Three Tipperary sides advance to open draw stages of FAI Junior Cup

Sallypark Odhrans 0 Peake Villa 3

Peake Villa made the short trip to North Tipperary side Sallypark Odhrans in the final round of the Tipperary section of this season’s FAI Junior Cup, and eased into the open draw section where they will be hoping for a good draw to go deep into this year’s competition.

Despite all the rain the pitch held although it was soft, but that didn’t stop the Thurles side from starting quickly and had the first shot of the game after only two minutes, but the effort was well saved.

That said, Sallypark showed they were no mugs and forced Shane McGuire into early action with a number of efforts of their own.

Eventually though it was the visitors who produced the first bit of real quality and they took the lead in the 13th minute when Robbie Stapleton had a shot that hit the bottom corner leaving the host keeper stranded.

They doubled their lead in the twenty third minute minute when Darragh Byrne made a great run down the wing and put in a super cross that was met by Stapleton on the volley and he made no mistake.

Rampant now, the TSDL side had some more chances before the break with Pippy Carroll and Michael Quinlan coming close.
Sallypark came out in the second half looking to get back in the tie and had the best of the exchanges in the first 15 minutes. But the away side always looked in control and made sure in the 67th minute they struck again after good link up play between Pippy Carroll and Eoin O’Dwyer created a chance which Carroll from close in.

St Michael's 3 Cashel Town 1

St Michael’s booked their place in the open draw round of this season’s FAI Junior Cup with a victory on a rain sodden pitch, in a game that never reached great heights as a contest.

The sides struggled with the heavy pitch in the opening minutes, before the visitors went ahead in the eight minute, courtesy of a penalty kick. Adrian Walsh saved Kyle Ryan's initial effort, but Ryan followed up on the rebound to give his side an unlikely lead.

But they only held the advantage for two minutes, when after conceding a corner kick, they watched David Slattery flick on a Russell Quirke corner and Paul Breen was on hand to score at the far post.

Conditions deteriorated and many passes went astray throughout the half from both sides, and they went to the break all square.

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The home side started the second period with more purpose and took the lead ten minutes in when Chris Higgins rose superbly to head home a well flighted Russell Quirke corner kick. Colin Bargary went close soon after with another header on 61 minutes, before they finally added a third four minutes later.

David Slattery ghosted in at the near post to head home a Kenny Cunningham cross to put the home side in complete control.
The two sides emptied their benches after this, making the final half hour a little disjointed, but the home side never looked in any real trouble defending calmly and consistently looking to pick off the visitors on the counter attack.

There were no more goals and the former winners will now fancy another run deep into this seasons competition depending on who they draw in the all Ireland phase.

Clodiagh Rangers 2 Cahir Park 0

Two early goals ensured that North Tipperary side Clodiagh Rangers would be the only NTDL side competing in the open section of this season’s FAI Junior Cup, when they managed to hold off the challenge of South Tipperary side Cahir Park on Sunday afternoon last.

The home side got off to an almost perfect start when they were awarded a penalty kick in the third minute that was fired to the net to put them a goal up.

In the 12th minute they added a second, as the Park seemed to find it impossible to get to drips with the home side’s free flowing attacks. But they eventually settled and got themselves back into the game right on the half hour mark when Willie Dunne rose highest at a corner kick to head a goal and bring the deficit back to just one.

But after that the control of the game ebbed and flowed between the two sides, with the home side often content to cede ground but hold out the South Tipperary side with some excellent defending.

As the time ticked down, the visitors thought they had equalised, but Dean Brainwaters shot was brilliantly saved by the home keeper.

And when two other late efforts were cleared off the line, it became obvious that it wasn’t to be Cahir Park’s day and they exited from this year’s competition.

Sunday’s results mean Peake Villa, St Michael’s and Wilderness Rovers are the only TSDL sides standing.