McCarthy magic helps Leixlip to Kildare Reserve C Football title

Leixlip 2-15

Allenwood 0-12

Leixlip were crowned Kildare Reserve C Football Champions after an all-action final with Allenwood.

The eventual winners got off to a blistering start by rattling off the first four scores of this game with two each from the day’s top-scorer Shane McCarthy and midfielder Paddy Griffin. McCarthy’s opener was a lovely curling effort that set the stage for his starring role to come.

Griffin followed with a superb score under pressure and a second when he latched onto the breaking ball from a previously unsatisfactory 45’ attempt. Another elegant effort off Shane McCarthy’s left side completed the sequence of four as Leixlip carried their 0-4 to 0-0 lead past the 10-minute mark.

Allenwood opened their account through Aaron Lenehan whose effort glanced over off the inside of the upright.

John Roche combined with Michael French to restore Leixlip’s four-point advantage.

The game’s scoring stopped for five minutes after Roche’s point while Leixlip held their grip and Allenwood attempted to build out of the back with mixed success.

However, Darren Judge’s free for Allenwood to make things 0-5 to 0-2 in the 19th minute kicked off a run of eight points in as many minutes as this fixture sprung into life.

Judge’s free was answered by back-to-back Leixlip points from play with Shane McCarthy and Niall White both finding space to fire over. 

Another Darren Judge free was next for Allenwood with many protests that the infringement happened inside the box. 

Niall White was again the man to answer for Leixlip and the full-forward’s effort off the outside of his boot put his side five clear at 0-8 to 0-3 after 24 minutes.

It would be Leixlip’s last of the half however while the trailing side made a push for parity and mounted four without reply before the break.

Aaron Lenehan’s point was backed up by Colm Moran’s first of the afternoon. Allenwood had begun to put the pieces together with some much-improved kick passing into their frontline. That continued for their next two scores with Jack O’Brien winning a free for Eric Judge to tap over and O’Brien then setting up Darren Judge to close the gap to just a single point.

The late Allenwood surge left this Championship Final at 0-8 to 0-7 at half-time.

Half of that four-point reclamation was felled in one swoop when McCarthy knocked over a superb two-point free almost immediately after the restart.

A mere 10 seconds after his 36th minute introduction, Shane O’Grady was off the mark for Leixlip with a point. That score encapsulated the second half with Leixlip’s ability to make quality changes telling as this final wore on.

After a Darren Judge free, Michael Staunton replicated O’Grady’s feat and scored mere moments after entering the field and, with his first possession, put the leading side 0-12 to 0-8 clear after 40 minutes.

Three rapid Niall White scores on the trot were followed by the game’s opening goal after Rob Tone intercepted a goal-kick and burst through on goal to score past Allenwood’s scrambling stopper. Just like that, in a matter of a couple of minutes, Leixlip were out of sight.

Although comfortably clear at that late stage, Leixlip’s final score of the game was a goal to put a cap on a convincing final performance. It came when Shane McCarthy was played in before he cut inside and rattled the roof of the net in the 57th minute. 

The corner-forward’s goal left this game as it finished at 2-15 to 0-12 with Leixlip being crowned Reserve Football C champions.

Leixlip, Shane McCarthy 1-5 (0-2 frees, one 2pt free), Niall White 0-5 (0-1 frees), Rob Tone 1-0, Paddy Griffin 0-2, John Roche 0-1, Shane O'Grady 0-1, Michael Staunton 0-1.

Allenwood, Darren Judge 0-8 (0-7 frees, one 2pt free), Aaron Lenehan 0-2, Colm Moran 0-1, Eric Judge 0-1 (0-1 frees).

LEIXLIP: Alex Kearney; Eoin Martyn, Liam Mahon, Tom Quinn; Killian Doherty, John Roche, Conal Henson; Brian Claffey, Paddy Griffin; James Murnaghan, Rob Tone, Charlie Barrett; Shane McCarthy, Niall White, Michael French. Subs: Dylan Doherty for James Murnaghan (Half-time), Shane O'Grady for Charlie Barrett (36 minutes), Michael Staunton for Michael French (39 minutes), Cian Mallen for Paddy Griffin (45 minutes).

ALLENWOOD: Glen More; Ciaran Bagnall, Daniel Coyne, TJ Moore; Finn Smullen, Craig Lenehan, Callum O'Reilly; David Byrne, Jack Musgrave; Eric Judge, Colm Moran, John Dee; Jack O'Brien, Aaron Lenehan, Darren Judge. Subs: Evan Smullen for David Byrne (40 minutes).

Referee: PJ Cummins

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