Kildare Town CS seal dramatic comeback with late goal
The Kildare Town Community School Football team with the trophy Photo: Martin Rowe
Kildare Town were victorious under the Hawkfield floodlights on a cold and drizzly Wednesday evening clash. After finding themselves five behind with 20 minutes to go, they fought their way back into the match, and fortune would favour them as Theo Hanlon’s long distance shot would drop all the way in past St. Paul’s goalkeeper Aodh Clarke-Conway with four minutes remaining.
It was a scrappy, physical and feisty game, the greasy conditions playing their part. Kildare Town were first to fire; Theo Hanlon found Eddie Kavanagh to score from a tight-angle four minutes in, and Charlie Mahoney settled well to score a minute later, while they were matched by two Sean Murphy frees for St. Paul’s by the 13th minute. The Monasterevin men seized the initiative in the 22nd minute, as Luke Gill’s free was responded with a successful galloping run by Oisin Molloy who fisted over his chance to put two between the sides. Tadhg Donlon’s free was the response two minutes later, but a minute after that Sean Murphy jinked and put his right foot through the ball from around 40 metres out to superbly restore St. Paul’s two point advantage. Aodh Clarke-Conway was next to convert with two frees struck sweetly off the ground for Shane O’Brien and Cormac Brady’s men, while Tadhg Donlon in added-time left Colm Hanratty and Shirley Mulpeter’s charges three adrift at the break by 0-7 to 0-4.
The second-half was the Tadhg Donlon and Sean Murphy show, all of their points in the later half hour were frees. St. Paul’s were first to strike, pushing five clear after Murphy’s brace with eight minutes gone in the half, yet after that, it was Donlon who was doing all of the scoring, bringing Kildare Town closer and whittling down the Monasterevin advantage. By the 54th minute, Kildare Town had reduced the gap down to the minimum when the opportunity arrived two minutes later. Theo Hanlon fired a high shot goalbound, which landed on top of Aodh Clarke-Conway in the St. Paul’s goal. The slippery ball shot at pace caused havoc, and the goalkeeper couldn’t lay grasp on the ball, which bobbled into the back of the net. St. Paul’s got two chances near the end to force extra-time, but couldn’t convert, and Kildare Town could relish a hard fought victory.
Jamie Wall; Adam Tinkler, Alex Downey, Dylan Wallace; Darragh O’Neill, David Kellet, Sam Leavy; Cillian O’Connell, Charlie Mahoney 0-1; Theo Hanlon 1-0, Tadhg Donlon 0-6 (0-6frees), Devon Morris; Eddie Kavanagh 0-1, Tadhg Hipwell, Rory Stynes.
Substitutes: Daniel Cox for Tadhg Hipwell (half-time), Daniel Halpin for Dylan Wallace (50), Ben Doyle for Charlie Mahoney (53), Tadhg Hipwell for Devon Morris (54).
Aodh Clarke-Conway 0-2 (0-2frees); Rory Nea, Killian Christie, Rys O’Reilly; Devan Abbey, Daniel Molloy, Eoin Sinnott; Oisin Molloy 0-1, Killian O’Reilly; Ciaran Boland, Luke Gill 0-1 (0-1free), Rohan O’Toole; Daire Bannon, Sean Murphy 0-6 (0-5frees), Scott Lavin.
Substitutes: Cormac Clifford for Rohan O’Toole (44), Gearoid Clare for Daire Bannon (47), Daniel Geoghan for Scott Lavin (53).
Henry Barrett.
