Nolan hat-trick sees Harps go clear at the top

SOCCER: North Tipperary & District League Review

By Gary Culbert

PREMIER DIVISION

Game of the Week: BT Harps 6-0 Holycross

A hat-trick of Stevie Nolan screamers did most of the damage as BT Harps made light work of a heavily depleted Holycross in Michael Fennell Park, Templemore on Sunday.

The former Irish underage international got the scoring started on the quarter-hour with a powerful strike into the top corner from outside the area. He followed that up with an even better strike four minutes later to effectively kill the tie.

Jack Dwan offered a good out-ball for Holycross on the counter down the left, but they were just missing far too many first teamers on the day to trouble Harps.

Having just got off the plane from Australia, new signing Neil Quinlan added a third Harps goal just after the half-hour mark, with young striker Ryan Loughnane adding another shortly after to leave Harps four goals clear at the interval.

Last season’s quadruple winners rang the changes at the break with Dean McEnroe making his first appearance of the season. The first change saw skipper Corman Foy leave the field, with 15-year-old Kailum O’Meara taking the armband in his stead. Not many 15-year-olds can say they captained the NT&DL Premier Division league leaders.

The other change saw Jack Johnson make a return to the fold after missing a number of games. His sudden return to Harps brought some slagging from his teammates, of which he quickly silenced with a high-quality goal from outside the box less than five minutes after entering the field.

Stevie Nolan completed his hat-trick with ten minutes a remaining, when he capped off a perfect display by curling a beautiful free-kick around the wall and in off the post.

Thomas Dwan’s Holycross side will not linger too long at all on the result, with attention quickly turning to the visit of Shinrone United to Glenbane Park next Sunday.

Player of the Match: Stevie Nolan (BT Harps)

BT Harps (4-2-3-1): Cian Sheedy (8); Lorcan Campion (7), Neil Quinlan (7), Jack Kennedy (8), Lyndon Fairbrother (7); Stevie Nolan (10), Rhys Loughnane (8); Joe Burke (7), Cormac Foy (Capt 9), Killian Fennell (7); Ryan Loughnane (8). Subs: Dean McEnroe (6) for Bourke (45), Joe Foy (6) for Ryan Loughnane (45); Dayle Hogan (6) for Fairbrother (45); Kailum O’Meara (6) for Foy (65); Jack Johnson (8) for Kennedy (65).

Holycross (4-2-3-1): Jojo Ryan (6); Emmet Ryan (6), Kyle Denny (7), Cathal Hevey (Capt 7), Paudie O'Reilly (6); Sean Britton (8), Aaron Ryan (7); Jack Dwan (8), Jack Ryan (6), Seamie Dwan (6); Gavin Ryan (7). Subs: David Manning (6) for J Ryan (40); Tadgh Bourke (6) for E Ryan (45); Oisin Joyce (6) for O’Reilly (60)

Referee: David Butler

UEFA Regions Cup

There will be no game next weekend for BT Harps as their captain, Sean Paddy Guerins is on amateur duty international duty. Back in March, Munster won the 2026 FAI Amateur Inter-Provincial Tournament, thus earning the right to represent all of Ireland at the 2026/27 UEFA Regions' Cup, Europe’s top amateur football competition.

The first round of qualifying takes place over the next week in Cork. The Republic of Ireland have been drawn in group 8 alongside Belarus, who will represented by the region of Uzda; Croatia, who will represented by the region of Split; and Malta.

Next Sunday, November 1st, Sean Paddy Guerins will captain his country as they take on Belarus in Turners Cross, Cork. He will be well supported as a bus-load of his BT Harps teammates are travelling down to Cork for the 7.30pm kick-off.

Ireland take on Malta on Wednesday, November 4th, before concluding their first round of qualifying on Saturday, November 7th with a 3.00pm kick-off against Croatia.

This Munster side will hope to channel the heroics of the 2015 Irish representative side, who won the tournament outright on home soil.

DIVISION 2A

Because of the inclement weather, few games survived last weekend but one of those saw Rearcross ‘B’ stretch their legs at the top of the Division 2A table with a comfortable 6-2 win at home to Shinrone United ‘B’ on Sunday.

The match kicked off in windy conditions, while Rea’ themselves had wind in their sails following three wins on the trot. Colm Carey’s side got off to another good start in their bid to make it four when a Gary Ryan corner found Oisín Reynolds free at the back post to open the scoring on sixteen minutes.

The hosts second goal started out on the left with Eoghan Kavanagh combining well with Gavin Denihan and Mikey Feehan before slotting it into the bottom right to make it 2-0 with just twenty minutes played. Not long after, a ball broke for in-form Feehan, who unselfishly passed it to Paddy Carey just inside the box to make it 3-0 on the half hour.

The first half continued in Rea’s favour but the league leaders were unable to add any more to their impressive tally before half-time. Rea’s relaxing time did not last long however, as a handball in the area within a minute of the restart saw Shinrone find the net from a penalty, with Derek McLouglin coming out of retirement to make it 3-1.

Heaving weathered some slight pressure, Mikey Feehan restored Rea’s three-goal cushion once more, with goalkeeper Tom Dwyer providing the assist with a kick out. Feehan let the kick-out bounce past him before drilling through the hands of the keeper making to leave it 4-1 with 25 minutes to go.

Another bouncing ball saw Feehan net his fifth of the season, a fine scooped effort over the luck-less keeper. Shinrone scored their second consolation goal after a cross from the right caused a scramble at the back post, with Michael McCarthy eventually putting it in the net for 5-2 with a little over ten minutes remaining.

For Rea’s sixth and final goal of the match, Padraig Mannix got the ball at the left side of the box before playing it into the middle for David Brennan to find the bottom corner, making it maximum points so far in the league for Rearcross.

Paddy Tuohy and Mark McCarthy continued their fantastic goal scoring form as Ballymackey ‘B’ ran out 7-0 winners over Knigh United ‘B’ on Sunday.

Ballymackey are in some serious form under Paul Duffy and they should have been in front after just two minutes, only for Paddy Tuohy to clear his own players shot off the Knigh line. Bally didn’t have to wait long though to steal in front with Dylan Delaney firing in from close range on the quarter hour, with Tuohy doubling the lead shortly after.

Shane Gibbons almost got the goal that his dominant performance from right back deserved, but his long-range effort clipped the top side of the bar instead of the underside. Dylan Delaney chipped narrowly wide when a goal looked more likely, before Paddy Tuohy got down low to head in for 3-0 on the half-hour mark. Tuohy should have had another just minutes later, before Knigh headed narrowly over from a corner with one of their rare chances.

In the second half, Ballymackey defender Eddie Eyan fired over from a corner, before substitute Mark McCarthy chipped in for Bally just after the hour mark. Adam McAuliffe crossed for Barry O'Connell shortly after for 5-0, before Mark McCarthy completed his thirty-minute cameo with two more goals towards the end of the contest.

Jack Doran and Dylan Delaney impressed in midfield for the hosts while Shane Gibbons was the standout player in defence, and Paddy Tuohy continues to look electric up top.

YOUTHS

BT Harps Friday night trip to Rearcross was worth it as they came from behind to win 4-3.

The hosts were 3-2 up at the break with their goals coming from Kayden Amodeo and a brace from Jack Nolan but BT rallied thanks in no small part to player of the match Michael McCarthy. BT Harps found the net through a Bo Feehan brace, and a goal apiece for Dominik Boroch and Daniel Cummins to claim the three points and move up the table.