TSDL Division One round-up
Mullinahone 3 – 2 St Michael’s
Mullinahone secured their first win of the season by the odd goal in five with a win over St Michael’s on Sunday morning. The home side started well and opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Alex Maher beat the visitors defence and squared a ball for Jamie Hindley to finish to the net. The game settled after this with both sides finding it difficult to carve out chances and there were no more goals before the half time break. 10 minutes into the second period, the hosts doubled their lead when Maher again set up a goal, this time from Johnny Lawlor to take the honours in the 55th minute. But just two minutes later Cathal Bergin pulled a goal back for the Saints and put the game back in the melting pot. However, the response from the home side was almost immediate and Lawlor got a second right on the hour mark, to return his side to a two goal lead. It looked like the game would run down into an easy win for Mullinahone, but with seven minutes to play they were reduced to ten players after a sending off, and Antonio Rea scored the resultant penalty, albeit at the second attempt to set up a big finish. The home side held firm however and saw the game out, taking all three points in the end.
Clonmel Town 1 – 2 Cahir Park
Cahir Park picked up their second win of the season away to Clonmel Town on Sunday with a win by the odd goal in three as they attempt to bounce straight back to the Premier League following relegation last season. Town started on the front foot, but were guilty of spurning a number of chances in the first quarter of an hour. They were punished for this when in the 17th minute, after a Cahir Park set piece was flicked on and Alex Botezatu gave the keeper no chance from ten yards out. The hosts responded well and kept the pressure on, but were denied twice first when they hit the underneath of the crossbar, and then when a defender brilliantly cleared the ball off the line. The second half was only three minutes old, when against the run of play the visitors doubled their advantage when a brilliant 25 yard strike found its way to Tom Keating and he slid it past the stranded keeper and into the bottom corner. The home team were finally rewarded for their perseverance when Stephen Kelly brilliantly rose above everyone to cut the deficit in the final minute of the game, but The Park showed their higher league experience to play out the final minutes and take the points.
Old Bridge 2 – 0 Peake Villa
A well contested game between two attack minded teams played at a sunny Green Lane on Sunday morning, saw the hosts get their first points of the season in a win against Thurles side Peake Villa. The Bridge dominated the early exchanges and after 15 minutes took the lead when Ben Nugent finished to the net after a defence splitting pass from Emmet Fahey. Johnny Cagney, Darren Guiry and Craig Condon had great chances to increase the advantage but great defending from Peake Villa kept the score at just one to nil at the break. The visitors came back hard at the beginning of the second period and were in the ascendency in the early stages. But Bridge rode out the storm, defending stoutly and dealing well with the pressure. The decisive score arrived 15 minutes from the end when the home side were awarded a penalty which was duly converted by Cagney to give them some breeding space in what was a frenetic tie. The game continued in the same vein until the final whistle, but the home side kept their composure to run out winners.