The under 14 team advanced to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Cup, with a repeat of the 3-2 scoreline that saw them victorious in the previous 2nd round. This time the opponents were St Laurence’s from Loughlinstown.
The game saw St Laurence’s open the game brightly and they had two half chances that weren’t converted. Then, from a quickly taken freekick by Mark Donovan, Jakob Heins broke through and he drilled the ball past the opposing keeper from 15 metres out. The game continued to be a close affair, with both teams having chances to score. Ten minutes from halftime, St Laurence’s managed to breach our defence and bring the scores level.
At halftime, the scoreline of 1-1 was a fair reflection on the game but St Kilian’s started the second half very well and were unfortunate not to score after five minutes. However, St Laurence’s responded and came back into the game. Then, from a long diagonal pass by Vagif Aliyev after good work by Jake Nourse to win the ball in the first place, the lone St Laurence’s defender found himself under pressure from Jake Dempsey. The pressure paid off as Jake’s presence made the defender misplace his clearance into the goal and we were 2-1 ahead.
St Kilian’s continued to press and were awarded a penalty five minutes later when Hugo Sabella was upended by their keeper and Daniel Sheeran coolly converted the pressure spot kick. St Laurence’s threw caution to the wind and were rewarded with five minutes remaining, when a long range freekick powered its way into the roof of the net. St Kilian’s had to defend resolutely for the remaining minutes to ensure their place in the quarter finals and, indeed, were unlucky not to add a fourth when Hugo’s volley from the edge of the box went over the crossbar.
Next up is a home tie against the winners of CBS St Paul’s Brunswick Street and Ballymakenny College in the quarter finals of the Leinster cup, a great feat to be one of eight teams remaining from an entry of 50 approximately.
