Harps show the level for Portumna to reach
North Tipperary and District League Review
By Gary Culbert
Tipperary Cup
BT Harps 5-2 Portumna Town
A second-half rally saw Portumna Town come to within a goal of BT Harps on Sunday, but there was to be no Tipperary Cup upset as the premier division side always had another gear to progress to the next round.
Henry Newman shuffled his deck for the visit of the runaway first division champions: first choice goalkeeper Kuba Beben was rested with Jordan Moloney deputising; the imposing Dean Lawlor coming in at the base of midfield for his third game of the season; ex-Nenagh Celtic star Brian Mitchell came into the attacking midfield, and Ben Stapleton was given his most minutes since September.
It was Stapleton who caused the most problems for the visitors in the first half. Simple one-two passes saw the pacy wide-forward get in behind time after time. Indeed, it was he who had the first big chance but his rustiness was apparent as he missed the first of many great opportunities.
Portumna were a little shell-shocked by BT’s quick start, but in keeping with how this game eventually played out, they had their chances to score too.
Michael O’Sullivan led the line for Portumna; the 18-year-old’s imposing 6 foot 3-inch frame made even Sean Paddy Guerins look small. O’Sullivan skipped clear of the onrushing Jordan Moloney for the visitor’s first meaningful chance, but he was desperately unlucky to see Jack Kennedy clear his effort off the line.
Respective captains, Sean Paddy Guerins and Ronan O’Meara were both playing centre half and wearing number 5. They stood out not only defensively, but also with their distribution. Young Cormac Foy was on the move whenever Guerins had the ball at his feet, while the even younger Jakub Wysocki was the outlet whenever O’Meara wanted to quickly clear the danger. Wysocki probably will feel he could have done better when his skipper sent him through one-on-one with Moloney down the left.
After twenty minutes of knocking on the door, BT deservedly broke the deadlock when a smart Eanna McBride shot from outside the box was parried by the stand-in keeper straight to Brian Mitchell, who squared to Ben Stapleton for a simple tap-in.
Tyler Gorman Hannigan was having a horrid time of it trying to mark the rampaging Ben Stapleton, and his day was made even harder when Cain Russell came marauding up from right back. Russell overlapped Stapleton before squaring the perfect pass for McBride to tap in, doubling the Harps lead on the half-hour mark.
The moment of the match was BT’s third goal. Big number 9, Eanna McBride, collected the ball near the halfway line before beating two defenders and unleashing a screamer from a tight angle, which silently kissed the underside of the crossbar before violently careering into the roof of the net.
This felt like a killer blow on the scoreboard, but also psychologically, as Portumna were left confused and dejected by Harps’ muted celebrations following the Eanna McBride exhibition; this was just another day at the office for the standard bearers of the NT&DL.
Portumna went in 3-0 down, but it so easily could have been 3-2 or maybe even 3-3. All three goals came down the left; there is nowhere to hide on the astro, it can quickly turn into a long day if you’re not yet at the level of the opposition.
Mark O’Sullivan rang the changes, and his side responded with two goals to ensure a nervy finish. Michael O’Sullivan latched onto a ball over the top before slotting home Portumna’s first goal. Martin Touhy was the next to wheel away after scoring, the central midfielder finishing within a crowded penalty area for his third of the season.
Henry Newman had emptied his bench by this point and was no doubt wondering if he had he acted prematurely. But not to worry, McBride came to the rescue to kill the game off with a fourth goal while substitute Ryan Loughnane added a fifth with the last kick of the game.
Eanna McBride was involved in every goal and will deservedly take the headlines, but Sean Paddy Guerins was equally important on the day for Harps.
Harps head coach Johnny Coleman is coming in for increasing praise of late, not only for his tactical influence, but also his attention to detail and man management. His next task, though, is a daunting one: who will replace Szymon Popiela? Having moved back to Poland, the number 10 leaves a huge hole in the team; BT Harps no longer have that unpredictable element, the X-factor, a player who can produce a moment from nothing.
Rearcross ‘B’ 4-1 Holycross
Much like last week, when a second division team knocked a premier division team out of the Tipperary Cup, this result will not come as that big of a shock to people following the NT&DL closely; Holycross are at a crossroads, a big rebuilding job lies ahead.
Rearcross had the greater share of possession from the start, with the visitors opting to sit off and hit on the counter. Indeed, the gameplan seemed to be paying off when Audie Lohan capitalised on a defensive mix-up, Holycross taking the lead against the run of play in the 36th minute.
Rea’ responded just before the break when the experienced Kieran Devitt got his head on a Donnie O’Brien corner. The visitors frustrated Rea’ for most of the second half, with young Jojo Ryan pulling off some great saves. Despite controlling the game for large spells, Rearcross manager Colm Nolan was not shy in utilising his large panel throughout the second half.
Rearcross finally found what they were looking for in the 79th minute when Max Carroll’s effort from the edge of the box dipped just in time to find its way under the crossbar. In what was his first game back in four years, Colm Kennedy extended the home side’s advantage a few minutes later from a Gavin Denihan. At 53 years young, substitute Gary Ryan concluded the scoring in the 89th minute with a free kick
Rea’s reward is a home tie against premier division BT Harps ‘A’.
First Division
Grange United ensured their own safety and also confirmed Portumna’s title win by emphatically defeating a depleted Borrisoleigh side 5-0 in Templemore on Sunday.
Scoreless at the break, the floodgates sprang open just five minutes after the restart when the ageless Tommy Brophy netted his seventh of the season.
Grange were playing more attacking, fluid football now, and Stevie Finan was leading the line brilliantly, bringing everyone around him into the game. Scorer turned provider next; Brophy teeing up a man who is 17 years his junior, Scott Coyle, on the hour mark. Coyle doubled his tally shortly after, and it was one-way traffic now.
Substitute Timmy Guidera added to the tally with his first touch, and he grabbed an assist with his second, Darren Drennan capping off a player of the match performance.
Borrisoleigh have now won just one of their last seven meetings with Grange United.
Nora Kennedy Cup
Having lost away to BT Harps ‘B’ a week prior in the Tipperary Cup and also losing at home to the same opposition in a recent league encounter, Birdhill were determined to make amends when Harps visited on Sunday afternoon and they progressed to the next round of the Nora Kennedy Cup with a 3-2 win.
Right from the off, Anthony Floyd and Francis Merrigan’s side took the game to BT, with Conor Floyd leading the charge at centre forward, ably supported by Liam King on the left and Colin Floyd on the right.
The midfield trio of Sean Wrynn, Sean Nolan and Shane Geraghty dominated the early exchanges and ensured a good supply of ball to the front line. King opened the scoring midway through the first half, finishing at the back post after good work down the right by Colin Floyd.
The defensive quartet of Craig Doyle, Will Murphy, Matt O’Flaherty and Brian Tobin dealt competently with any BT attacks, whilst keeper Keith Hogan proved equal to any shots that came his way.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with the home side taking the game to BT. They were rewarded with a second goal from Liam King midway through the half when he struck a fine effort from just inside the box. A third gaol followed shortly afterwards when Conor Floyd scrambled the ball home from close range.
However, to their credit, BT Harps refused to give up and pulled one back with fifteen minutes to go. As the game headed into injury time, Harps scored a second to make it a nervy finish for the home side but the Birdhill defence held firm to see out an unexpected win. Birdhill are away to Templetuohy in the quarter final.