Soccer Story About North Tipp u13s‏

The North Tipperary u13 team with coaches at last weeks SFAI Umbro Kennedy Cup at the University of Limerick

Historic 6th place for North Tipp u13s
By Bobby Lynch, NTSFL PRO

Historic. One word says it all. Historic as the North Tipperary Schoolchildrens Football League representative U13 team taking part in last week’s SFAI Umbro Kennedy cup at the University of Limerick finished in 6th place overall; the highest finishing place by a North Tipperary team since it first entered this competition.

All the more notable the achievement considering North Tipperary started the event as a fourth seeded team in 32 place (out of 32 teams).

In their first group stage game a win over a well regarded Kerry team 2-0, on Monday 13 June, with goals from Michael Greed and Jamie Bergin set the North Tipperary boys for what to turn out to b a great week. Great performances by all but noteworthy games in particular from Michael Greed, Tommy Holland, Jamie Bergin, Ross Fitzgerald and captain, Emmet Moloney.

Two Tuesday 14 June games saw a North Tipperary 4-1 win against Sligo/Leitrim (in the morning) with a hat-trick from Templemore’s Michael Greed and one from Cian Darcy. Marshalling his defence with authority all through the game was David Kelly who put in a stellar man of the match performance.

There then followed on Tuesday evening,  a 1-1 draw with neighbours South Tipperary which secured for the NTSFL team their position as group 3  winners. Group placings in the competition decides who plays for silverware at cup, bowl, shield and trophy levels.

An equalising goal in the last minute by on-form striker Greed set up North Tipp for a Wednesday 15 June quarter-final playing against North Dublin Schoolboy League, who turned out to be the eventual winners of this 2011 event.

In the quarter –final, having gone in at the halftime break all even at 0-0 (and after playing very well in the 1st half according to sideline game viewers) North Tipperary went 1-0 down five minutes into the second half, against their North Dublin opposition. The Tipperary boys conceded a second with five minutes to go. Before that though North Tipp were always chasing the game but tried to stay on the on the front foot going forward looking for an equaliser.  When 2-0 down North Tipp were rewarded with what ended up being a consolation goal from Holycross’s Jack Skehan with two minutes left on the clock.

A plate semi-final game then followed for the NTSFL team against Kilkenny, on Thursday June 16. The encounter with Kilkenny saw the premier county boys winning 2-1 goals from captain Emmet Moloney and Greed  to set up a plate decider game with the Midlands Schoolboy League on Friday June 17 to decide 5th and 6th places overall.

North Tipperary lost 1-4 to Midland Schoolboy League; the Midlands boys started the more livilier and brighter and went 1 – 0 up after 8 minutes. North Tipperary equalised through Liam McCutcheon on 18 minutes.

The Tipp boys battled and took the game to their opponents but two quick goals by the Midlanders in 2 minutes mid-way through the second half finally took its toll on a tiring Tipp team who conceded a fourth late on.

In their six games this week, Tipp’s Michael Greed (Templemore FC) scored 6 goals and was the tournament joint top scorer with Galway’s Conor Medley, while North Tipp were considered to be team of the day on the first day when beating Kerry 2-0.

The players can be very proud of their efforts and were a credit to their coaches, the league, their clubs and their families. The team were managed by David Rooney with coaches Tommy Hill and Stephen Ahern with assistance from Mark McKenna, John Delaney, North Tipperary FAI Development Officer James Scott and Head of Delegation Jamie Gilmour

The North Tipperary Schoolchildrens Football League u13 2011 Kennedy Cup squad was;
1 Eoin Brophy (Templemore FC)
2 Tom Dooley (Ardcroney FC)
3 Josh McCarthy (Ballymackey FC)
4 Liam Ryan (Ballymackey FC)
5 Kevin Hassett (Templemore FC)
6 Jack Skehan (Holycross FC)
7 Liam McCutcheon (Ballymackey FC)
8 Paul Walsh (Nenagh Celtic FC)
9 Patrick Deegan (Rearcross FC)
10 Ross Fitzgerald (Nenagh AFC)
11 Jamie Bergin (Templemore FC)
12 Dara Gleeson (Templemore FC)
13 David Kelly (Lough Derg FC)
14 Stevie Nolan (Templemore FC)
15 Cian Darcy(Ballymackey FC)
16 Eimhin Ryan (Lough Derg FC)
17 John O Connor (Ballymackey FC)
18 Michael Greed (Templemore FC)
19 Emmet Moloney (Capt) (Templemore FC)
20 Tommy Holland (Ardcroney FC)

Further information available on the league website at www.ntsl.league.ie or sfai website at www.sfai.ie (Kennedy cup link).

North Tipperary surprised many during this years event, it is fair to say, and were the talk of many in the soccer community in Limerick last week.