Kildare are Bowl Final bound thanks to Doran and Browne-Larkin
Kildare and District Underage League Kennedy Cup squad will face the DDSL in the Kennedy Bowl Final.
The Kildare & District Underage League will face the Dublin & District Schoolboy League in the SFAI Subway Kennedy Cup Bowl Final after the Lilywhites recorded a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Wexford Schoolboy League at the University of Limerick.
Riley Doran proved to be the hero for Ciaran Killaly’s side as his second-half deflected effort against the run of play was good enough to see his side through to the decider against the Dublin side after they recorded a penalty shootout win over North Tipperary.
There’s no doubt that Kildare had their goalkeeper Jacob Browne Larkin to thank for this success, as the netminder produced save after save to keep the Slaneysiders at bay with the win certainly snatch and grab at the finish.
After starting brightly with David Morgan setting up Cathal McAuliffe for a shot that deflected over the bar on two minutes, Kildare had to play second fiddle to their opponents for the remainder of the half as Browne Larkin took over.
The first signal of intent arrived three minutes later when Evan Thorpe played the ball through for Ade Adedeji in an advanced position, but his effort just cleared the Kildare crossbar.
Thorpe cut in from the left-side on 17 minutes, but he found Jacob Browne Larkin equal to the task with a fine save before the netminder produced another top double stop five minutes later to keep out a cracking efforts from Billy James and Adedeji.
Browne Larkin was forced into another brilliant save two minutes before the sound of the half-time whistle when Paidi Bernie turned provider for Patrick O’Leary, but the netminder was again in the right place to make a vital save.
The golden moment for Kildare arrived on 39 minutes when Zaki Abdollah sent in a left-wing cross that broke nicely for Riley Doran, and his deflected effort beat the wrong-footed Wexford keeper Sam Hourihan.
Wexford kept on pressing for an equalising goal with Ryan Durcan fizzing a cracking effort from distance inches wide of the target before the same player stood over a free-kick two minutes from time that Jacob Browne Larkin saved as his side booked their final spot.
