Tipperary Soccer: St Michael's knocked out of FAI Junior Cup

Villa FC 4 – 2 St Michael’s

TSDL league leaders St Michael’s have a long and proud history in the FAI Junior Cup, but their interest in this year’s competition was ended on Sunday in Waterford when they were comprehensively beaten by local side Villa FC.
The hosts deservedly won the tie at Connors Park, being both slicker in attack and hungrier in defence, and having the visitors on the backfoot for most of the game.
The Waterford side set the tone early on, making Saint’s netminder scramble to keep out a Dean Walsh effort as early as the sixth minute. But as the half progressed both sides battled to try to gain control of a congested middle area, with clear chances at a premium.
Villa eventually drew first blood just before the half hour mark after the ball bobbled around for a bit in the visitor’s area, before John Frederick Tahesi reacted the fastest and fired home from close in.
St Michael’s were almost level minutes later when a free kick from Colin Bargary found Jimmy Carr, but his effort deflected over the bar. Just on half time John O’Brien hit a superb left footed dipping shot which Craig Dunphy did well to touch on to the crossbar, and David Slattery was unable to convert the rebound with Saints appealing for a penalty that never came.
The second half started much the same as the first finished with the home side being snappier on the ball, and they extended their lead in the 52ndminute when a cross was misjudged by a Saints defender and Cian Browne had an easy task to slot home from six yards. This was a hammer blow to Saints and the game was slipping away from them.
Shane Ryan nearly got on the end of a Kenny Cunningham pass but all Saints efforts were frantic and they lacked composure when in possession. Adrian Walsh was much the busier in goals, and made another superb save from Dean Walsh on 64 minutes after John Frederick Tahesi had robbed a ball off Chris Smith. From the resultant corner the ball dropped kindly for Eoghan Rea who headed in to make it 3-0, and it looked like game over in most respects.

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Saints to their credit plugged away and on 69 minutes, Paul Breen turned the ball in following a corner kick to give his side a slim lifeline. But whatever hope they had was snuffed out within three minutes when the excellent Tahesi was on hand to find the net restore the home side’s three goal lead.
Rhys Byron pulled a goal back a few minutes from time, but it was no more than putting some respectability on the score sheet as the Waterford side controlled the game to the end without too much complication.