Powerstown edge Moyglass United in thrilling Tipperary League title play-off

Clonmel Credit Union Division 3 League Play-Off

Powerstown 5 Moyglass United 4

Weeks ago these two teams played out an absorbing 3-3 draw on the final day of the season, to send the destination of the Third Division title to a play-off, but even that thriller paled in comparison to the entertainment served up on Friday night at Clonmel Celtic’s ground, when Powerstown finally took the silverware after a nine-goal thriller, in front of a large crowd on a sun drenched summer’s evening.

Moyglass United had the better of the early exchanges, without ever really testing the Powerstown keeper, and at the other end, the closest Powerstown came were a series of free kicks from Gino Lonergan.
But Lonergan was in the thick of the action for the first goal of the game, when a ball from the left wing found him in space in the area, only to see him taken down by a clumsy challenge, and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. He stood up, brushed himself down, and sent the keeper the wrong way to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.

Minutes later Moyglass United thought they had found a leveller only to see Stephen Holohan’s long range effort skim the crossbar and go over the top.
The teams traded chances after this, and on the half hour mark, a Moyglass United turnover in the centre of the pitch saw Lonergan send Cathal McKeown away, but his shot went agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

GOAL OF THE GAME
And five minutes later they were left to rue the miss even more, when Moyglass United got their opening goal, and probably the score of the night. Some deft work down the right-hand side, saw the ball find Jamie Morrissey with his back to goal, and seemingly going nowhere. But a brilliant back heel took two defenders out of the game and found Jack Hayes in space, and he delivered an exquisite cross onto the head of Adam Lyons who gave the keeper no chance in the goal.

However, only three minutes later that good work was undone when Cathal McKeown was taken down in the Moyglass penalty area, and Gino Lonergan stepped up to score his own and his side’s second penalty of the night, to send Powerstown to the break, 2-1in front.

McKEOWN MAGIC
Powerstown produced a lightning start to the second half, when within five minutes, Cathal McKeown played his brother Brian in behind the Moyglass United defence, and from outside the area, he rifled the ball into the bottom right corner giving the keeper no chance.
The crowd seemed to sense that the game may be going away from Moyglass United , but they were not in the mood to throw the towel in yet, and five minutes later, reduced the deficit to a single goal, when Keith Cleere won the ball in a tight space in the area and teed up Adam Lyons to side foot to the net from eight yards out.

They looked to have squared the game up two minutes after when Jamie Morrisey curled a brilliant pass to the feet of Darragh Hurley, but the onrushing Kieran Quirke made a brilliant save from the initial shot, and Hurley slid the rebound just wide of the post.

But the pressure was building and shortly after the hour mark, a Morrissey free kick was parried by the Powerstown shotstopper into the path of Jack Hayes and he kept his cool to slide the ball into the bottom corner of the net and level the game at 3-3.

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Moyglass United then shot themselves in the foot again, when almost from the next Powerstown attack, Aaron Hannigan played an inch perfect ball in behind which Cathal McKeown got on the end of and placed into the left bottom corner.

Moyglass United were relentless in looking to level the game again, and 15 minutes from time a corner found its way to the back post but was headed just wide.

Eleven minutes from time, it looked like Powerstown had finally put the game to bed when they scored their fifth of the night. An innocuous throw-in on the left-hand side was missed by the Moyglass United defence and their hesitation was pounced upon by Brian McKeown who sprinted clear to fire home to the delight of his and his team’s supporters.

But Moyglass United came back again seven minutes from time. They played some excellent football in the middle of the pitch to eventually find substitute Brian Delahunty, and he delivered a sublime curling effort beyond the keeper’s reach to set up a grandstand finish.

Moyglass United peppered Powerstown in those last five minutes, but the defence put in a great shift to ensure they would not be beaten again and deliver the club’s first league title since its foundation just last year and also capped a great season with a Shield trophy won.