Peake Villa get huge shock in Tipperary Cup before advancing; Old Bridge progress

Tipperary Cup (Round 2)

Suirside 2 – 6 Peake Villa
For the first 45 minutes of this tie, Second Division Suirside looked like they were about to pull off the shock of the competition, as they opened up a two-goal lead over Premier League kingpins Peake Villa. But they were blown away by a powerful second half performance by the Thurles side, who will be happy to have gotten from Ardfinnan with the win on Sunday evening.

Very few could have imagined how the game would go as the teams lined up at the start, but the home side were quickly out of the blocks and dominated the early moments of the game, getting the opening goal in the 13th minute when a super ball by David Roncontre was met in the area by the head of Simon Farrell to the delight of their supporters.

Suirside continued to play well throughout the half, and doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark when great work by Paul Kennedy and Jason Coffey set up Luke O’Brien to finish a goalmouth scramble and leave the Villa players and management shell-shocked. This was how the game went to the break, and Suirside must have expected a reaction from the Munster Junior Cup quarter finalists, and a reaction they got.

Five minutes after the restart, Darragh Byrne brought the deficit back to the minimum with a shot from close range. This was the beginning of a devastating quarter of an hour spell for Villa. Just minutes later they were level when, after two shots were cleared off the line, Evan McCormack finally fired home for his side’s second goal.

It has to be said that during this period Suirside continued to take any chances they had to attack and almost re-took the lead when Paul Kennedy had a shot brilliantly saved by the Villa ‘keeper. But there seemed to be an air of inevitability about Villa going in front, and they eventually did in the 61st minute when Evan O’Dwyer got his first of two goals after good work by his midfield colleagues to make time and space for him in front of goal.

Three minutes later captain and talisman Pippy Carroll got his side’s fourth goal, finishing off another good move, and opening a gap that never looked like being overhauled.

Shortly afterwards Carroll got his second when a corner kick was not cleared adequately, and ten minutes from time O’Dwyer got his second and Villa’s sixth to ensure his side would be there to meet St Michael’s in what should be the tie of the third round, next day out.

Captain Carr inspires St Michael's in FAI Junior Cup win over Hibernians of Waterford

Vee Rovers 1 – 2 Old Bridge
Vee Rovers are having a miserable season in league competition this season and that carried over to the domestic cup on Sunday, when they were dumped out of the Tipperary Cup by a recently resurgent Old Bridge side.

The game was pretty even for the first quarter, but the Bridge eventually opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Jack Burke fired home an effort from the edge of the area.

Rovers didn’t fold immediately after this, and were back on level terms in the 34th minute, thanks to a goal from the penalty spot by Shane McGrath.

Between then and half time, however, Vee’s greatest failing this year, their inability to turn chances into goals, haunted them.

First an effort by Rob Childs cannoned back off the crossbar, and then Tom Quirke also went close.
The Bridge hung in during this time and as the second half progressed got themselves right back into the game, and were given a gilt-edged opportunity to retake the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Rovers’ season was probably encapsulated by what happened next; after a brilliant save by their goalkeeper, Jack Burke was first to react to the rebound and he hammered the ball home from eight yards to put the Clonmel side back in front.

From then on, Vee Rovers huffed and puffed, but never really looked like scoring and went out of the competition with more of a whimper than a bang.