Leo grabs winner
Kilmore claim Under-12 honours
KILMORE UNITED CAMPILE UNITED 2 1 LEO SINNOTT netted the winner eight minutes from time as hosts Kilmore overcame a battling Campile United side to claim the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-12 Division 4 title on Saturday.
With the game meandering to a draw, and Kilmore championship celebrations set to be put on ice, Sinnott collected from Seán Ojuade’s clever slide-rule pass, cut outside the covering defender and drilled low past Conor O’Leary to sent his side into delirious celebrations.
The goal, their 51st in twelve consecutive league wins, was undoubtedly the most important. They have had tough games, most notably their pair of meetings with Rathnure, but no win could have been as stressful and hard-earned as this success.
Campile came in as spoilers, with little chance of nabbing second spot in the table.
Nonetheless, they were gutsy and determined and gave it a serious go.
On the balance of the game, Kilmore were the better team but had the visitors taken a point it wouldn’t have been undeserved.
Kilmore struggled to get into a rhythm and credit for that had to go to Campile.
Ojuade saw a weak shot easily stopped by Conor O’Leary, but other than that the defence of Conor O’Neill, Will Foley and Sarah Foley stood strong.
With Mai Dempsey holding the middle of the field, and Sam Cummins and Ben Parker offering pace out wide, Campile looked to hit on the counter.
They won a free a long way out in the tenth minute and watched in glee as Will Foley’s drilled effort rode the wind all the way to the net.
After coming to terms with the shock of falling behind, Kilmore began to probe early in the second quarter.
Leo Sinnott fired wide from Luca Rafferty’s corner before Noah Culleton drilled off target from distance.
Sinnott had a great chance to equalise when found by Ojuade on the left of goal, but O’Leary made a stunning save.
Still, there was nothing the Campile ‘keeper could do to deny Luca Rafferty the equaliser from a right-wing free-kick two minutes before the interval.
Campile re-grouped at the break and went close five minutes into the second-half when Cormac Shannon played Sam Cummins into the clear on the right of goal. However, his shot flashed narrowly wide of the near post.
Kilmore looked nervous and struggled to create clear chances. The closest they came before Sinnott grabbed his memorable winner was three minutes earlier when the goalscorer headed a Culleton dead-ball wide from close to the penalty spot.
There was one hairy moment for Kilmore, when Mai Dempsey’s long-range effort swirled in the breeze in the final minute, but James Cloney dealt with it superbly and his side claimed a hard-earned but fully-deserved league title.
Kilmore United: James Cloney; Owen Cheevers, Noah Culleton, Leo Sinnott; Luca Rafferty, Dylan Hore; Seán Ojuade, Ronan Dove (capt.), Joseph Healy. Subs. (rolling) - Sam Fortune, Louis Cosgrave, Vinny Bibby, Marc Kelly, Evan O’Brien.
Campile United: Conor O’Leary; Conor O’Neill, Will Foley, Sarah Foley; Sam Cummins, Mai Dempsey (capt.); Ben Parker; Eddie Shalloe, Cormac Shannon. Subs. (rolling) - Lauren Howlin-Bolger, Adam Kavanagh.
Referee: Jack Stafford.