Tramore’s Johnny St Leger takes on Villa’s Danny Walsh.

Tramore’s Johnny St Leger takes on Villa’s Danny Walsh.


The Villa went into this game which was played in Graun Park on Saturday night with an unblemished record.
They had won all five league games and had conceded just three goals.
Ray Moran’s men had also progressed in the FAI and Munster Cup competitions. Tramore on the other hand were placed in the middle of the table and as a result many had predicted that there would be only one outcome from this clash and when the Villa went in front after only two minutes those predictions looked spot on.
But then the hosts took over completely and 12 minutes later were leading 3-1. It was remarkable and the remainder of the game saw Tramore cruise to a comfortable victory.
The visitors got off to the most perfect start inside two minutes when Niall McCabe was fouled out on the right side of the penalty area and Conor McDonald beat Tramore keeper Killian Burns with the resulting free kick that seemed to have crossed the line before it was eventually finished to the net by Danny Walsh.
Tramore were level less than two minutes later when Andrew O’Connor sent over a corner kick from the right that fell to Zach Shanahan and after his goalbound effort was handled on the line by Jamie Cross, Leigh Quilty fired the spot kick past keeper Brandon O’Callaghan.
The seaside outfit took the lead sixty seconds later as Zach Shanahan beat the offside trap down the left-side before slipping a right-footed shot past O’Callaghan.
The home side really put themselves in the driving seat when they scored a third goal on 14 minutes when O’Connor whipped in another flag kick from the right that found the head of Michael Caulfield but after his first header came crashing off the crossbar he managed to head the rebound past the Villa netminder.
Conor McDonald looked certain to pull a goal back for the Connor’s Park outfit on 25 minutes when he raced clear on goal with only keeper Killian Burns to beat but the seaside netminder did really well to turn the ball around the posts for a corner kick.
McDonald and his Villa teammates did feel that they had found a second goal nine minutes later when he cracked in a free kick that struck the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down with Villa adamant that the ball had crossed the line, however assistant referee Christopher Maher was unmoved.
A fourth goal for Tramore arrived four minutes before the sound of the half time whistle when the home side broke out of defence and after Andrew O’Connor picked up possession of the ball 25 yards from goal, he drilled a low left-footed shot under the body of visiting keeper O’Callaghan.
The game was over as a contest when the home side added a fifth goal six minutes into the second half when Johnny St Ledger played the perfect pass to send Stephen Grant into the clear but after his first effort came back off the post, the midfielder placed the rebound high to the roof of the net.
The game petered out from this juncture and a a sixth goal arrived for Craig Maher’s side on 79 minutes when Zach Shanahan turned provider for Meschac Babatu, who took the ball onto his right-foot before slipping it to the far corner of the net from the left-side of the penalty area.
Villa did get a mere consolation goal in the final minute when Gavin O’Donovan rose highest inside the penalty area to get on the end of a Conor McDonald delivery from the left before giving keeper Killian Burns little chance with a neat header.
TRAMORE: Killian Burns, Niall Kennedy, Leigh Quilty, Thomas Whitty (Ross Battye `72), Michael Caulfield, Dean Kennedy (Meschac Babatu `36), Andrew O’Connor, Stephen Grant, Zach Shanahan, Glenn Hawe (Jack Hale `65), Johnny St. Ledger
VILLA: Brandon O’Callaghan, Kevin Kelly, Dylan McGuire, Jamie Cross (Jack Gaule `76), Eoin Ginnity, Danny Aherne, Gavin O’Donovan, Danny Walsh, Conor McDonald, Jeff DiSilva (Nicky Corcoran `76), Niall McCabe (Tadhg Whelan `62)
REFEREE: Gary Fitzgerald assisted by Richie Brazil and Christopher Maher