KDUL finish tenth at Kennedy Cup after defeat to DDSL in Bowl Final
KDUL manager Ciaran Killally addresses his squad after their defeat to the DDSL in the Bowl Final at the Kennedy Cup
KDUL fell to defeat against the DDSL in the Bowl Final at the Kennedy Cup today despite taking the lead through a Cathal McAuliffe penalty.
There were plenty of disappointed faces among the Kildare team at the final whistle but a tenth place finish overall represents a successful week at University Limerick.
All the action in this game took place in the first half and Kildare struggled as the game wore on to make inroads against a well organised Dublin side as the efforts of five games in four days began to take it’s toll.
DDSL started on the front foot and would have taken the lead early on were it not for two stunning saves by Kildare goalkeeper Jacob Browne Larkin.
The Straffan netminder made a string of fine saves in the semi-final win over Wexford on Thursday and picked up where he left off.
He acrobatically tipped a Conor Leonard volley over the crossbar after two minutes and two minutes later made an even more impressive save when he dived full length to push a powerful shot from the same player around the post.
Gradually Kildare began to play their way into the game and strike partnership of Cathal McAuliffe and Riley Doran began to cause some problems for the Dublin outfit.
Kilcock striker McAuliffe dropped deep after eight minutes and a clever flick sent Doran through. The ball sat up nicely for the semi-final matchwinner but although Dublin goalkeeper Joseph Byrne looked stranded in no man’s land, he managed to get enough of a fingertip on Doran’s lobbed effort to divert it past the post.
The same duo were involved again a minute later when McAuliffe again found Riley but although this time his angled shot beat Byrne the ball went six inches the wrong side of the post.
DDSL were creaking though and the KDUL got their reward for their increasing pressure when they were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute.
Direct, pacy play by Zaki Abdollah in the Dublin box invited a challenge by Hyorli Zlatiev and when the winger went tumbling referee Bobby Coonan immediately pointed to the point.
McAuliffe was nerveless as he powerfully placed his shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
The DDSL were shellshocked and on the ropes but there were fortuitously handed a way back into the game just two minutes later.
DDSL were awarded a free kick 25 years from goal but the Kildare wall did a job in blocking Aidan Harbourne’s free kick. Had the ball gone to Browne Larkin he easily had the initial shot covered but when the blocked effort fell perfectly for Conor O’Sullivan there was nothing he could to kept out the second effort after he found himself out of position through no fault of his own.
There was more than a slice of luck about Riley Doran’s winning goal against Wexford in the semi-final so perhaps it’s a case of swings and roundabouts but it still felt cruel that Dublin were handed a way back into the game in such a fashion.
If there was an element of fortune about that the DDSL equaliser, what proved to be the winning goal was just pure quality.
Hyorli Zlatiev may never hit a sweeter strike of a ball in the rest of his career but when the ball fell to him on the corner of the Kildare box after 21 minutes he hit an absolutely picture perfect half volley that flew past Browne Larkin and nestled in the Kildare net. It was a goal worthy of winning any match.
The closest Kildare came to an equaliser came five minutes before half time when a brilliant right wing cross took goalkeeper Byrne out of the game but although the goal was gaping, Doran was just slightly stretching as he made contact and his header went just wide of the upright.
The DDSL controlled the game in the second half and the frantic and frenetic nature of the first half gave way to a more disciplined game. That suited the Dublin side and the chances dried up at both ends.
It was up to Kildare to chase the game but try as they might, DDSL were able to keep them at arms’ length.
It means no silverware for Kildare at the end of the competition but it was a very credible performance throughout the week and the squad, managed by Ciaran Killally, will leave with memories made that will last a lifetime.
Jacob Browne Larkin; David Morgan (Noah Kinahan 51), Denis Bendikas, Riley Middleton, Dylan Lawler (Alfie Aspell, 44; Max Power 55); Patrick Harrington (Tuan Lee, h/t), Ben Fayne, Jamie Jacob, Zaki Abdollah (Jesse Farrell 51); Riley Doran (Liam Gould 51); Cathal McAuliffe. Unused subs: Deon Doyle, Kian Lawlor, Danny O’Dea.
Joseph Byrne, Aidan Harbourne, Max Nolan, Cian Byrne, Andy Bourg, Tadhg Maples, Charlie Franzoni, Joshua Cron, Hyhorli Zlatiev, Conor O’Sullivan, Conor Leonard. Subs: Samuel Large, Adam Shortall, Alfie Noonan, Benjamin Osmic, Ethan Newman-Smith, Marcel Razny, Leon Revevcu, Bobby Harris, Jack Williams.
Bobby Coonan.
