Dramatic weekend of action in junior soccer's Limerick District League

MUNSTER CHAMPIONS CUP:

PIKE Rovers exited the Munster Champions Cup in disappointing fashion on Saturday afternoon, going down by a single goal at St Michaels in Tipperary.

The home side took their one clear chance in the ninety minutes with twenty minutes remaining and held firm to progress to the last four.

Pike’s disappointment will come from the fact they dominated possession but were not clinical enough to make it count.
Saints were content to let Pike hog the possession but whenever a breakthrough looked likely, goalkeeper Tommy Holland proved a hurdle too far. 

The former Pike netminder came back to haunt his old mates, marshalling the back four superbly and pulled off a great save from a Robbie Williams free kick on 85 minutes. 

John O’Brien scored the only goal of the game when he gathered a rebound at an acute angle and finished well.
Pike went close to taking the game to extra time but Eoin Hanrahan headed just wide of the target. 
had a great chance with last kick of the game to force extra time but miscued the header.

While the Munster Champions Cup is not priority one of the club, the defeat will still be frustrating for the Hoops for whom Danny O’Neill and Sean Madigan had fine outings.

TUOHY CUP:  

Aisling Annacotty 2 Regional Utd 1
Aisling wrapped up a most successful July (in which they recorded six wins and received a walkover from Prospect) by reaching the quarter finals of the Tuohy Cup by virtue of a 2-1 win over Regional Ut at Jackman Park on Thursday evening. 

Shane Clarke gave the winners a half time lead and the same player doubled the advantage after the break. 

Felipe Mostowy pulled one back for Regional but they were unable to find an equaliser so Aisling go forward to meet Janesboro in the last eight. 

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Fairview Rgs 4 Carew Park 0
Fairview and Carew played out an entertaining game on Saturday evening with the hosts overpowering a stubborn visitors rearguard. 

The result allied to Aisling’s defeat at Coonagh gives Fairview outright lead at the top of the table.

A scrappy opening period yielded little in the way of chances with Mark Slattery and Gary Griffin prominent in a strong defensive display. 

However, as Fairview have tended to do on many occasions this season, they got the upper hand and struck quickly. Conor Coughlan was seeing plenty of the ball out wide and looked extremely dangerous and his low cross was finished superbly by Jack Arra. 

One should have become two when the attacking Scott Kirwan fired straight at Rob Power - one of numerous excellent saves in the evenings fare. 

Within minutes however, Fairview had their second, when the increasingly influential AJ O’Connor fed Darragh Rainsford, who in turn crossed for Conor Coughlan to finish with a classy side foot from the edge of their box. 

Carew were reeling, but to their credit, withstood more pressure and got to the break at just two down. Changes in personnel and shape for the away side at half time did little to stem the tide and while they remained competitive, a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping stopped the goals from racking up. 

Fairview did tack on two more, when AJ O’Connor, in a rich vein of form both for club and country, fired into the far corner expertly for the third, before his rasping drive was parried into the path of the inrushing Jake McNamara who completed the scoring. 

Coonagh Utd 2 Aisling Annacotty 1
Coonagh Utd picked up their first win on the field of play in the Premier League when they beat joint league leaders Aisling Annacotty in a riveting game at Thomond Community College on Sunday morning.

It was a victory born of sheer determination for the Hoops as they fought, to a man, to get their reward.
After taking an early lead, it looked like the home side were going to suffer a late disappointment when Richkov Boevi headed in an equaliser in the final minute.

However, Coonagh were not done and an injury time by Niall Earls sealed three priceless points. 
The game was only ten minutes old when Ger Myles forced the ball wide for Daniel Ikoghode to deliver a superb ball across goal where Ronan Ryan arrived on cue to volley home.

From there until the 90th minute Coonagh showed bravery and commitment in every tackle and challenge. Josh Sheehan in goals made a number of good saves while the home side showed they were dangerous on the break. 

With the Coonagh line calling for full time, Gavin Dillon delivered a good ball into the Coonagh area where the towering Boevi rose above Sheehan to head home.

Most teams would have been devastated, but Coonagh went straight into attack chasing all three points. A determined run by Brion Moriarty saw him pulled down on the edge of the box and from the resultant free kick, Aodhan Keane delivered a beauty into the area where Niall Earls headed beyond the reach of Aisling keeper Brian O’Connor and into the corner for a worthy winner.
 
Nenagh AFC 2 Mungret Reg 3
With results elsewhere changing the look of the bottom of the table, it was vital Mungret Regional did not lose any more ground in their game with in-form Nenagh AFC.

Things looked to be going the Tipperary side’s way when Szymon Popiela hit a first half double to put them well in control.  
A disallowed goal denied Nenagh adding to their tally early in the second half and that reprieve seemed to spur on the home side. 

Aled Harkin reduced the deficit, scoring from a free kick on 73 minutes.

With five minutes remaining Donie Curtin levelled the tie when he scrambled the ball home with the help of a deflection. 
Not content with a share of the spoils, Mungret sensed Nenagh were on the ropes, and got their reward in injury time when Conor Myers scored the winner with a clever flick from another set piece to secure Mungret’s first win of the season.
N

enagh will be bitterly disappointed to have squandered a two-goal lead but by their own admission, looked a tired outfit in the final minutes. 

 
Regional Utd 0 Ballynanty Rovers 1
Ballynanty Rvs maintained their chase on the leaders by taking the spoils in a 1-0 win at Regional United. 

Balla were on the front foot for much of the game but found Rob Shier in outstanding form. James Fitzgerald went closest in the first half with a shot that hit the post. 

Gbadebo Habideen scored the only goal fifteen minutes from time when he picked up a through ball from Fitzgerald and held off his marker before firing into the roof of the net from the edge of the box.