Moneygall hand over the initiative in title race

North Tipperary & District League Review

By Gary Culbert

Premier Division

Ballymackey 4-4 Moneygall

Arriving in Ballinree on Sunday, Moneygall had conceded 7 goals in 14 league games. By the time Robbie Nevin sounded the full-time whistle, their goals against tally had increased by over 50% as their title hopes suffered a blow in a high-scoring draw with Ballymackey.

Moneygall were missing Jack O'Brien, and in truth were far from their best.

Cillian Bergin opened the scoring for the home side inside quarter of an hour after being played in by Aidan White. Niall Maher brought Moneygall level ten minutes later but the league’s top scorer White, got in on the action on the half hour to restore the lead. Despite not being at their best, Moneygall would just not lie down and Maher replied once more to draw the sides level with his ninth league goal of the season.

Ballymackey struck two quick-fire goals from Cillian Bergin and Gavin Ryan left the hosts with a seemingly unassailable 4-2 lead on 75 minutes.

Big-game players were needed now to save Moneygall from limping out of the title race. Cometh the hour cometh the man, Paul Costello came up with a captain's goal to halve the deficit.

With five minutes remaining Moneygall needed a goal from somewhere and big centre half Dylan Hogan came up for a free kick in the 90th minute to head home to level.

Conor Longe had one last chance to snatch victory, but his low effort inside the area was smothered by stand-in keeper Adam Steed.

Since mid-October, Ballymackey have played 15 games, winning 10, drawing 3, and losing only to St Michael's and Shinrone United.

Aidan White has 18 league goals this season and is being talked about for the Player of the Season award. His performances in upcoming games will no-doubt be closely monitored by the Oscar Traynor management team.

An unprecedented three-way play-off could now be required to decide the title race if Moneygall beat Rearcross at home, BT Harps draw with Ballymackey in Ballinree, and BT Harps beat Shinrone United on the final day.

Rearcross 2-3 Holycross

Arra Rovers are the only team currently competing in the NT&DL that have won a Premier Division title in the last decade. However, on Saturday night, they were relegated from the Premier Division when Holycross picked up a rare win in Rearcross.

Gavin Ryan opened the scoring early for Holycross, before second half goals from Michael O’Gorman and Eoghan Kavanagh put Rearcross in front. The visitors drew level on the hour through Clay Lohan and went on to confirm their premier division survival with a Sean Britton strike fifteen minutes later.

First Division Promotion Playoff

Grange United have been promoted to the NT&DL Premier Division following a walkover victory in the First Division promotion play-off against Borrisokane.

The Laois side were due to play Borrisokane on Easter Monday in Michael Fennell Park, Templemore but Borrisokane conceded the game. Having been dormant for 33 years, it has taken Grange United just three years after reforming to climb to the top table of the NT&DL.

Premier Division Ricky Fogarty Cup

With the title race likely being decided by this very fixture in a few weeks’ time, there was far more on the line than just a place in the Ricky Fogarty Cup semi-final when Shinrone hosted BT Harps on Friday evening.

Around five years ago, Brian Mitchell was easily the most exciting young player in the NT&DL. At times for Nenagh Celtic it could easily be argued that he was the best player in the league, but injuries have hampered his career over the past few years.

On Friday night he showed flashes of his very best, and in one performance he provided complete justification for the faith Henry Newman showed by re-signing him from Sallypark this season.

Mitchell scored BT’s three goals in the 5-1 win. His first came inside the opening ten minutes following a long throw, while number two & three were quick-fire strikes around the hour mark. The 25-year-old’s second was the pick of the bunch, a long-distance strike that seemed destined to fly harmlessly over the bar, only to dip under the crossbar at the last second.

When Mitchell gets two, he usually goes on to get three. The winger turned striker’s third was a neat finish inside a crowded area after the ball was pulled back from the endline.

Shinrone had barely accepted Mitchell’s third when Harps fourth goal hit the net in the 65th minute. A ball crossed into the box that was headed in bravely by youth’s player Ryan Loughnane. The free kick for the fourth came following a red card for Shinrone’s Ray Cordial.

Next, Mitchell turned provider for full-back Sean Purcell to make it 5-1 with a tap in at the back post on 72 minutes.

Riann McLoughlin won a penalty late on for Shinrone when he was brought down by goalkeeper Kuba Beben, but it was merely a consolation when DJ McLoughlin converted from the spot.

Kian Fallon was Shinrone’s best performer on an evening to forget at the Community Centre. The Offaly outfit will be hoping for much better home comforts this Sunday when Ardcroney come for their penultimate league game. With injuries and suspensions in key positions, the services of the retired Darren Brown may yet be required.

Second Division Stephen McGrath Cup

Knigh United progressed to the Stephen McGrath Cup final thanks to a nervy 3-2 win at home Moneygall.

The visitors started with the wind on their backs and duly applied pressure from the outset, with a fine team move putting them in front inside ten minutes; Dara Lee firing home after being played through by Danial Quinlan.

Knigh grew into the game and had a goal disallowed for offside just before the break. The league champions started well in the second half and quickly got an equaliser when Bill Cleary applied a tidy finish following a Lenny Rayleigh cross.

When these sides met last in a key league game, a brace of headed goals from corners by Jack Sanders were the difference in a 3-2 win. On Sunday, Moneygall were left sickened when Sanders put Knigh in front on the hour mark following a Davy O’Brien corner. Knigh kept up the pressure and eventually got their third goal with three minutes remaining, when youth’s player Simon Cleary swung in a free for Uziel Fernandes to turn into the net.

Anthony Deveroux pulled one back late on for Ben Quinlan’s side, but it was only a consolation goal in the end. Knigh will face BT Harps ‘B’ in the final, a side they’ve already beaten three times this season.

BT Harps ‘B’ progressed to the semi-finals with a 2-1 extra time victory over Shinrone United ‘B’.

BT started slowly and were punished inside the opening ten minutes when Shinrone’s Eoghan McLoughlin finished to the bottom corner after the home side didn't deal with a long ball. Harps settled and deservedly drew level with a brilliantly struck free kick from Killian Fennell.

BT were in the ascendancy in the second half but couldn't score the winner, so extra time was required. It looked like a penalty shootout would be needed to separate these sides, but a high ball into the box wasn’t dealt with by the Shinrone defence, with Shane Monaghan capitalising to score the winner with seconds left.

BT’s Riad Ait Ouhamou was the player of the match for his reading of the game at centre half.

Ann Gilmour Youth Cup

The strong wind and heavy rain could not dampen the scoring prowess of BT Harps in a 5-1 win over Moneygall in the Ann Gilmour Cup semi-final on Saturday.

Harps started fast with Tom Collier scoring a rocket after just two minutes. It was doubled just a few minutes later when Dominick Boroch found the net. Having made his senior ‘A’ debut the evening prior against Shinrone, 15-year-old Kailum O'Meara scored a fine header to leave Harps three up after 24 minutes. Collier was back on the scoresheet with another fine finish before the interval to leave Moneygall four goals down at the break.

The weather got even worse in the second half, but it would not stop the man of the match, Tom Collier from completing his hat-trick. Moneygall got a late consolation goal through John Carmody.