Shock home defeat for Peake Villa blows Tipperary Premier League title race wide open

Clonmel Credit Union Premier League

Peake Villa 0 – 2 Cahir Park

Cahir Park pulled off the result of the weekend when they hit the current champions with first league defeat of the season in Thurles on Sunday afternoon.

Conditions for the game were perfect with the pitch in great condition, and it turned out to be a game of two halves.
The hosts dominated the opening 45 minutes, and Eoin O’Dwyer came close early on when Mick Ryan crossed, but his shot was deflected out for a corner.

Midway through the half a cross from the same side from Micheal Quinlan fell to O’Dwyer but he just couldn’t get that touch that would have put the home side one up.

And five minutes from the break, Villa almost took the lead from a corner, but Ronan McGuire’s shot came back off the post. A dominant half for the champions, but they just couldn't find that opener.

Peake Villa started the second half like the first, but Cahir’s defence was in excellent form and was well marshalled by the experienced Chris Higgins, formerly of St Michael's.

And the home side’s wastefulness almost came back to haunt them three minutes after the hour mark when Cahir broke quickly and home keeper Willie Tierney was forced into a brilliant save with his feet from a Park header.

Try as Villa may, they couldn’t break the visitors down and were dealt a blow with 25 minutes left, when they lost talisman Pippy Carroll to injury.

With Villa pushing on, Cahir were happy to counterattack, and it paid off six minutes from time, when John O’Brien, a former Clonmel Town and St Michael's stalwart, scored with a header.

The home side got caught again on the counterattack three minutes later when Craig Guiry scored a great goal, lobbing the keeper from distance to ensure his side took the points, and blew the title race wide open