Peake Villa secure the point they need to win Tipperary soccer title
Thurles team deny St Michael’s in tense affair
Peake Villa 1 – 1 St. Michael’s
This was the game both teams had been waiting for, with the Premier Division title on the line. Peake Villa required just a point to secure the league, while St. Michael’s needed all three points to force a playoff.
As expected, it was a tense and competitive affair at the Tower Grounds in Thurles, with very few clearcut chances in the opening half. Villa suffered a major setback in the 25th minute when captain Pippy Carroll was forced off through injury. St. Michael’s also lost Luke Ryan and DJ Cremins during the opening period.
The visitors broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time when Denis Cremins unleashed an excellent strike into the corner of the net to give St. Michael’s a 1-0 lead at the interval.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with chances limited for both sides. Villa eventually found their equaliser when Kieren Hennessy’s effort crashed off the crossbar and Ronan McGuire reacted quickest to volley home brilliantly and level the game at 1-1.
The final ten minutes were played on a knife edge, as St. Michael’s pushed desperately for the winning goal they needed. However, Villa defended resolutely and held firm until the final whistle to secure the league title.
A tremendous home support backed Villa throughout the evening and great credit goes to Derek Loughnane, David Birmingham and David Coppinger for a fantastic season. Attention now turns to the Tipperary Cup Final against Bansha Celtic this Friday evening in Cahir Park.
Special mention also goes to Dale Loughnane, currently serving on a tour of duty in the Lebanon with the Defence Forces. Dale played a huge role throughout Villa’s title-winning campaign.