WATCH: Kildare player nets wonder strike against Cork City
Sam Neville celebrates with his team mates after completing his hat-trick with a shot from just inside the Cork City half in this evening's 4-0 win
SAM Neville was the star of the show as Klub Kildare beat Cork City 4-0 in the U17 Tier One competition at FBD Hotels & Resorts Park this evening.
Neville scored twice in the first half, and then sent in a beautiful cross for Egor Vassenin to head home Kildare's third, but topped all that with a moment of genius just past the hour mark.
As he received the ball just inside the Cork half, Neville spotted that the visiting goalkeeper was out past the penalty spot and proceeded to beat him with a delicately and perfectly placed chip that dropped majestically into the net.
How do you follow up a “screamer” of a goal on Sunday - Well this is one of Sam Neville’s three goals last night against Cork City in the Under 17 League of Ireland game @MarkBroomy pic.twitter.com/gEQ3XFW5Db
— KlubKildare (@KlubKildare) August 15, 2024
The wonder strike capped quite the few days for Neville as just last Sunday he equalised with a 25 yard piledriver as Kildare came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with St Pats.
Klub Kildare went into Wednesday's clash with Cork still looking for their first win since reaching the Tier One section. Performances have been solid and the draw with St Pats was their third in four games, with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bohs the only blot on their copybook. Still, the team were desperate for that first win but that was always likely to be a tough ask against a Cork side who had won three and drawn one of their first four games.
An early goal settled Kildare into the game and arrived in the 12th minute when Chris Idah's defence splitting pass picked out Neville and he ran on to it before calmly slotting past the advancing keeper.
Idah was involved in the build up for the second goal as well when he found Vuyo Mosea in the 34th minute who in turn played the ball into the box for Neville to again find the net.
Neville turned provider six minutes before half time when he played in a delightful cross from a right wing free kick and Under 19 Ireland international Egor Vassenin, who was also superb in the centre of midfield, turned the ball home.
It wasn't all one way traffic though but on the occasions that Cork were able to get past the likes of Sam Cooke and Moses Uchendu, they found goalkeeper Killian Reilly in top form and he made two excellent saves in the first half and then another after the break.
Kildare could have scored their fourth in the 57th minute but Noah Byrne's well struck penalty was saved and then he narrowly put his effort from the rebound over the crossbar.
It didn't take Kildare long to get that fourth goal and what a memorable strike it was by Neville.
There were further good efforts by Vassenin and Mosea but no further goals as Klub Kildare moved onto six points in the table.
The result completed a good 24 hours for the club after a 7-1 win for the U20s against Bray Wanderers and a 6-4 win over the U15s over Treaty Utd on Tuesday evening.
