Major scalp for Tipperary side in FAI Junior Cup - Peake Villa eliminate one of the favourites

FAI Junior Cup (4th Round)

Pike Rovers (Limerick) 2 Peake Villa 2

(After extra-time Peake, Villa win 4-2 on penalties)

In flying form domestically, Peake Villa travelled to Limerick on Sunday to take on one of the favourites in this season's FAI Junior Cup, Pike Rovers, in one of the most eagerly watched ties of the round.

Conditions for the start of the game were ideal, and in the first 20 minutes, the defences were on top as the side felt each other out. The visitors did have the best chance of the opening period when Alan Leahy found Keith Cahill in space, and he played in Pippy Carroll, but the final shot was fired straight at the keeper.

When the deadlock was finally broken in the twenty third minute, it turned out to be worth waiting for, after Carroll unlashed a screamer that flew into the top corner of the net from all of 25 five yards out.

On top now, Villa tried to press home the advantage and thought they had a second when Eoin O’Dwyer played in Keith Cahill, just after the half hour mark, but his shot went wide of the post.

The home side were living off scraps at this stage, but always remained a danger from set pieces and came close ten minutes from the break, with a free kick that just cleared the bar. But that was good as it got for them and Villa went in at the half-time whistle a goal to the good.

All the weekend soccer results. Peake Villa defeat Pike Rovers in FAI Junior Cup

The second half went back to being a cagey affair with neither side wanting to open up too much, and conditions worsened as the half went on with persistent rain falling that made conditions difficult. Eventually a second goal arrived, but it went to the home side when they finally made a setpiece count, with Robbie Williams saying take that, and making it 1-1 with a smashing finish.

The TSDL side now required a little patience as they had to absorb a period of pressure from Rovers, but they continued to probe for chances and retook the lead 11 minutes from the end when great work from Keith Cahill saw him cross to the far post to find Alan Leahy, headed home to make the score 2-1 for the Tipperary side.

It was time now for the Thurles supporters to pray that they could hold on, and it looked as if they would, but deep into injury-time their defence was to come undone and Rovers managed to score a second and bring the game into extra-time.

A supreme effort was now needed and Villa were determined that this was not going to be another of these days when they looked good but didn’t bring home the result.

Both sides are giants in their respective leagues and neither wanted to be the one doing something stupid that would see the tie lost, so they defended stoutly and saw the game left to be decided by penalty kicks.

This was where Villa finally got the chance to shine and they ended up taking the spoils on a 4-2 scoreline, to advance to the next round.