Micheál Elligott strikes twice as Cullen Lattin wrap up a Tipperary soccer double

Cullen Lattin 2 Suirside 0

Cullen Lattin justified their favourites tag and added the Division 2 Shield title to the league title already won this year by beating Suirside in a good game played in wet conditions at Cooke Park, Tipperary Town on Sunday.

The west Tipperary side were well up for the game and had a lot of possession in the first half, but found it very difficult to create any clear openings against a doughty Suirside defence.

If anything, the best chance of the opening half fell to the Ardfinnan team when they swung a corner kick into the box, and it needed a defender from Cullen to make a last-ditch clearance off the line to keep his side level.

Minutes after that, and perhaps stung into action, Cullen had the ball in the net when Micheál Elligott was played clear by Tony O’Neill, but it was called back for offside.

This was the last clear chance of the half and the teams went to the break scoreless.

The second period was only five minutes old when O’Neill and Elligott combined once more, with the latter heading home a corner kick to put Cullen in front.

The game then became a midfield battle, with both teams putting in some strong tackles and as a consequence, twenty minutes from time, Cullen were reduced to ten players courtesy of a red card.

However, if anything the loss of the player seemed to help them raise their game, and ten minutes from time Micheál Elligott got his second goal of the game, this time finishing off a cross from Mikey Stokes. In the final minutes Tommy O’Mahoney almost made it three for Cullen but he was denied by the crossbar.

In the end, Cullen eased home to the delight of their large contingent of supporters.

With a second title in the bag, they will be looking forward to rejoining the First Division when next season kicks off.