Feature Game

Connolly Under 20 Cup (Round 1)

Moone Celtic FC 1 4 Rathangan AFC

On a fine day this long-awaited cup tie finally got the go ahead after a change of venue to

favour Rathangan. 

It didn’t take the home side long to stamp their authority and after three minutes they took

the lead after some fine work from Oisin Dempsey down the right wing beating numerous

defenders weaved his way into the Moone box and to the end line, he should great

composure to find Timis Kacinskas who was well positioned on the six yard box to calmly

finish into the roof of the net. This set the tone for the first half and John Dunne on the

other wing for the home side caused lots of trouble for the Moone defence with his pace

and directness. On the thirty minute mark goalscorer Timis Kacinskas found himself in yet

again and with an attempt to cut back onto his stronger foot was brought down leaving

the ref no choice but to point to the spot. Harry Donnelly stepped up and as usual made

no mistake to double the. 2-0 Rathagan.

The Rathangan defence were untroubled throughout this half and right in the stroke of

half time some lovely football from Rathangan left the ball with Rory Burke who found

danger man John Dunne and he curled a beautiful first time finish over the keepers head

to make it 3-0.

The second half Moone showed a good account of themselves, pressing high and playing

some excellent free-flowing football. For long spells it was one-way traffic, with

Rathangan increasingly reliant on long balls. This time, the Moone defence stood firm.

Great interplay between Daniel Sheehan and Venedi Nzau had Rathangan chasing

shadows.

Rathangan found themselves getting plenty of joy in behind but they struggled to get that

fourth killer goal. Moone made another change on sixtieth minute giving Israel a well-

deserved rest after his tireless work on the wing. Kamil was introduced and made an

immediate impact. Within thirty seconds, a fine move involving Nathan Parr saw his shot

blocked by Sean Moran in the Rathangan goal, only for the rebound to fall to Kamil on the

edge of the box. He calmly slotted the ball past two defenders and the goalkeeper on the

line — a goal Moone fully deserved.

Rathangan gathered themselves and showed composure to see out the remainder of the

game with Alex Gleeson, Harry Donnelly and Eoghan McMullen showing great defensive

awareness in numerous occasions. The home side finished with number of attacks and

corners. A resulting corner late on fell at the feet of Harry Donnelly who turned his man

in the box but before he could get his shot away was brought down to win yet another

penalty. It was Donnelly himself who grabbled the ball to add to his ever impressive tally

of goals from centre back and cooly converted to out the game to bed at 4-1. 

An impressive performance from Rathangan sees them comfortably into the next round of

the cup and growing in confidence each week. Best for Rathangan Harry Donnelly, Alex

Gleeson and MOTM wide man John Dunne. Best for Moone Celtic was Venedi Nzau.

Additional Games

Leinster Football Association Junior Cup (Fourth Round)

(By Jamie Connolly)

Forth Celtic FC (Wex) 7 Rathangan FC 0

Forth Celtic Masterclass Ends Rathangan’s Junior Cup Run

It was a daunting trip to Wexford for KDFL side Rathangan FC as they faced off against a

clinical Forth Celtic FC in the fourth round of the LFA Junior Cup.  Unfortunately for the

visitors, the day belonged entirely to the hosts, who put on a dominant display of

attacking football to secure a resounding 7-0 victory.

The tone was set early at Forth Celtic's grounds. Just five minutes in, Cathal

Dowd opened the scoring after being played through by Jack Mullan.  Rathangan fought

to stay in the contest, but the pressure from the Wexford side eventually told again in the

34th minute when Jack Mullan turned from provider to finisher, doubling the lead following

an assist from Ryan Busher. Shortly before the interval, Dowd claimed his second of the

afternoon in the 43rd minute, once again assisted by the ever-present Mullan.

Any hopes of a Rathangan comeback were quickly extinguished after the restart. The

second half became a showcase for Forth Celtic's depth and clinical edge in front of goal:

In the 48th Minute Cathal Dowd completed his hat-trick early in the half, assisted

by Darragh Rossiter.

The in the 57th Minute, Jack Mullan grabbed his second of the game, courtesy of

a Daniel O’Brien pass. With 66t Minutes gone Mullan secured his own hat-trick, finishing

a move started by Ciaran Carthy. On the 85th Minute, With the game well beyond

reach, Jack Mullan added his fourth (and Celtic’s seventh) of the day, with Daniel

O’Brien providing his second assist of the match.

It was a tough day at the office for a Rathangan side that struggled to contain the

movement and precision of the Forth Celtic frontline.  While the cup run ends here for the

Kildare men, they will look to take the lessons from this defeat and regroup as they focus

on their upcoming league season. Forth Celtic march on to the next round, looking like

serious contenders in this year's LFA Junior Cup.

Leinster Football Association Women’s Shield (Round 2 last 16)

(By Jamie Connolly)

St John Bocsco FC 2 Monasterevin AFC 3

Monasterevin AFC Secure Leinster Quarter-Final spot in Dublin thriller

For the second round in a row, Monasterevin AFC proved themselves to be the ultimate

road warriors. After a gritty 3-2 victory away to Mullingar Athletic in Round 1, the Kildare

side travelled to Dublin to face a formidable St. John Bosco team.  In a mirrors-image of

their previous round, they walked away with another hard-fought 3-2 win to punch their

ticket to the next stage.

The game ignited in the 16th minute when Bernie Hyland found the back of the net, giving

the visitors an early lead and a boost of confidence.  However, St. John Bosco responded

with intensity. Rachel Maher leveled the scoring in the 27th minute, shifting the

momentum back to the Dublin side. Disaster struck for Monasterevin just before the

whistle; in the first minute of first-half injury time, Lauren Fox clinical finish saw St. John

Bosco take a 2-1 lead into the break, leaving the visitors with work to do.

Monasterevin emerged for the second half with renewed purpose. The turning point came

during a blistering three-minute spell. In the 57th Minute, Ciara Morrissey drew the sides

level with a crucial strike. Just three minutes later, Morrissey turned provider, delivering a

perfectly weighted ball to Abby Kemmy, who slotted it home to restore Monasterevin's

lead.

Despite late pressure from the hosts, the Monasterevin defence held firm. Máiréad

Scully and Bernie Hyland were immense at the back, thwarting several late attacks to

preserve the narrow lead.

Beyond the scoresheet, Monasterevin showed great squad depth. Abby Kemmy was a

constant threat on the wing, while the inclusion of Lauren Quinn—making her senior

debut for the club—provided a significant spark.  Quinn looked composed and energetic

from the moment she entered the game, signaling a bright future for the young player.

Monasterevin move forward in the LFA Shield, proving once again that they have the

heart and clinical edge to win on the road.