Tipperary soccer league - three teams chase Division 1 title

Division One has traditionally been the most competitive of all the leagues in the TSDL and while there are less teams challenging at the top of the table this Christmas than in years past, it’s still looking like a title race that will go right down to the wire.

 Topping the table when the crackers will be pulled are Two Mile Borris who were relegated from the Premier League last May but are hoping to make a very quick return less than twelve months later. Under the stewardship of former player Danny Graham the Newhill Park side have put in some excellent league performances and will feel that they are a match for any other side in the division with them.

And right behind them on their coattails are the other side who were relegated with them, Glengoole United who too will be looking for a quick return to Premier football. These teams have already produced a number of cracking games against each other this year, with each tie crackling with the kind of intensity that only a local derby can produce.

And right behind the first two, and the team who have lead the table for most of the year are the St Michael’s seconds, who would dearly love to emulate their first team counterparts and deliver both the Premier League and First Division titles.

Used as the finishing school for the famous club, this team mixes a blend of excellent youth players with a few grizzled older hands who are helping the younger players to make that jump to the higher level.

Overall these three teams will make for a riveting title race over the course of the next few months.

 THE BOTTOM FIVE

After the three at the top however, there is a big gap to the bottom five with any of the clubs potentially facing relegation should a few successive results not go their way.

Slieveardagh United and Peake Villa’s seconds have points on the board which is always crucial when any team could produce a winning performance on any given day.

Below them newly promoted Wilderness Rovers have not been rewarded for some good performances as they learn that there is a jump from Second to First Division football, and they will certainly feel they need to add a few more to the win column to feel safe in the New Year.

 The bottom two spots are filled by Rosegreen Rangers and Cullen Lattin. Rosegreen have been hit with a double whammy this season in that they have had to move from their beloved Nijinsky Park while new upgrades have been made to the pitch, with an exciting rebuilding plan going ahead, and they have lost some players to resurgent local rivals Cashel Town.

Given the scale of the development taking place in the village, it would be a pity if the club dropped a division before they managed to play their first game there, but knowing them they will not give up their status easily.

 The final spot is taken by a Cullen Lattin side who have struggled a little in recent years and will need to bring through some of their excellent Youth players and hope that they can give them a lift, or I fear they will be playing in the Second Division come next August.