Shinrone virtually end Ardcroney title hopes
North Tipperary and District League Review
By Gary Culbert
Premier Division
Ardcroney 0-2 Shinrone United
Second-half goals from father-son duo, Derek & Riann McLoughlin boosted Shinrone United’s title credential and in the process seriously hurt table toppers Ardcroney’s faint hopes on Sunday.
It is now a three-horse race for the title, with pre-season predictions - that the newly promoted first division teams would be the main competitors for BT Harps - looking more and more accurate as the season progresses.
Shinrone were on top from the start and should have been ahead when Riann McLoughlin rounded goalkeeper Kevin Shinners before squaring to DJ McLoughlin, but the big man fired over from five yards out.
Having played centre half all year, Ardcroney moved Andrew Hayes to left back specifically to mark Paul Lake. The 20-year-old defender showed impressive intelligence and restraint to subdue the lightning-quick Lake.
Ardcroney grew into this cagey affair midway through the half. The sides went in scoreless at the break, and it would have taken a brave punter to say which way the game would go in the second half. The game took a wild change of direction just before the hour mark, when Paul Lake received his second yellow card. Ardcroney’s tails were up, and they thought their title charge was back on track when Paul Molloy put the ball in the net, but the linesman’s flag came up.
The Shinrone manager had seen enough; in the 65th minute, Declan Mullally brought Derek McLoughlin and Lee Doran on. Once again, McLoughlin proved that quality is better than quantity, as the experienced number 10 had the ball in the net five minutes after coming on. The 45-year-old’s game time is becoming increasingly limited, in what looks to be his farewell season after three hugely successful decades of adult soccer. His skill has not faded, as evidenced by his first-time weak-foot volley from 25 yards out, finishing into an empty net following a loose pass from the Ardcroney keeper.
The visitors put the game to bed in the 75th minute when Riann McLoughlin latched onto a through ball from Michael Cordial and calmly finished under the keeper.
Notably, it is two league wins in a row now where Derek McLoughlin has come off the bench to score with immediate effect, and Cordial has later assisted the younger McLoughlin with a through ball.
The worrying trend of Ardcroney not troubling the opposition from play continues. Their title race is run now, but it is not too late to have a go in the cups, but a drastic change in approach is needed for that to happen. Glen Austin and Eddie Coonan don’t generally make wholesale changes to their team. Currently, too many of their best footballers are stuck on the ball in deep, ineffective areas: Kieran Spain, Matthew Moyles, and Jack Daly all need to be moved to the front three, whilst Andrew Hayes needs to be given the freedom of a wing-back role to affect the game more.
Shinrone won the midfield battle thanks to the hard work of Kian Fallon, Coley Cleary, Scott Kelly, and Peter Cleary. Whilst the centre back pairing of Michael Cordial and Rian Dempsey did well to repel the aerial threat of Ardcroney’s set pieces.
BT Harps 12-0 Arra Rovers
A total football display from a fired-up BT Harps ensured a miserable night for bottom of the table Arra Rovers in Templemore on Friday night.
Henry Newman made three changes to the outfield personnel, but it felt like he changed the entire eleven: there was a renewed hunger and desire.
It's true that Harps were a little flat against Portumna the week previous. Newman and coach Johnny Coleman must have read the riot act after that win because the intensity that they drew out of their players was incredible. One thing is for sure: they are all fighting for their place on the team now.
The introduction of Jamie Bergin has filled the gap left by Szymon Popiela and added competition to an already stacked squad. And sure enough, it was the debutant who stole the headlines with a hat-trick on his return.
Against Portumna, Harps lined up in a conventional and rigid 4-3-3, with somewhat attacking full backs. But on Friday, it was an extremely fluid 4-2-2-2, with nearly all the width coming from full-backs Cain Russell and Lyndon Fairbrother.
Arra Rovers will get a lot of stick for conceding twelve goals, but it must be stressed that it was more a case of Harps playing well than the visitors performing poorly. They were pinned into their own box, and even when they did get the ball, the high press from Harps ensured they weren't allowed to hold onto it; it was wave after wave of attack.
Harps pushed on, leaving Sean Paddy Guerins on his own to cover the entire width of the defence on the halfway line. Cormac Foy and Jack Johnson were an absolute joy to watch, with the latter's low centre of gravity a real asset in the dribble. Foy's willingness to get on the ball and make things happen made him stand out on the night as the player of the match. His two goals were extremely well taken: a curler from a central area which dinged in off the post, and a looping lob from 30 yards out. He is a fine winger, but it's fair to say that Foy does his best work when given a free role.
Harps goal-scorers were Eanna McBride (3, 1 penalty), Jamie Bergin (3), Cormac Foy (2), Jack Kennedy, Sean Patrick Guerins, Dean McEnroe, and Ben Stapleton.
Henry Newman can afford to stack the team with attackers against bottom of the table Arra, but there are far tougher tests to come in the league, none of which will be at home with Harps are yet to go away to Shinrone, Moneygall, Ballymackey, Rearcross, and Ardcroney.
Arra Rovers have a Premier Division title under their belt in recent years, which the history books will show long after this result is forgotten. But it is also true that the sooner Dermot O'Halloran's side reaches the respite of the first division, the better; a big rebuilding job lies ahead, but they have the youth to do it.
Harps should not, and will not, read too much into this scoreline; there are far tougher tests to come. However, Newman and his backroom team will be quietly pleased with the response following last week's lacklustre performance.
Tipperary Cup
Knigh United continued their giant-killing spree with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Borroway Rovers in Thurles on Sunday to book a home quarter-final.
The tight quarters in Loughtagalla Park meant the game was a real battle. Nevertheless, Knigh opened the scoring through a smart chip from Darren Moran, who continued his purple-patch by catching the keeper off his line. Energetic midfielder Alan Flynn followed suit ten minutes later from all of 35 yards out to double the visitors' advantage. Neil Cahalan had a chance to put the game to bed in the first half, but his one-on-one shot was well saved by Rover’s keeper, Lorcan Cummins.
The home side’s perseverance paid off just before the break with player-manager David Bourke letting fly on a fifty-fifty ball following a set-piece, pulling a goal back.
The second half continued in the same vein, but the telling moment came when Borroway had a big penalty shout turned down. Knigh had a couple of good chances to extend their lead, but neither side found the net again.
Knigh’s Alan Flynn was the player of the match, whilst Shane Dempsey and Damo Walczak were the best for Borroway.
The craziest game of the weekend saw five goals hit the net in extra time, with some heroic performances from new-look Cloughjordan defeat Shinrone United ‘B’ 5-4.
There was a penalty each in both normal and extra time, with Shinrone’s coming in the 90th minute to force extra time under the lights. Clough led 2-0 in normal time, then 3-2 and 4-3 in extra time. Shinrone would just not go away, each time finding a route back into the game, until finally, a Martin Grace penalty put Clough 5-4 up, and at last, Shinrone ran out of time.
For Clough, young Jack Quinlisk was extremely impressive in his first game of the season, while Danny Parker showed great endurance late on to win the telling penalty.
Special mention must go to player-manager Martin Grace, who came off the bench late on to score twice, one of which was a cracker, and also to Kalum D'Arcy for putting one in the net when he was sent up top for a rest due to cramp. John Pio Fitzpatrick and Eoghan McLoughlin impressed up top for Shinrone.
Credit to Shinrone for agreeing to split the cost of renting BT Harps’ exceptional facilities. It was the third week of trying to fulfil this fixture.