Athy Town claim Leinster league title

Athy Town AFC men’s first team manager, Neil Barnby, says he is delighted with his side’s season after they claimed the Leinster Senior League Premier Sunday 1 title.

They were won the title with a 2-1 win away to Edenderry last week and then were presented with the trophy after a 7-1 win over Maynooth Town last Friday evening, with Ben O’Dowd scoring a hat-trick in the comfortable win.

With one game still to play, Athy have won 11 of their 15 league games, scoring more and conceding less than anybody else in the division, which saw them finish well clear of the chasing pack that included Blessington, Beggsboro and Celbridge Town. Impressively, Athy conceded just 18 goals in those 15 games, at least seven goals less than any other team.

“It’s been a great season,” said Barnby, who took over the team after enjoying great success in the KFDL with Suncroft.

The experienced coach had a young side this season, with much of his side still only teenagers. Barnby, stated the importance of the academy structure in the club for producing some of these players.

“We’ve a lot of young lads in the squad. We’ve a lot of lads that are 16, 17 and 18. We actually signed a keeper once he hit 16, George Lawlor, and he did very well for us in the three or four games he played for us, when Will Kenny got injured for us. 

"I actually was looking at a 15-year-old but obviously we can’t sign lads until they’re 16. I just love football, I'm football mad, I'm always trying to spot talent and watching games. We then have a lad that’s 23, then one or two late 20’s and then there’s a gap to a few lads in their late 30’s. You need that balance between youth and experience. 

"I don’t mind how old or young lads are, in my opinion, if you’re good enough you’re old enough. I brought in my own nephew who I had at another club, he played underage for Athy, and I brought in our keeper. I said at the start of the year if we can get in a keeper and a striker, we will do very well, and thankfully that’s happened. The vast majority of our squad has come from inside the club though.”

Barnby had plenty of praise for club chairman, Sean Bolger, who appointed him as manager, ahead of this season.

“I can’t speak highly enough about Seanie. He’s been absolutely brilliant; he is a brilliant Chairman. He owns a bus company, and he makes sure we always have a bus for our away games, on a Friday or Sunday. He’s just a brilliant guy. I’m lucky enough I had a good management team with me this season. My dad was involved; he’s involved with every team I go to. I’m involved with an underage team at another club, and he’s with me there too. My dad has always been by my side. Brendan Curtis, Damien and our goalkeeper coach also, were also crucial in the management team. I couldn’t have done any of this without my assistant manager, Brendan Curtis, he’s brilliant.” Looking ahead to next season, Barnby says he and his side already have their sights set on another promotion.

“We will be looking to go up again next season. When I came in, my aim was to get the team promoted up through the divisions as quick as possible. We won’t be looking to do anything else. We have a really good squad. We will obviously look to strengthen in the off season, but we will be looking to go up. We will enjoy the next few weeks or so and then obviously we will start pre-season training later in the summer.”