Harps are the nearly men no more
BT Harps 3
Sallypark Odhrans 0
BT Harps secured some much deserved silverware to mark their 2018-2019 season with victory over Sallypark Odhrans in the Tipperary Cup Final on Sunday.
The win sees Johnny Doran’s side claim a deserved trophy in what had been a frustrating season where they ran Killavilla United close in the league and lost the Ricky Fogarty Cup final on penalties to the same opposition, while also reaching the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup.
Harps were heavily fancied coming into this final due to their Premier division status and impressive performances this season and they wore the favourites tag well securing a straightforward win over their Division 1 opponents.
The game began in terrible conditions with driving rain and hail accompanying tip off but credit to Harps for immediately getting the ball down and passing it about midfield. The wind favoured the Templemore side and they took full advantage by pinning Sallypark back inside their own half and keeping up sustained pressure for the opening quarter of an hour. That pressure seemed to have paid off when Stefan Leahy fired home on 15 minutes only to have his effort ruled out for offside.
The reprieve was short-lived for Sallypark though as Stapleton put Harps ahead on twenty minutes, striking home after the ball broke in the box following a set-piece. Sallypark protested what they saw as a clear foul in the build-upto the goal but referee Jim McGrath was unmoved and the Templemore side had the lead that their dominance deserved.
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MATCH DIGEST
Man of the Match: Jordan Moloney (BT Harps)
BT Harps: Shane Scully, Jack Kennedy, Eoin Moloney, Johnny Coleman, Cathal Scully, Jordan Moloney, Dean McEnroe, Ben Stapleton, Martin Harty, Stefan Leahy, Luke Quinlan
Subs: Brian Rich for McEnroe, Nick Lane for Quinlan.
Sallypark Odhrans: Damien Corcoran, Cian Heffernan, Eoin Ryan, Matthew Stapleton, Paddy Ronan, Kevin Kennedy, Joe Shanahan, Aaron Reid, Pádraig Ryan, Alvis Danko, Patrick O’Connell
Subs: James Devaney for O’Connell, David Young for Danko, Tim McCutcheon for Shanahan, Mark O’Dwyer for Reid, Paddy Shanahan for Kennedy.
Referee: Jim McGrath.