Football flying in Kennedy Park
Boys and girls looking forward to urban league finals
WHILE THE fun and games of Halloween are the top priority for all primary school children this week, the pupils of Kennedy Park in Wexford town will have plenty to look forward to on the playing fields when they return after the mid-term break.
A great buzz is guaranteed around the playground and on the corridors in early November, as both the boys’ and girls’ football teams have qualified for the county finals of the Rackard League’s urban schools section.
The Na Fianna Clonard pitches in Coolcotts have been a happy hunting ground for these eager young players since the end of September, and they were a hive of activity on Wednesday and Thursday of last week when those two final spots were secured.
First up were the girls, with the benefits of a training session conducted by Wexford inter-county goalkeeper Mary Rose Kelly evident as they defeated Gaelscoil Inis Córthaidh to reach their decider.
The boys were determined to follow in their footsteps at the same venue 24 hours later, and they duly delivered with a very impressive 3-16 to 1-0 victory over Bunscoil Rís from New Ross, despite some memorable heroics from the losers’ outstanding goalkeeper.
Both teams have been unbeaten on their respective final marches, with the girls securing two victories in the group stages before sharing the spoils with an equally strong Mercy (John’s Road) outfit.
As for the boys, they boasted a four wins from four record before that semi-final success, overcoming Wexford town rivals in the form of Scoil Mhuire (7-14 to 3-7), The Faythe (8-10 to 0-1), C.B.S. (5-8 to 0-2), and Mercy (7-10 to 4-2).
While that’s a very impressive record, their mettle was severely tested in the latter encounter, as their John’s Road rivals actually led by 4-2 to 0-3 at half-time.
However, Kennedy Park responded to the challenge laid down in fine fashion, picking off an impressive 7-7 without reply in the second period to maintain their winning run.
Football is absolutely flying in the school at present, and there’s no doubt that the addition of a beautiful new astro-turf pitch on the premises has been a significant boost.
And the plush new playing surface was christened in fitting fashion in early October when it played host to the internal league finals for boys and girls.
The girls were first into action after the teams were paraded around sidelines thronged with their fellow pupils and proud parents.
A Monaghan team powered by captain Mikka Lawlor and Abbie Bolger availed of the strong wind to forge a big lead, and they stayed ahead even though Donegal made a worthy comeback after Nicole Kelly pulled back a goal and a point early in the second-half.
The elements had an impact on the boys’ decider also, as Mayo established a 2-6 to 1-2 interval lead versus Dublin.
However, it was a different story on the re-start as the side captained by Conor Shortall chipped away at the deficit, and it led to a very exciting finish.
Just 60 seconds remained when Darragh McLaughlin struck for his fourth goal to give the Dubs a dramatic lead.
Mayo captain Kaylem Harnett then took centre stage, collecting the kick-out and embarking on a length-of-the-field solo run before crashing home a memorable winning goal.
Dublin did create one last chance, but Mayo netminder Billy Kelly proved his worth with a vital save as they held on for a thrilling victory.
In excess of 50 boys and 40 girls played in these leagues, and the gradual improvement shown week on week has also been reflected in the march of the two teams to their urban league finals.
Clearly there’s a lot of good work being done on the G.A.A. front in Kennedy Park National School, and long may it last.