Walshestown earn their stripes in Shield decider
WALSHESTOWN ended the season with a cherished piece of silverware as they held off a strong Kentstown Rovers side to capture the North East Counties Schoolboy League Under-14 Premier Shield at the MDL complex the weekend before last.
The first half was a very tense affair, with the Walshestown lads perhaps showing too much respect to their Premier Division opponents.
From the kick-off Kentstown piled on the pressure, but the back four of Charlie Murphy, Josh Kirwan, Jack Mc Geough and Adam Sullivan - supported by goalkeeper Adam Cassidy - held firm and frustrated the Kentstown attack.
At half time the teams could not be separated and the Walshestown boys were growing in confidence as they embarked on their half-time
KENTSTOWN ROVERS WALSHESTOWN 1 2
team talk.
As a result, the midfield pair of Jake Corrigan and Sam Maguire, supported by TJ Conlon and Adam Flynn, started to push forward in the second period to support forwards Evan Kearney and Killian Nugent.
It still remainied scoreless - until 17 minutes from time, that is - when Sam Maguire broke from the centre of the field and rounded the keeper to put Walshestown in front.
Jack Murtagh came on at left-back to support the under-pressure defence, but with eight minutes left captain Evan Kearney split the Kentstown back four with a pass that found in-form striker Killian Nugent and he side-stepped the last defender and buried the ball in the top corner for 2-0.
Walshestown then brought on substitutes Mark Goggins and Cian Kearney to bolster the midfield, and although Kentstown did manage to pull a goal back from a free kick with two minutes remaining it was too little too late and Walshestown held out for a well-deserved victory.