The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Listowel Celtic claim Youths title
DENNY YOUTH LEAGUE FINAL Listowel Celtic 1 Killarney Celtic 0 (ater extra-time)
UNDERAGE soccer is thriving on the banks of the Feale and Listowel Celtic showed this at the weekend after capturing two titles in the space of two days.
They won the U-17 League title on Thursday night and on Saturday evening their Youths team were crowned Youths League Champions after an extra time victory over Killarney Celtic who lost three finals in the same number of days.
This was a game in which Killarney dominated play but they could not break down a magnificent Listowel defence with the entire back four absolutely brilliant.
They defended superbly throughout the game and Killarney did not help their cause with very poor execution of dead ball situations.
Killarney were on top in the first half and they should have gone ahead in the 40th minute when Gary Vaughan played in Lee Downing but he was denied by a superb save by the Listowel goalie Killian Gorman.
Listowel were much more creative in the second half and they had a great chance to go ahead when Callum McSweeney found space outside the box and spotted the run of sub Niall Downey but he was denied by an excellent save by the Killarney goalie Gareth O’Sullivan.
Killarney had the chance to win the game in the 87th minute when two subs Darragh Fleming and Evan Lynch combined outside the box and when Lynch was put in one-on-one with the Listowel keeper he dragged his shot left and wide.
With the game deadlocked after 90 minutes it progressed to extra time.
Nothing changed in the first period but three minutes into the second period Michael Kennedy chased a ball he seemed to have no chance of getting got past a defender at the byline and cut in to put the ball on a plate for Niall Downey and he sent an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net.
Seconds later the hero became a villian as after a rash challenge Downey got a second yellow card and was sent off.
Killarney Celtic piled on the pressure to try and get an equaliser but they could not breach a superb Listowel defence.
LISTOWEL Celtic: Killian O’Gorman, Jack Boland, Christopher O’Gorman, Aaron Kelly, Ben Tobin, Michael Kennedy (Danny Quilter, 103 mins), Jack Sheahan, Darren Loughnane, Neilus Mackessy (Jake Kelly, 68 mins), Adam Cronin (Niall Downey, 46 mins), Callum McSweeney (Shane Loughnane, 95 mins).
KILLARNEY Celtic, Garreth O’Sullivan, Jack Enright (Darragh Fleming, 64 mins), Jordan Leahy (Josh Fleming 64 mins) Evan Jones, Eoin Carroll, Gary Vaughan, Eoin Moynihan (E Fleming, 70 mins), Oran O’Donoghue, Lee Downing, Cian Casey, Liam Curran.
REFEREE: Anthony Morrison