work by Michael Ryan and Johnny Corboy.

Villa’s tails were up, and Tom Ahern drove them forward with his relentless pressing in midfield. Harps weathered the storm though and began to create chances on the counter again, with the pace of skipper Ben Stapleton a real threat.

They almost drew level on the stroke of half-time from a corner, only for Tom Ahern to clear the rasping shot off the line.

The second half started off with a big chance for Ruairi Murphy, and then, with the game delicately poised Villa decided to make a change to their formation and personnel. These changes all at once derailed Michael Lynch’s side, and Sean Paddy Guerins took full advantage to draw his side level from a corner.

Dylan Cody whipped in the dead-ball with some venom, and it was a trademark front post run and glancing header from Guerins – impossible to defend against.

It feels like Aaron Mulready makes at least one wonder-save per game, on this occasion the 18-year-old somehow tipped Szymon Popiela’s free-kick around the post, despite it being on the wall’s side.

But there was nothing he could do when Dylan Cody whipped in another menacing corner in the 67th minute, which ultimately decided the contest. In his final ever game for the club, 18-year-old exchange student Filippo Fini rose highest in the box to smash home the winner. The Italian could very easily have been picked as the player of the match, as could Dylan Cody, but the award went to Sean Paddy Guerins for his crucial role in holding together the patchwork Harps rearguard.

Villa did have one glaring chance from a corner to level, but for the most part Harps easily repelled the uncharacteristically unorganised Villa attempt to get back into the game.

Joint captains Szymon Popiela and Ben Stapleton accepted the Ricky Fogarty Cup from NT&DL Chairperson Richie Fogarty. In his acceptance speech, Stapleton acknowledged how he simultaneously loves and hates playing Killavilla; these two sides bring out the best in each other.

He concluded in a similarly classy vein, wishing Killavilla the best in the future ‘whatever happens’, which of course alludes to their exit from the NT&DL for the CCFL.

These sides were pretty much inseparable this season in the NT&DL, and rather poetically it feels like honours even at the end of this epic rivalry’s two-game swan song.

A line has been drawn under the Killavilla and BT Harps rivalry for now, with a mutual respect for each other being the lasting memory from their epic encounters.

Joint managers Henry Newman and Johnny Coleman finally got their hands on the Premier Cup, seventeen years on from the last time they won it. Coleman scored the winner that day against Nenagh AFC, whilst Newman was the manager.

Also in attendance at the game were former winners Deano Loughnane and Larry Stapleton, who proudly watched their sons play a big part in returning the Ricky Fogarty Cup back to Templemore.

Player of the Match: Sean Paddy Guerins (BT Harps)

BT Harps: James Kennedy; Aaron Quinlan, Cain Russell, Sean Paddy Guerins, Rhys Loughnane; Filippo Fini, Dylan Cody, Jack Johnson; Cormac Foy, Ben Stapleton (J-Capt); Ryan Loughnane.

Subs: Szymon Popiela (J-Capt) for Johnson (42); Sean Purcell for Quinlan (53); Billy Collier for Fini (66).

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

Subs: Dylan Carey for Coleman (26); Dylan Carroll for Simmons (52); Mark Dwyer for Fitzgerald (53); Josh Wynne for Corboy (72); Miko Pasalic for Murphy (83).

Referee: Derek Halpin.