Harps slip ups open the door for title rivals

SOCCER: North Tipperary and District League Review

By Gary Culbert

Premier Division

Fortune favours the brave, but sometimes you can be too brave. It was a bold decision by BT Harps to agree play two title rivals in less than 48 hours. At best it was a statement of confidence in their ability, assuredness that they could get the job done.

Whatever BT Harps’ motivations were, one thing is for sure, for Moneygall and Ardcroney it was like showing a red rag to a bull.

If Harps don’t lift the league title this year, the weekend just gone - where they picked up one point from a possible six - will go down in NT&DL folklore as the reason why.

Moneygall 1-0 BT Harps

The first wound to be inflicted on BT Harp’s title charge came at the hands of a physically dominant Moneygall in Moneygall on Friday night.

Much like Arsenal over the years Billy Hayes has built a team packed full of big, strong, physical men. It was their running power and athleticism that saw them get the better of Harps for the third time in a row.

The hosts came out fired up and Niall Maher almost gave them the perfect start after just twenty seconds, but the striker-turned-midfielder saw his lob agonisingly hit the top of the crossbar.

Moneygall’s skipper Mikey Ryan is often labelled as their ‘tone setter.’ He has been seen just for his defensive abilities in the past, but recently the full back is increasingly getting involved in play further up the field. The 23-year-old found himself in the box on the half hour, drawing the foul from Harp’s skipper Sean Paddy Guerins to win a penalty.

Paul Costello made no mistake on this occasion, sending Kuba Beben the wrong way.

The home side now had something to hold onto, a lead to protect which is a dangerous situation for any opposition side coming to the border village, because Moneygall are more than content to sit into a low block and hit you on the counter with their running power.

Harps enjoyed 58% possession across the entirety of the match, but crucially only 19% came in Moneygall’s third of the pitch. The visitors had thirteen shots compared to Moneygall’s 12, but Julian Bentancourt had no notable saves to make.

Harps looked most likely through Cormac Foy and Ben Stapleton, with the latter the target of multiple cross-field diagonals from the laser-accurate Guerins. This type of pass is even more effective on the astro, something that in truth could be said for the quick passing play of the nippy Harps attacking midfielders too.

Best for Moneygall were full backs Mikey Ryan and Dylan Maher, while Cameron Flemming and Niall Maher also impressed in midfield.

Ardcroney 2-2 BT Harps

Just 1 day, 16 hours, and 17 minutes after David Butler sounded the final whistle in Moneygall, Robbie Nevin blew the whistle in Ardcroney for Harps’ second game of the weekend on Sunday.

The home side were incredibly fired up for the visit of the side that had easily brushed them aside back in November. That 3-0 loss in Templemore was the start of the end for Ardcroney’s short title charge. Since that comprehensive defeat, Glen Austin and Eddie Coonan’s side only picked up eight points from a possible 21; before that they had racked up an impressive 19 points from 21 on offer.

Sean Paddy Guerins was one of the few Harps players matching the fight that Ardcroney brought to the table early on, so there was no surprise when the centre half fired the visitors in front just after the half hour. Harps were deserved leaders at half time, but Ardcroney were well in the game, with the tenacious Paul Molloy causing the biggest headache for the visitors.

Ardcroney came out with renewed purpose in the second half and brought even more heart and desire to their game. Andrew Hayes’ last goal was against Harps in last season’s shield. The defender was first on the scene following a corner kick to draw Ardcroney level, finishing from six yards through a crowd of bodies.

Next, Paul Molloy capped off a man of the match display by producing an unorthodox, but quite brilliant front-post finish to give Ardcroney a shock lead.

From here, the home side began to drop deeper in a bid to hold onto their lead. With time running out, it was not clear where the Harps goal was going to come from but after having a quiet game by his own high standards, Cormac Foy broke free from a free kick and turned the ball into the net.

Harps knew that a draw kept them in the title hot seat, whereas a loss would hand the advantage to Moneygall. This message was being conveyed to the players by the management team, but that did not stop Harps piling forward in search of a winner. Had Matthew Moyles been a little more composed on the counter late on, Ardcroney could have stolen all three points.

Paul Molloy and Alan D’Arcy showed great hunger to set the tempo for Ardcroney, while Ronan Clifford, Jack Daly, and Matthew Moyles all looked after the ball well.

Ardcroney are out of the race, but the heart shown in this game will give them good reason to think that they can defeat Ballymackey and Arra Rovers to make it to the Premier Cup final.

Shinrone United 4-2 Ballymackey

A rare brace from Dan Doughan was the difference as Shinrone United ran out 4-2 winners over visiting Ballymackey on Sunday.

The league leaders stormed into a 3-0 lead thanks to a trio of goals from corners inside the opening half hour.

Cian Galvin pulled one back before the break, but a Kian Fallon goal on the hour mark restored the three goal cushion for the hosts. Aidan White pulled one back shortly after, but Shinrone shut up shop after that to claim a precious three points in the title race.

The situation in the title after the weekend is Moneygall are now firmly back in the title race. If they win their final three games (away to Arra, away to Ballymackey, and home to Rearcross) the newly promoted side will finish with 38 points.

If Harps win their final three league games (away to Rearcross, away to Ballymackey, and away to Shinrone United) they will also finish on 38 points, which would force a league title play-off on a neutral ground.

However, none of this will come to fruition if Shinrone United win their final two league games (home to Ardcroney, and home to BT Harps) as the Offaly outfit would finish with 39 points.

To summarise: it looks increasingly likely that the league title will be decided on the final day in Shinrone. Déjà vu anyone?

However, the asterix that will be placed beside the proposed mouth-watering league finale – the draw. In a bizarre and somewhat comical twist of faith, if Shinrone and BT Harps were to win all their remaining games and then draw with each other on the final day of the season, Moneygall would be crowned champions. Are you not entertained?

First Division Barry Cup

Borroway Rovers progressed to the Barry Cup final with a 2-0 semi-final win over Grange United in Thurles on Sunday.

The home side started the better with player/manager David Bourke giving a deserved lead after ten minutes. Tommy Brophy was the biggest threat for Grange; indeed, he was primed to head into the net on twenty minutes but Curtis Ryan made an acrobatic clearance to deny the Thurles native.

The second half was a cagey affair with Grange having a couple of opportunities from set-pieces. Phil Tynan and Steve Finnan were coming to the fore now for the visitors in central midfield, but just as Grange were getting a foothold into the game, their keeper had a moment to forget, which gave Borroway an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Scott Coyle impressed for Grange with Borroway’s David Bourke the player of the match.

The late Joe Callaghan

There was widespread sadness on Sunday as news spread through the North Tipperary footballing community of the sudden and unexpected passing of Joe Callaghan.

Known as Jummy to his teammates, the Moneygall native had hugely successful spells playing for Moneygall, Cloughjordan, Roscrea United, and Killavilla United. Joe had an incredible gift for goal-scoring. The striker’s most lucrative campaigns came in the NT&DL first division, where he rattled the net over thirty times in one season, firstly for Moneygall and later with Cloughjordan.

Joe Callaghan’s funeral Mass is on Wednesday (today) at 12.00pm in St Joseph's Church, Moneygall, burial afterwards in Dunkerrin New Cemetery. May he rest in peace.