“It’s a long way to Tipperary” the song goes and on Sunday, Iorras Aontaithe will find out just how long that trek is when they make their way to Celtic Park in Clonmel to take on Clonmel Town at 1pm. The Tipperary side booked their place in the fifth round of the competition thanks to a 4-0 win over north Tipperary outfit Borrisokane. Aidan McGrath scored their first and fourth goals that day, with David McGrath and Tony Scully both finding the net also. In the third round they saw off Two Mile Borris 5-0, with Rosgreen Rangers beaten 4-1 in the second round. Clonmel Town are currently seven games into their Tipperary Southern and District League Premier Division campaign and they have picked up four wins, two draws, and one defeat so far, scoring 24 goals in the process. Barry Ryan, Tony Scully, and Dwayne Burns have all been finding the back of the net with regularity for Clonmel Town this season.
Iorras Aontaithe had a terrible start and a not so great middle in the Mayo Super League this year. But they managed to string together four wins on the trot in their last four league games against Fahy Rovers, Moy Villa, Straide and Foxford United, and Charlestown Athletic to avoid relegation. They have taken to the FAI Junior Cup with aplomb also and they booked their spot in the fifth round thanks to a 5-2 win over Ballyheane in Quigley Park at the start of November. Mikie Sweeney was the main man for the men from Erris that day, bagging himself a hat-trick, and with Brendan Nallen and Michael T Togher also getting in on the scoring act. Iorras will not lack belief and will be backing themselves to come away from Tipperary with a spot in the sixth round if Mikie Sweeney, Brendan and Shane Nalllen, and David Reilly hit the heights they can.
Ballyhaunis Town will also be on the road south to Limerick where they will take on Pike Rovers in the Pike Complex at 2pm. Ballyhaunis pulled off a surprise 2-0 win over Ballina Town in the last round. The east Mayo men who narrowly missed out on promotion from the Premier B league this year after they finished in second place will be up against it on Sunday against the men from the mid-west. AP Kelly was the main man for Ballyhaunis a fortnight ago when they hit Ballina early thanks to goals from Conor Freely and Jamil Kezze inside the opening half an hour. Their opponents on Sunday operate out of the top level of Limerick soccer, but are three games without a win at present in the league, drawing their most recent game 0-0 against Geraldine’s last weekend.
