Comprehensive wins for all the big guns in Tipperary Premier League

Peake Villa 5 – 0 Clonmel Celtic
Peake Villa were in ruthless mood when they dispatched Clonmel Celtic on Sunday morning underneath a warm sun in Thurles, with barely a breeze of note.

They were on their game right from the off and opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ronan McGuire fired home, with his effort going in off the post. But Celtic soon settled and created some good chances during the first half, forcing Shane McGuire into some good saves in the Thurles side’s goal to keep his side in front.

Peake thought they had a second goal five minutes before the break, when Pippy Carroll found the net with a good header, but the referee called play back for an earlier foul and the goal was chalked off.
With only a single goal advantage at the break, the Thurles side took the game to the visitors in the second half and the goal of the game came in the 57th minute with good build-up play and a fine finish from Dale Loughnane to the bottom corner of the net to double the home side’s lead.

They scored again nine minutes later when Darragh Byrne did well down the right and crossed to Keith Cahill, who laid a ball off to Ronan McGuire to score his second, and he secured his hat-trick two minutes later to put Villa 4-0 up and well on their way to victory.

Pippy Carroll finally got the goal his good play deserved six minutes from time, to wrap up the scoring and the three points on offer.

Clonmel Town 5 – 0 Bansha Celtic
This was the reverse fixture of the same tie the previous weekend, when Clonmel Town dropped two vital points in their title chase, but they were never going to be caught out twice, and took all three points after a comprehensive victory over a Bansha Celtic team now free of the spectre of relegation.
Town started well and opened the scoring in the 15th minute when some excellent one-touch football saw Cillian Crowe being played through to slot the ball past the ‘keeper.

They were completely dominant after this, and some sloppy defending by the Bansha Celtic defence allowed Ashley Laslett to latch onto a half-volley to put his side two up just after the half-hour mark.
Jack O’Donnell put the game to bed with another excellent team goal right on half-time, and although Bansha chose to sit deeper in the second period, they were constantly faced with waves of Town attacks.

Rhys O’Regan made it 4-0 15 minutes from time, with an excellent strike, and the same player had the final say when when he tapped home his side’s fifth with almost the final kick of the game.

Two Mile Borris 1 – 4 St Michael’s
Although back in another FAI Junior Cup final, the players and managers of St Michael’s will tell people always that the TSDL Premier League title is their bread and butter, and they stayed well in the race for another title this season with a good win away to a much improved Borris side.

The game was scrappy in the first quarter of an hour, and it was unsurprising that the first goal came from a defensive error that was latched onto by Rhys Byron to put the Saints in front.
After that the game settled into a dour midfield battle that had plenty of grit and determination but lacked much quality until two minutes before the break, when Byron struck for a second time, to give his side a comfortable half-time lead.

The game in the second period followed a similar pattern as the first. But Borris were given an opportunity to get back into it when they were awarded a penalty kick just after the hour mark, and Martin Darmody fired to the net.

But they only had the lead cut back to the minimum for less than five minutes when St Michael’s were awarded a penalty kick of their own, and Joey Mulcahy made no mistake from the spot.

The game went into cruise mode after this, and the final score came just two minutes from time when Russell Quirke fired low into the Borris net from just inside the area, to ensure his side took three valuable points as they march on once more towards yet another league title.