Antonio Rea's hat-trick rounds of St Michael's league campaign in style

Clonmel Credit Union League Division 1

St Michael’s 3 – 2 Peake Villa

This Division 1 League encounter was an entertaining final game of the season between two youthful sides who tried to play the ball on the deck, and it came alive as early as the fourth minute when Peake Villa’s Danny Treacy played in Kieran Hennessey, who brought a fine save from Robbie McGrath in the Saints goal.

John O’Brien then got in a saving tackle two minutes later to deny Hennessey, before St Michael’s had their first real opportunity in the 12th minute when Danny O’Brien played a good ball towards Josh Flannery but it was just too long and the ‘keeper claimed it.

After that the game settled down into a tough midfield battle, with no real chances until the home side took the lead seven minutes before the break when the ever- dangerous Antonio Rea got in behind the Peake defence and produced a good finish that found the corner of the net.

That was to be the only score in an entertaining first half, and the game was level six minutes into the second when Hennessy finally got the reward for his good play, latching onto a loose ball and turning to shoot to the net from the edge of the area.

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Seven minutes later Peake took the lead when Hennessy again dispossessed Josh Flannery and fired home from close range.

But St Michael’s responded and just after the hour mark they levelled the game after being awarded a penalty that was dispatched to the net by Antonio Rea for his second of the game.
Peake Villa then had a player dismissed twenty minutes from time, and this gave the Saints the impetus to push on looking for a winner, but they were constantly thwarted by an excellent effort from the Thurles side’s defence.

It looked like it was going to finish honours even until the final minute, when substitute Oisin Hogan hit a long ball down the right channel for Danny O’Brien, who laid it back for another substitute Colin O’Grady to find Rea, and he made no mistake, getting his hat-trick. Three goals ensured three points, and a welcome result for a team that struggled at times during the season but can look ahead with renewed hope.