Kildare's brilliant effort earns 6th place finish
Kildare huddle before the start of the game against NERL at the Kennedy Cup played at the University of Limerick. Photos: Keith Wiseman
Kildare & District Underage League secured an impressive sixth-place finish at the 2026 Kennedy Cup at the University of Limerick, despite losing out to South Belfast in Friday afternoon’s Plate Final.
It marked the conclusion of a hugely encouraging week for the Under-14 squad, who produced a series of high-quality performances to reach the latter stages of the competition. Mal Watson’s side showed consistency, resilience and attacking flair throughout the group phase, winning all three of their opening games to comfortably progress to the quarter-finals.
Kildare began their campaign in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 victory over Lisburn on Monday evening, laying down a marker for the days ahead. The Lilywhites took control of the contest with two goals in the space of just three first-half minutes. Kayden Maloney of Derry Rovers turned provider for Monasterevin’s Hugh O’Loughlin, who finished confidently in the 24th minute to break the deadlock. Moments later, Kildare doubled their advantage, as Dexter Powell found the net following some excellent build-up play involving Alex White.
White, who would prove to be one of the standout players of the tournament, rounded off the win with a third goal in the second half, ensuring Kildare got off to a perfect start.
They followed that up with another strong showing early on Tuesday morning against Sligo/Leitrim, although this time they had to come from behind. In a tight and competitive first half, the north-west side edged in front just before the break through Bran Beglane, leaving Kildare with work to do.
However, the response after half-time was outstanding. Ryan Keavney brought Kildare level on 37 minutes after good work from Jamie Piggott, setting the tone for a dominant second-half display. Alex White then struck twice, on 49 and 56 minutes, to turn the game firmly in Kildare’s favour. Keavney added his second and Kildare’s fourth in the closing stages to seal an impressive 4-1 victory.
With qualification within reach, Kildare approached their final group game against Wexford knowing that a win would secure top spot—and they delivered with another composed and disciplined performance in difficult, showery conditions at UL.
The Lilywhites made the perfect start when Dexter Powell opened the scoring inside two minutes, immediately putting Wexford under pressure. Early in the second half, Ryan Poole doubled the lead after latching onto a delivery from Alex White, further strengthening Kildare’s grip on the game. White added the finishing touch deep into stoppage time to complete a 3-0 victory and confirm Kildare’s place at the top of their group.
Kildare’s hopes of lifting the Kennedy Cup were ended in dramatic and heartbreaking fashion in the quarter-finals, as the North East Region League (NERL) snatched a late winner.
In what was a tightly contested and physically demanding encounter, both sides battled for control, with few clear-cut chances in the opening half. Kildare goalkeeper Paul Colbert was called into action on several occasions and produced an assured performance throughout, keeping his side in contention.
NERL threatened first, with Dylan Clarke going close midway through the opening period, sending an ambitious overhead effort just over the crossbar. However, it remained scoreless at the interval.
The deadlock was broken shortly after the restart when Fionn Harte capitalised on a through ball down the right and produced a composed finish past Colbert to give NERL the lead.
Kildare refused to let their heads drop and gradually worked their way back into the game. Their perseverance paid off on 47 minutes when Zach McIlroy picked out Finn Hickey with a well-weighted pass down the left channel. Hickey’s dangerous delivery across the face of goal forced a defensive error, with Jack Farrell turning the ball into his own net to bring Kildare level.
As the match entered its final stages, it appeared destined for a penalty shootout, particularly with Colbert producing two outstanding saves to deny Harte and Miguel Hernandez and keep the sides level.
However, in the dying moments of injury time, NERL struck a decisive blow. Hernandez delivered a corner to the back post, where Dylan Clarke met it with a superb strike that flew into the top corner, leaving Colbert with no chance and ending Kildare’s hopes in cruel fashion.
Kildare responded admirably to their quarter-final disappointment by producing a composed and determined performance to defeat West Cork and book their place in the Plate Final.
Played in extremely challenging conditions, with relentless rain and strong winds affecting the quality of play, the semi-final was a hard-fought contest. Both sides struggled to create meaningful opportunities during a cagey first half, as defences dominated and the weather made fluid football difficult.
Despite the conditions, Kildare showed their quality after the interval and took control of the game with a decisive burst early in the second half.
The breakthrough arrived just two minutes after the restart. Dexter Powell showed excellent awareness and technique on the right side of midfield, threading a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Alex White. The Naas AFC forward demonstrated composure beyond his years, rounding goalkeeper Oliver Kiely before calmly finishing into the net.
White doubled his tally—and Kildare’s advantage—just five minutes later with a moment of real quality. After intercepting a misplaced backpass, he combined cleverly with Ryan Poole, who returned the ball into his path. Spotting Kiely off his line, White executed an audacious long-range strike from approximately 45 yards, sending the ball over the retreating goalkeeper and into the net in spectacular fashion.
The goal effectively settled the contest, giving Kildare a comfortable cushion. From there, Watson’s side managed the game intelligently, maintaining possession and limiting West Cork’s attacking opportunities.
West Cork battled gamely until the final whistle but were unable to break through a well-organised Kildare defence. The Lilywhites saw out the game with maturity and composure, securing a deserved victory and guaranteeing a top-six finish in the competition.
