Limerick District League roundup: Fairview and Balla continue battle for premier division title

PREMIER DIVISION

Fairview Rangers 3 Athlunkard Villa 2
Fairview Rangers breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle on Sunday afternoon after they came from behind twice to pip Athlunkard Villa at the post to take three points and keep their title charge on track.
For the second time this season Villa had Fairview on the ropes but the Blues showed their character to snatch a late victory.
Famara Kassama put the visitors ahead with a cracking shot from outside the box on 20-minutes.
Just on the hour mark, good work by Shane Duggan created the opening for Darragh Rainsford to level the tie.
Fairview barely had time to finish their celebrations when Villa struck again when Danny Taylor presented for Sean Markham to finish.

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To be fair to the champions, they never panicked and got their reward ten minutes from time when Duggan scored after good work by Yoyo Mahdy.
When Villa thought they had done enough to hold on, Fairview struck. With two minutes remaining Lee J Lynch’s shot took a deflection in the area to finish in the net to the delight and relief of the home fans.
Fairview Rangers: Josh McCarthy GK; Blake Curran; Brian Aherne; Thomas O'Connor; Conor Kavanagh; Jeffery Judge; Lee J Lynch; Shane Duggan; Gbadebo Habideen; Darragh Rainsford; Adam Dore, Subs: Yoyo Mahdy; Oleg Vysochan
Athlunkard Villa: Robert Power; Ben Dillon; Darragh Peters; Dave Frawley; Diarmuid Grimes; Shane Cope; Lorcan Feeney; Cormac Noonan; Sean Markham; Danny Taylor; Famara Kassama, Subs: TJ McDonnell; Donie Curtin; James Frahill; Justice Mbayambi; P Taylor

Ballynanty Rovers 2 Corbally Utd 0
Ballynanty Rovers kept up their challenge for the Fran Mullally Trophy with a 2-0 win over Corbally on Sunday morning in Ballynanty Park.
Corbally Utd, fighting for their Premier life put up a stern challenge for the home side but in the end a goal in each half was their undoing.
Goalkeeper Rob Madigan made a couple of early saves to keep Balla at bay and Corbally also missed a great chance to take the lead before the home side took the lead.
Shane Walsh’s in-swinging free kick saw Vinny Ryan guide a deft header to the net.
Balla doubled their lead minutes after the restart when Walsh scored.
Ballynanty Rovers: Tommy Holland; Adam O'Regan; Calum Kiely; Seamus Moloney; Josh Adams; Shane Walsh; Leon Kirrane; James Fitzgerald; Eddie Byrnes; Vinny Ryan; Kane Connolly, Subs: Thomas Byrnes; Adam Costello; Gavin Hehir; Cian Lynch; Kevin Laffan; Alex Kiely; Jamie Greaves
Corbally Utd: Rob Madigan; Fionn O'Regan; David Thompson; Eoghan Carr; Liam O'Flynn; Barry O'Sullivan; Eoghan O'Connell; Alan Doherty; Sean Kiely; Tom O'Brien; L O'Sullivan, Subs: Shane Cox; Adrian Finnin; Rhys Barry; Robert Clancy; M Hassett

Janesboro 1 Regional Utd 1
Boro and Regional played out a 1-1 draw at Pearse Stadium.
Regional took a first half lead through Kieran O'Connell with his 12th of the season.
It looked like it would suffice to take the points when substitute Dylan Moriarty struck and equaliser three minutes from time to force a share of the spoils.
Janesboro: Aaron O'Sullivan; Ryan Mawdsley; Eoghan Burke; Josh Toomey; Tony Burns; E Brady; Naoise O'Leary; Aodh O'Hanluain; Kai Joyce; Shane Clarke; Rubin McCarthy. Sub Dylan Moriarty
Regional United: Rob Shier; Sean Madigan; Ewan O'Brien; Joe Lavin; Andy Quaide; Kieran O'Connell; Gerry Fitzpatrick; Paul Carmody; Brian O'Connor; John Forson; David O'Mahoney, Subs: Jack Flanagan; Eoin Duff; Andrew Cowpar

Pike Rovers 3 Nenagh AFC 1
A three-goal blitz in six minutes at the end of the first half saw Pike Rovers take the points on offer when they beat Nenagh 3-1 at the Pike Field on Sunday.
A long delivery from Gary Neville saw Aaron Murphy open the scoring on 40 minutes.
Two minutes later Lee McGuire set up Leon Daly for a second and with Nenagh reeling, they conceded again just before the break when McGuire found the target.
Daniel Connolly pulled one back for Nenagh after the break but Pike held on for the points.
Pike Rovers: Gary Neville; Ethan Joyce; Eddie O'Donovan; Robbie Williams; Brendan O'Dwyer; Jamie Mitchell; Lee McGuire; Daniel Cullen; Aaron Hough; Aaron Murphy; Leon Daly, Subs: Bryan Mambouana; Jack Croke; Joe Murphy
Nenagh AFC: Oisin Conacur; Colm Hayden; Saeed Ryan; Kieran Barr; Ciaran O'Reilly; Pa Steed; Daniel Connolly; Dylan Morrison; Dan O'Meara; Adam Ryan; Adam Brennan., Subs: Bryan McGee; Eoin Coffey; Aaron Cusack

Aisling Annacotty 1 Geraldines 1
Aisling and Geraldines played out an entertaining draw in Annacotty on Saturday evening.
Scoreless at the break, Joel Coustrain created the opening for Jamie Halpin to put the home side ahead just after the restart.
Geraldines responded three minutes later when Scott McEvoy equalised to ensure a share of the spoils.
Aisling Annacotty: Stephen McNamara; Raid Mouras; Jamie Halpin; Sean O'Haodha; Conor Carew; Isaac O'Sullivan; D Brennan; Oscar Omorodian; Joel Coustrain; Adam Foley; Adam Costello, Subs: David Moloney; Jack Aherne; Donnacha O'Leary; Sean Ezekannagha
Geraldines: Jose Zaquieu; Jonathan Moran; Aaron Grant; Scott McEvoy; Jack O'Doherty; Kian Mitchell; Tony Mambuana; Gareth Ronan; Jake Leamy; Cian Fitzgerald; Leon Johnson, Subs: Alan Keane; Denis Brophy

ROUNDUP
Kilmallock are the new leaders in the Premier A League following a superb 4-0 win over Star Rovers on Sunday.
Star had held top spot but Kilmallock were awesome as they leapfrogged their rivals to the summit.
Kyle Tierney was the hero for the county side with a hat trick while Paul Moloney also found the target.
Moyross are just a point behind with two games in hand on the leaders.
Goals in either half by Pierce Cunningham and Lee Quinn gave them a 2-0 win over Caherdavin.
Pat Aherne, Edward Ward and Stelyan Stoyanov were the scorers as Carew Park beat Aisling 3-0 while Charleville beat Southend in a high scoring game.
Donal O'Connell (2), Gavin Mullins, Aaron O'Connor, Jack Callaghan, Jason Collins, Joey Herbert and Colin Quaid netted for the Cork side with Dean Hogan (2) and Alex Peters replying for Southend.
It’s as you were at the top of Division 1A after the top three sides scraped out victories.
Leaders Herbertstown edged out Aisling Annacotty by the odd goal in five.
Jamie Collins and Liam Danaher scored for Aisling. Bradley McNamara, Tyrique Leamy and Oisin O'Grady won it for ‘Town .
Ger Johnson, Alan Carr-France and Matt DeCourcey were on the mark for Shelbourne in a 3-1 win at Ballylanders.
Philip O'Sullivan replied for the home side.
Goals from Alex Burchill 5, Rian McNamara and Pat Mooney saw Holycross ease past Caherconlish while Murroe had to fight back to edge out Pallas Utd.
Pat Ryan scored a hat trick for the home side but goals from Evan Walsh, Darragh Bourke, Kalum O'Shea and Alex Woodland won the points.
In Division 1B Dave Todd, Phelim O'Reilly, Conor Hanley, Luke Earls and Dylan O'Connell were on the mark for Kilmallock B in a 5-1 win over Croom Utd.
Lisnagry beat Patrickswell 2-1 thanks to scores from Breen Ryan and Adam Stuart; Jack McNamara replied.
Goals from Dan Furey, Sean Morrissey and Kieran O'Brien helped Nenagh B to a 3-2 win over Mungret Regional.
In Division 2A, Hyde breezed past one of their main contenders, Herbertstown B with a 6-1 win.
Nick Hayes was on the mark for the home side but Evan Shine, Andrew Brosnahan, Craig Downes, Scott Quaide, Jack Nash and Lee Downes for Hyde who need three wins from their remaining six games to be crowned champions.
Brian Murphy (2) and Brendan McSweeney scored for Castle Rovers in a 3-0 win at Newtown Rovers.
The big game in Division 2B saw leaders Fairview Rangers B keep their title charge on track with a 5-3 win over third placed Caherdavin in an incident-packed game.
Ethan O'Sullivan (2), Adam Keating, Oscar O'Donoghue and Anthony McNamara scored for the winners. Shane O'Halloran, Simon Fitzgerald and Mark Ryan replied for Celtic who played the last twenty minutes with nine men.
In Division 3A, Athlunkard Villa C beat Moyross C 3-1 with goals from Keith Kane, Peter Taylor and the irrepressible Aidan Ryan. Jamie O'Sullivan replied for Moyross.
Rory Reale 2, Brian Blackwell and A O'Riordan accounted for Knockainey goals in a 4-4 draw with Castle Utd for whom Colm O'Keeffe, TJ Buckley, C Mulcahy and B O'Doherty netted.
Murroe C and Lough Derg ended 1-1 with Cian Oakley obliging for the latter.
In the Premier Youth League goals from Darren Keogh, Fionn Reid and E Doyle saw Fairview Rangers past Regional United on a 3-0 scoreline.
Matty Halvey scored the only goal of the game to give Murroe the spoils over Corbally United.
Pike Rovers hit Geraldines for six courtesy of Cathal McNamara 3, Danny Quirke, S Cross and Dylan Browne.
Seamus Stack and George Barry were on the mark for Shelbourne but Mungret Regional responded with a double each for A Hamarneh and Aidan Yamslaw.
In Division 1, Pallas join Caherconlish at the top of the table after a 3-0 win at Corbally Utd, John O'Donoghue, N Murphy and Josh McLaughlin were the scorers.
Goals from D Mulcahy 2, Reece Ranson, R Keogh, Kevin Hennessy and Devon McNamara Leamy saw Herbertstown AFC past Regional Utd B while scores from L McCormack and Breen Ryan helped Lisnagry to a 2-1 win at Lough Derg.
Cadden Mudd replied for the home side.
M Carey, P Casey and K Amodeo netted for Pike Rovers in a 3-1 win at Aisling Annacotty B.
In the U17 Premier Division, Holycross lost the slim advantage after being held to a 3-3 draw with Fairview.
Ali Zaidi (2) and K Reale netted for ‘Cross. Jack Caulfield (2) and Dylan Mason replied for Fairview.
Aisling Annacotty A are back in the title race after a 3-1 win over Murroe A.
Aaron Guerin, L O'Riordan and John Sheahan scored for the winners; Cormac Ryan replied while goals from Eoin Moriarty and Harry Beegan helped Mungret Regional past Caherdavin Celtic.
In the U17 Division One, Lough Derg A edged out Newport Town by the odd goal in five.
W Meehan and Conor Bailey netted for Newport.
A O Siedel double and one from A Lawlor-Joyce sealed the points.
James McDonagh scored the only goal of the game as Corbally Utd edged out Pike Rovers B.
In Division Two Caherconlish went joint top following a 3-2 win at Murroe.
D McGahon struck a double for the home side but goals from Mike Koyce (2) and Colin Ryan won the points in the U17 Division One game in the Limerick District League over the weekend.