KDFL Senior Division Team focus!
- kildaredfl
- Jun 15
- 7 min read

KDFL Lumsden League Cup (Round 2) Action.
Naas United FC 6 Castle Villa AFC (Div 2) 2
Naas United booked their spot in the next round with a 6-2 score line. But they didn’t have it all their own way as the Castledermot side certainly gave them a first half fright. The home side began brilliantly and looked to be very confident with a couple of early opportunities. They took the lead after just six minutes after a brilliant cross from right back Jamie Dunne was finished brilliantly on the half volley by Scott O’Neill who arrived late from midfield. Naas though, switched off after that and just three minutes later it was 1-1 when a thrown on caught Stephen Tilly and Scott O’Neill off guard and left Aaron Delaney clean through and the talented striker made no mistake with a powerful strike low to the keepers right.
Naas were guilty of switching off completely as they went 2-1 down a minute later as they tried to play out from the back and Keith Higgins passed straight to Villas No.7 Corrigan who neatly lofted the ball over the stranded keeper. Naas did assert their authority on the game and a slight on-field change saw Travis O’Neill go out to the right and Owen Moran through the middle and this gave Naas the spark again as Moran went close with a shot. Naas made it 2-2 in the thirty first minute when scheming winger Joe Murray was fouled out near the sideline. Liam Marshall sprayed a perfect set piece and Travis O’Neill showed good awareness to glance his header onwards and into the net. Naas dominated after this and with just a minute to go before the break, they made it 3-2 with a lovely strike from Paul Ometeso to curl it into the bottom corner after Stephen Tillys quick throw in was back heeled brilliantly by Joe Murray.
The second half was only a minute old when Paul Ometeso went on a lovely solo run to beat three players with some neat skills before being fouled on the edge of the box. Joe Murray stepped up and struck a beauty, but his free kick was tip onto the angle of cross bar and post and slapped down along the goal line where Owen Moran sprinted in to tap home from close range. Naas introduced Dylan Hannon and Reuban Maher with an hour gone on the clock and both men were influential straight away as Hannon won the ball brilliantly before Maher set Ometeso away with an inch perfect through ball, Ometeso crossed and Owen Moran was on hand to rise high at the back post to power a header past Peter Cogan in the Villa goal.
Moran completed his hat trick for the home side with ten minutes left to play when Substitute Ben Loughlan was played through and despite the calls for the sideline for him to go himself and shoot, he unselfishly squared it perfectly across the face of goal and Moran came onto it to crash home and make it 6-2 and cap a very impressive display from the in form forward. There was still a late chance for Villa as they were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds, but Keith Higgins made a brilliant save down to his right from an Aron Delaney spot kick. Naas were best served today by Hat Trick Maverick Owen Moran, Jamie Dunne, Travis O Neill , Liam Marshall and Stephen Tilly while Castle Villas 2 goals corers Corrigan and Delaney doing well for the away team.
Leixlip United FC (O35s) 0 Arlington FC 0
(Leixlip United FC win 4-2 on penalties AET)
Arlington AFC bowed out of the Lumsden Cup after a tense and hard-fought contest against Leixlip United that was eventually decided on penalties. In difficult conditions on the slick astro pitch, both sides cancelled each other out across 120 minutes of football. The rain made for a fast tempo and plenty of heavy challenges, but clear-cut chances were few and far between, with both defences standing strong. With no goals in normal or extra time, the tie was settled by a penalty shootout. Arlington’s spot-kicks were converted by Ian Higgins and Chris Hoskins, but unfortunately misses from Thomas Kenny and Mark Ugochukwu proved decisive as Leixlip converted four of their five to progress to the next round.
Newbridge Rovers (Div 1) 0 Newbridge Hotspurs FC 3
Another hotly anticipated Newbridge Derby took place in Chapel lane after all the rainfall over the weekend, there were doubts about the game going ahead but credit has to go to Newbridge Rovers who had there pitch in very good condition. The game started just as people would imagine at a very frantic pace and it led to Rovers creating the first chance five minutes in, when a ball from a free kick was whipped in and it met the head of Derek O Donoghue who headed just wide.
This woke Hotspurs up and led to a good piece of play after about fifteen minutes when the ball was played in behind the rovers back line by Eamon Doyle which resulted in the Rovers keeper Harry Collins coming out to clear the ball. The clearance only reached the boot of Mark Wolfe who took one touch to settle and nearly lifted the ball up over the Rovers defence and into the net. 1-0 Hotspurs.
Hotspurs started to assert a little bit of dominance after the goal but credit must go to Rovers again who had one or two half chances which didn’t really trouble Reece Winders in the Hotspurs goal. On the half hour the best passage of play happened down the Hotspurs left hand side. Robbie Higgins played the ball into Tomas Hennessy, who then played a first time ball to Eamon Doyle. Doyle then played a ball into the feet of Niall Flynn who neatly played a lovely, weighted pass for the on rushing Mark Wolfe who drove past the Rovers defence and into the box who then squared the ball to the on rushing Mikey Murphy who finished into an empty net. 2-0 Hotspurs. Hotspurs defence of Robbie Higgins, Barry Doyle and Sean Higgins along with Reece winders in goal dealt with everything with Rovers threw at them in the first half being helped by the midfield of Ryan Donoghue, Tomas Hennessy and Eamon Doyle who all worked effortlessly for the first half.
The second half started and Rovers again to their credit created the first real worry for Hotspurs when Scott O Sullivan found himself in the Hotspurs box and finished superbly only to be called offside. Same as first half this woke Hotspurs up and after sixty five minutes led to their third and final goal. From a goal kick, Winders went long into behind the Rovers defence were Niall Flynn latched onto the ball. Flynn then drove into the box and squared across to Scott O Donoghue who had just come on 5 minutes beforehand who made no mistake and made it 3-0 to Hotspurs. This led to Hotspurs making a few changes and on came Gary Lowe, Chris’s Higgins and Eoin Phillips for the last 15/20 minutes. The changes didn’t change hotspurs tempo at all. The remainder of the game played itself out except for one last chance for Hotspurs when a ball was played into the back post by Scott O Donoghue to Chris Higgins who’s header was adjudged to have been offside. Credit to Newbridge Rovers who battled till the end in an entertaining derby to the neutral to watch. Best for Hotspurs were, Sean Higgins, Mikey Murphy, Robbie Higgins and Hotspurs man of the match - Eamon Doyle. Rovers had good performances in Gavin Hughes at CB and Scott O Sullivan in Midfield.
Clane United FC 2 Kildare Town AFC (Premier Div) 4 (AET)
(No report received)
League shield action !
Moone Celtic FC 1 Straffan AFC (Div 2) 2
Moone exited this competition at the hands of Straffan after extra time in Fortified Park. Having dominated for large chunks of this game they could not convert that dominance into scores and that’s the difference for the senior team at the moment.
Moone started well, opened the scoring through Callum Kelly after four minutes and enjoyed the vast amount of possession for the next twenty five minutes. Chances fell to Liam Horan, Garry Carroll and Owen Fox but could not add to their lead. Liam Horan left the field withs foot injury on twenty minutes to be replaced by Tadgh Phelan. Straffan who hadn’t really troubled Moone up to this point broke clear on 35 minutes and with some neat one touch passing in the final third placed an unstoppable shot past Cian Flood in the Moone goal to equalise. Straffan grew into the game as the first half came to a close.
On the change of ends, Moone took control of the game again and while dominating possession were not creating enough clear cut chances. As the half wore on, Moone created chances from Tadgh Phelan who hit the side netting twice when shooting across goals may have been the better option. Moone were forced into a goalkeeper change when Cian Flood had to leave the pitch injured to be replaced by Jamie Dillon. Straffan broke clear on a few occasions and won a couple of corners that they feel they should have convert with unmarked headers in the six yard box. The game finished level in normal time and extra time brought along much of the same, with Moone having the better of the possession but unable to put Straffan away. Taylor Beresford making his senior debut was outstanding alongside the equally solid Cormac Burke in the heart of the Moone defence. In the second period of extra time Callum Kelly ran in behind the Straffan defence onto a fantastic pass from Garry Carroll only to be pulled back for offside when clearly on. Straffan had one last attack and were awarded a free kick thirty five yards out. Jamie Dillon saved the initial free shot but could not stop Straffan from finishing the rebound to the net. The final whistle came and Moone will feel aggrieved that (a) they didn’t take their chances and close out the game with the possession and the quality their football deserved and (b) not getting the rub of the green with some of the decisions. Moone’s best players on the day were Taylor Beresford, Corman Burke, Garry Carroll, Tadgh Phelan and Man of the Match from the Moone side Callum Kelly who has returned to form. Congratulation to a very good Straffan team and the very best of luck in the next round.
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