Youths Football in Tipperary - Division 1 wins for Clonmel Celtic and Cahir Park

TSDL Youths Division 1

Clonmel Celtic 3 – 1 Cashel Town

Clonmel Celtic welcomed in form Cashel Town to the Bypass with both teams unbeaten in the league, in what promised to be an excellent game of football, and both teams delivered on the day.

It was the visitors who settled quickest and took the lead after just five minutes when Cillian Fitzgerald rose at the back post to head his side in front.

This lead to a period of dominance over the next quarter of an hour, and they were unlucky not to extend their lead on a few occasions, the closest being when a shot dropped onto the top of the home net when it seemed goal bound.
But the home side managed to get to the break only a single goal behind, and regrouped, coming back out in the second period much more settled and determined to get something from the game.

The introduction of Luke Hannigan proved to be a big difference and within five minutes, he had hit the post with a great first-time effort. The home side continued to create chances but couldn’t convert until a Jack Aylward free kick was flicked home by Cillian O’Brien to level just after the hour mark.

Once they were level, Celtic took over the game and with 15 minutes to play fashioned an excellent move to free Hannigan in space in the Cashel area, and he fired his side in front with a rasping effort.

Both teams had chances in the last ten minutes of the game, with the away side desperate to get something from the tie. However it was Celtic that added a third in the last minute from a Jack Aylward free kick, and assured that all three points were staying with the home team.

Clonmel Town 3 – 5 Cahir Park

Both teams added to an eight-goal spectacular in this game, with the sides playing high octane, high pressing games right from the get go.

The first chances fell to the visitors, but they were wasteful and had to see Town open the scoring in the 12th minute when Harry Tobin took a ball to the end line before cutting back to Nazari Melnik to fire home from the middle of the area.
But they weren’t able to hold onto that lead for long and within six minutes were level.

The remainder of the second half was played mainly in midfield, with both sides creating half chances, and looked like going to the break without any more goals until Harry Tobin once again split the visiting defence, this time playing in Milo McNamara to calmly finish past the keeper and restore the home side’s lead, a lead they took to the break.

With their tails up, the hosts continued to press and early in the second period, they added a third when Melnyk broke into the box and slotted home his second of the day.

But then a crazy five-minute spell saw the home side hand back all that advantage when they conceded two soft goals to their opponents, set up a fantastic finale to the game.

The final turning point came when the home side were reduced to ten players after losing Jayden Mullery to injury after they hadd used all their available substitutes, and Cahir Park took advantage of the extra player by adding two late goals to take the points on a scoreline of five goals to three.