Temple Villa FC Stunned At Moate By Edenderry Town’s Clinical Display

Temple Villa FC hosted Edenderry Town FC at Moate on 10 January 2026, with kick-off at 11:15am, in a league fixture that ended 3-1 in favour of the visitors after 60 minutes of action plus added time. Despite a spirited effort, Temple Villa were unable to overturn a two-goal deficit at half-time and ultimately succumbed to Edenderry’s superior finishing.

Temple Villa lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, aiming to balance defensive solidity with attacking flair. Sam Mellet took his place between the sticks as goalkeeper, protected by a back four comprising James Dullea at right back, central defenders Tiernan O’Shaughnessy and Ryan Mahon, and Luke McCrossan on the left. In midfield, Reuben Davis and Oliver Cooney operated as the double pivot, tasked with breaking up play and linking defence to attack. Ahead of them, the creative trio featured James O’Grady on the right wing, Christopher Coyle centrally as the attacking midfielder, and Tom Adamson on the left flank. Leading the line was striker Andrew Fitzpatrick, expected to spearhead attacks and convert chances. No substitutes were named for this fixture.

The visitors struck first in the 18th minute, capitalising on a close-range opportunity inside the box. Edenderry Town’s forward expertly finished with his right foot, leaving Mellet with little chance. Temple Villa struggled to find rhythm in the opening half, and their defensive frailties were exposed again in the 40th minute when a costly defensive mistake allowed Edenderry to double their lead. Another close-range finish with the right foot compounded the home side’s woes just before the break, which arrived at the 30-minute mark due to the shortened match length.

After the interval, Temple Villa showed signs of revival. Oliver Cooney played a pivotal role in the 50th minute, delivering a precise short pass that set up Andrew Fitzpatrick for a spectacular goal. Fitzpatrick unleashed a powerful right-footed strike from close range, a genuine screamer that gave the home fans something to cheer and reduced the deficit to 2-1. This goal injected belief into the hosts, who pressed for an equaliser in the remaining minutes.

However, Edenderry Town restored their two-goal cushion in the 68th minute with a stunning direct free-kick from outside the box. The right-footed effort curled past the wall and goalkeeper Mellet, sealing the visitors’ victory and extinguishing any hopes of a Temple Villa comeback. The match concluded shortly thereafter, with Edenderry Town securing a well-earned 3-1 win on the road.

Temple Villa’s 4-2-3-1 formation showed promise in attack but was ultimately undone by defensive lapses and Edenderry’s clinical finishing. The home side will need to tighten their defensive organisation and convert more of their chances if they are to climb the league table in forthcoming fixtures.