Dream of quick return to FAI Junior Cup final ends for Tipperary Town side

FAI Junior Cup Quarter-Final

VILLA FC (Waterford) 2 ST MICHAEL'S 0

Tipperary Town side St Michael’s lost out on Sunday to the 2022 winners Villa FC, who were worthy winners on the day. However, Saints will rue a good spell towards the end of the first half that didn’t yield any reward as the part of the game that may have cost them a chance of victory.

It was nervy, edgy start, with both teams looking for a way to get the opening goal. Jimmy Carr, playing a captain’s role, had an inspired period in the minutes before half-time, winning numerous frees and putting in a series of good crosses that Saints really should have capitalised on.

For the first half an hour the Waterford city side were reduced to hopeful long balls towards Aaron O’Connor but they came to nought all too often.

The defining moment of the first half came 11 minutes before the break when Villa won a free on the left and Saints goalkeeper Adrian Walsh misjudged his punch, allowing Conor Kilgallon to head home a soft goal, which was massive in what was always going to be a tight game.

Villa were quickly out of the blocks in the second half and took control of the game, pressing the TSDL side back for long periods. Crucially they were winning the vital second balls, and on 67 minutes shoved a dagger in the hearts of the Saints when a good move saw Dylan Walsh finish to the net.

This deflated the Tipp team but they tried hard to steady the ship. However, it all became a bit frantic and when that happens you rarely tend to get the luck you sometimes need.

In the end time ran out on St Michael’s but they can be proud of their effort, not just on Sunday but over the last number of years, where they have always been a name to fear in this most brutal of competitions.