Feature Game

Georgina Donnelly Premier Cup Final.

(By Jamie Connolly)

St Anthonys Youths FC 2 Kildare Town AFC 0

St Anthony's Youth FC Secure Premier Cup victory for the first time.

St Anthony's Youth FC ended their impressive season on a high, lifting the Georgina

Donnelly Premier Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Kildare Town AFC.  For St

Anthony's, who were only promoted to the Premier division this season and are still in the

running for a top-three league finish, this trophy is a massive achievement. 

For Kildare Town, the defeat compounded their recent Lumsden Cup Final loss, despite

having already secured the league title. The game began at a fast and frantic pace, with

both teams eager to assert dominance.  St Anthony's signalled their intent almost

immediately when Ross Dowling Connor saw his shot just wide of the top corner after

only two minutes.

Defensively, the opening exchanges were a tight affair. Both sets of full-backs—Dean

Hill and Aaron Mullins for Kildare, and Jordan Martella and Shane Quirke for St

Anthony's—dealt effectively with balls over the top. The deadlock was broken in the 20th

minute. A throw-in by Jordan Martella was flicked on, finding Ross Dowling Connor who

pulled the ball onto his foot 12 yards out and calmly slotted home to put St Anthony's

Youth FC 1-0 up. The game developed into a gripping midfield battle throughout the first

half, with Kieran Sheedy, Sam Kelly, and Ross Lyons locking horns with St

Anthony's Aaron Ngai. 

Kildare pushed for an equaliser; Ross Lyons delivered a free-kick that was headed wide

for a corner, and they thought they had found the net later on only for the effort to be

correctly ruled offside after St Anthony's keeper Cormac Barker made a smart save.  The

half closed after a quick free-kick saw Dean Hill cross from the endline, but no Kildare

players were there to connect. The teams headed into the break with St Anthony's

holding a narrow 1-0 lead.

Kildare came out looking to draw level, testing Cormac Barker early in the second

half. Adam O'Keeffe saw a snap shot from eight yards saved in the 52nd minute, and

another chance went begging when Robert Burke mis controlled a cross-field ball. Both

defences remained resolutely strong, with Ryan Farrel and Anthony Durney marshalling

the backline for Kildare, and Matthew Drewitt and Tony Pearson doing the same for St

Anthony's.  Kildare's best second-half chance came from a corner, taken by Dean Conroy,

which fell to Ryan Farrell whose speculative effort drifted just over the bar. However, St

Anthony's doubled their lead in the 70th minute. A shot from Ross Cahill followed a super

save by Kildare keeper Ian McDonnell, but the rebound fell kindly to Cahill, who made no

mistake from six yards out, putting St Anthony's Youth FC 2-0 up. Kildare continued to

fight, and Robert Burke had the ball in the net in the 85th minute, only to be ruled

offside once more.  Burke had a final half-chance late on but couldn't hit the target,

signalling the end of Kildare's hopes for a comeback. The final whistle blew, confirming a

well-deserved cup victory for St Anthony's Youth FC.

Man of the Match and Standouts

For the Cup winners, Jordan Martella, two-goal hero Ross Dowling Connor, and midfield

engine Aaron Ngai were highly influential, but the Man of the Match was awarded to

defender Matthew Drewitt for his commanding performance. Kildare's standout players

were tireless striker Robert Burke, hard-working wing-back Dean Hill, and midfield

general Kieran Sheedy.

Other Feature game

Ace Sports Awards Masters Division 1

(By Wayne Bubba Doyle)

Coill Dubh AFC 0 Ballycane Celtic FC 3

Ballycane delivered a noteworthy performance against a well-organised Coill Dubh.

The Naas outfit took control of the game early on, as Wayne Doyle orchestrated the play

from centre midfield, linking up effectively with Jerry Murphy, who tormented Coill Dubh

with his fantastic runs down the wing. Ballycane moved the ball efficiently and quickly, not

giving the home side a chance to settle. Jacko McCormack served as the central pivot for

the Ballycane attack, with McCormack, Doyle, and Johnny Finnegan all making excellent

runs. 

Ballycane thought they had opened the scoring ten minutes into the match with a brilliant

display of football. Wayne Doyle played a clever one-two with Jerry Murphy, who

showcased his impressive pace by racing past several Coill Dubh defenders and

attempting a cheeky lob that beat goalkeeper Philip Doyle, but unfortunately struck the

upright.

Ballycane continued to create numerous opportunities through Wayne Doyle and Jamie

Curran in midfield, with Johnny Finnegan, Jacko McCormack, and Jamie Gray all getting

several decent looks on goal. Their persistence paid off when Jamie Curran broke the

deadlock with a tidy finish after receiving a well-placed pass from Finnegan just before

halftime. Ballycane held a deserved lead at the break. 

The visitors started the second half positively, working to create good openings but

lacking a bit of luck in the final third, as Coill Dubh managed to get a crucial touch on the

ball at vital moments. However, Ballycane did manage to grab a second goal when

Wayne Doyle pressured the Coill Dubh backline, eventually winning the ball and slipping

it to Johnny Finnegan for a simple finish from four yards out, doubling their advantage.

As the match progressed, Coill Dubh began to find their footing, with Adrian McNamee

performing well at the back and Dave McMahon creating several chances up front.

Despite this, Ballycane remained the better side, with Jerry Murphy delivering excellent

crosses from the wing. Wayne Doyle continued to dominate midfield, while Cillian

Sweeney, Hunter, and Higgy effectively dealt with any threats at the back. Ballycane

added a third goal when a long ball found substitute Ian Cox, who raced forward and

finished coolly. Overall, it was a strong display by Ballycane, with standout performances

from Wayne Doyle, who controlled the centre midfield and provided a couple of assists,

and Jerry Murphy, who was inventive and Coill Dubh really struggled to contain him from

the right wing.