Late flurry helps Athy capture crown
The Scoil Phadraic Naofa Athy Boys Team with the trophy after their victory over Scoil San Carlo Confey. Photo: Martin Rowe
Scoil Phadraig Naofa Athy brought the curtain down on what was a fantastic festival of football last week in Kerdiffstown Park, beating Scoil San Carlo Confey to lift the Kildare Primary Schools Soccer Boys Division 2 title.
The Confey school were leading 2-1 with less than ten minutes left on the clock, but late flurry of goals from Scoil Phadraig Naofa ensured the trophy would be heading to Athy.
San Carlo started brightly, but it was Scoil Phadraig Naofa who had the first real chance of the game. The ball dropped to the feet of Darius Dirlea who spotted Confey goalkeeper, Christopher Keogan off his line. Dirlea tried to lift his shot high into the roof of the net, but it didn't quite come off.
Athy did take the lead inside the opening ten minutes, however, when full back, David Dirlea arrived at the back post to turn home a brilliant cross into the box from Dominic O'Neill.
San Carlo took control after the concession and went close soon after when Dylan Tighe fizzed a great ball into the danger zone from a free kick, but neither Eli Lucey or Tadhg Kenny could get the vital touch to force the ball over the line.
San Carlo kept up the pressure with a lovely ball over the top from Benny Tyrrell; Darragh Connolly ran onto the pass and got his shot away brilliantly, only to see the ball come back off the upright.
Cian Cassells then found himself through on goal moments later and did well to get his shot away with the ball bouncing in front of him; but Athy goalkeeper, Levi Fenlon made a magnificent save to keep his side in the lead.
Having held out for almost 20 minutes, Scoil Phadraig Naofa had a massive chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half time when Tobi Rudy was brought down in the box. Aaron O'Connor took the responsibility, but his left-footed penalty could only find the butt of the post as it ended 1-0 to Athy at the interval.
San Carlo started much the brighter in the second half, with Cassells and Connolly proving a formidable partnership up front. The Confey school won a corner six minutes after the restart which saw a wonderful cross from Connolly arrive in the path of Tighe, who pulled off an acrobatic bicycle kick to ripple the net and draw the sides level.
Scoil Phadraig Naofa almost regained the lead within seconds of the tip-off when O'Neill released O'Connor, only for a last-ditch tackle from Diego Lupu to take the ball off O'Connor's toes at the vital moment.
San Carlo were in the ascendancy and took the lead midway through the half. Fenlon came off his line, but Connolly was faster to the ball and toe-poked his shot away from the keeper and into the bottom corner to put Confey into the lead.
But it all fell apart after that, with Scoil Phadraig Naofa netting four times in the closing seven minutes to wrap up the final in style.
O'Connor grabbed the equaliser after a lovely ball from Darius Dirlea split the San Carlo defence. Athy were in front just three minutes later when Jonah O'Donnell picked out O'Connor, who made sure of his second with a class finish.
O'Connor then turned provider, playing the ball in behind for Darius Dirlea, who rifled his shot home to double the lead.
Not content with that, Scoil Phadraig Naofa wrapped up the game when captain, Harry Beever was brought down in the area. He promptly dusted himself off and converted the penalty with the last kick of the game.
Levi Fenlon; David Dirlea, Harry Cardiff, Jack May, TJ Harris; Darius Dirlea, Jake Ryan Hughes, Harry Beever, Toby Rudy, Dominic O'Neill; Aaron O'Connor.
Luke Murray, Casey Curtis Preston, Jonah O'Donnell, Scott Kelly, Josh Moran.
Christopher Keogan; Diego Lupu, Benny Tyrrell, Dylan Gissane, Liam Cullen; Eli Lucey, Dylan Tighe, Alex Cleary, Tadhg Kenny; Cian Cassells, Darragh Connolly.
Sean Fitzgerald, Dima Moisei, Sam McDonald, Michael Burke, Sam Corscadden, Sean McCann.
