And then there were two!
SOCCER: North Tipperary and District League Review
By Gary Culbert
The NT&DL Premier Division title race will be decided on the final day of the season in Shinrone, in a mouth-watering winner-takes-all encounter between newly promoted Shinrone United and the current standard bearers, BT Harps. It is understood that the finale between the top two will take place on the weekend of May 17th.
Ballymackey 1-3 BT Harps
A trio of very different finishes during a twenty minute spell in the first half has left BT Harps one win away from the NT&DL Premier Division title after coming through their tricky tie away to Ballymackey on Sunday.
The early stages saw Harps threaten from set-pieces, with the captain of the Ireland junior team at the upcoming UEFA Regions’ Cup, Sean Paddy Guerins, dominant in the air at both ends of the pitch.
The floodgates finally opened in the 12th minute following consecutive Ballymackey goal kicks that failed to stick. Eanna McBride capitalising with a delicate lob over the onrushing keeper. Harps’ lead was doubled when Guerins headed back across goal for Eanna McBride to head in from close range. Any faint hopes of a comeback were all but extinguished when Eanna McBride turned in a Sean 'Pigeon' Purcell cross for 3-0.
Again, Harps went down Sam Rosney's side, with Jack Kennedy launching a booming cross field ball for Pigeon flying down the right, who in-turn picked out Eanna McBride for goal number 24 of the season.
Cathal Conneally fired in a consolation goal late on, a daisy cutter from 25 yards out, which was the pick of the goals.
There was no grandstand finish, meaning it is now a two-horse race for the title between Shinrone United and BT Harps.
Kevin Fogarty Tipperary Cup
Ballymackey 2-0 Moneygall
After an impressive first season back in the Premier Division, Moneygall’s involvement in all three competitions came to an end during a challenging seven-day period.
Last Wednesday, Billy Hayes’ side took on Ballymackey in the Tipperary Cup quarter final just three days after a physically demanding 2-0 loss to BT Harps in the Premier Cup semi-final.
Ballymackey broke the deadlock in the 70th minute through an Aidan White header, his 28th goal of the season. Moneygall threw caution to the wind and were caught on the counter with ten minutes remaining, substitute Cathal Spillane with the goal.
Second Division
Moneygall ‘B’ secured promotion to the first division on Monday evening with a 4-0 win over Rearcross ‘B’ in the final game of their season, thus becoming the first club in over ten years to have two teams in the top two divisions - a great achievement for manager Ben Quinlan and assistant Kelvin Coughlan.