FULL REPORT: Kildare are crowned U20 All-Ireland Champions with win over Sligo

EirGrid GAA Football All-Ireland U20 Championship Final

Kildare 1-17

Sligo 0-12

Kildare are EirGrid GAA Football All-Ireland U20 Champions following a thrilling final encounter with Sligo.
The final score is far from reflective of the competitive nature of this game. With just five minutes remaining, the game was perfectly poised at 0-14 to 0-11 in Kildare’s favour.

The game was set up for a grandstand finish with Sligo pushing forward, spurred on by their enormous and vocal travelling support.

After a Kildare wide, Sligo goalkeeper Ethan Carden looked to restart the match and pick out a man in the middle. Carden saw his effort intercepted by Kildare substitute Killian Browne who kept his cool under pressure and lobbed the Sligo stopper brilliantly for a game-clinching goal.

Breffni Park erupted with the cheers of the outnumbered Lilies as they knew the game was won as the ball bounced over the line. As the green flag was lifted so was the pain for many of these players from 12 months ago.
Kildare would add scores late on from Shane Farrell, Eoin Cully and Callum Bolton to put some shine on the final scoring tally.

From the first whistle, Kildare came out all guns blazing in this game. Unfortunately, like their semi-final, the Lilies began to put some wides on the board. It would be their goalkeeper Cormac Barker that would open the scoring with a fine free-kick after five minutes.

The play was all Kildare early on and that was once again thanks to their superb backline and in particular Clane’s Harry O’Neill who turned over the ball for his side repeatedly. O’Neill, who even added a score to his performance, was one of the many man of the match showings on the day.

Niall Dolan would be next on the scoresheet with a sensational outside of the boot effort from the Raheens man. Dolan operated from midfield in this game as Kildare pushed Seán Hanafin into full-forward with great effect.

While his teammates kept the scoreboard ticking over, Hanafin wreaked havoc in the danger areas for Kildare and almost got a goal that would have seen the Lilies nearly out of sight early after just 12 minutes.

Callum Bolton was next on that list of scorers for Kildare as he knocked over a superb score from long-range. A necessary bit of quality early on to show Sligo that these Kildare players can’t be given that type of space.

Hanafin would get a point for his efforts as he once again overpowered the Sligo defence and worked an angle for himself. The Naas man took his simple score well to move Kildare to 0-4 to no score.

Sligo would get their first point of the afternoon through James Donlon. The centre-forward’s well-taken point lifted the Sligo support for the first time in this game.

That excitement was quickly extinguished by Kildare who had an immediate response. Oisín O'Sullivan used his trademark agility to get free and slot a score over from a tight angle in what was an impressive response by the Lilywhites to Sligo’s first score.

Kildare sat 0-5 to 0-1 in the lead when the towering Naas man gathered a long ball into him but guided his effort onto the inside of the post. It was a shot that looked like a certain goal, apparently even from Hanafin’s point of view as he put his head in hands in disbelief.

It was all Kildare in the first half but there was a natural concern that the wides they were accumulating could cost them later on. Kildare registered eight wides in the first half.

After some early misses, Adam Fanning would find his scoring boots and extend Kildare’s lead to 0-8 to 0-3 with just seven minutes to go in the first half.

Sligo came on strong late in the first half as they looked to claw their way back into this game. A Luke Marren free, which was a feature of Sligo’s scoring throughout, reduced the gap to four before the break.

Kildare would get the last score of the half as Shane Farrell expertly fielded a goal-kick to thunderous applause. Farrell would quickly find Adam Fanning for a score to give Kildare a 0-9 to 0-4 lead going in at half-time.

Having made one in the first half, Sligo made two more changes at the break and looked all the better for it after the restart. The adjustments made and no doubt a message from Paul Henry ringing in their eyes, Sligo came flying out of the blocks.

Scores from wing-back Dylan Walsh and substitute Brian Byrne reduced the gap for Sligo. Oisín O’Sullivan would respond for Kildare but the trailing side were no doubt pushing hardest at this stage.

After some Kildare changes to freshen things up, a Luke Marren free-kick reduced the gap to three points with 12 minutes left.

Just 30 seconds later, substitute Brian Byrne got his second of the day with a super score to bring Sligo back to within two. All in the stands wearing white were beginning to sweat even more on a fine Cavan afternoon.

However, those on the field donning white didn’t expend any extra energy worrying about the scoreline. They looked every bit the seasoned bunch they are at this level of football and kept their cool when the chips were down in this huge tie.

The sides traded scores as Killian Browne got a point for Kildare just two minutes after his introduction from the bench. That point was quickly responded to by Sligo talisman Luke Marren who added another to his tally for the day.

A Seán Hanafin score would restore Kildare’s three-point advantage with five to go. Hanafin’s score was the last before Browne’s crucial lobbed goal that secured this All-Ireland final win for Kildare.

Speaking after the game, Kildare full-forward for the final Seán Hanafin said, “Absolutely delighted with that win. After last year's experience the lads pushed it this year. Then losing to Westmeath bring it, we left a bit behind against them and we knew what we do.”

“I am just so glad we have done it now. It is such a relief and it feels so great.”

The alleviation of the pressure that this team have been under for so long could be seen all over the Naas mans face. This team having been so close the year previous, set out to win an All-Ireland and they have done so. A truly remarkable feat.
Hanafin was an enormous part of that achievement, both through the previous rounds and especially in this final.

The shift to push him into the full-forward line was an inspired choice as he scored a welcome 0-2 on the day but even more importantly caused Sligo to change their setup as he caused them endless issues in the opening minutes.

Hanafin said about the positional switch, “We saw it as a chance to play me full-forward and see what they (Sligo) can do with it. The first 10/15 minutes it was going well.

“They brought me out to midfield after, I don't mind that, I don't mind full-forward, I am just altogether.”

It may be a small thing in the Naas mans mind, but that attitude of not caring about his position is an example of what is key to the success of this Kildare team.

An incredible bunch of players that are as industrious as they are talented. Led by a brilliantly astute manager, there can be doubt that this Kildare team is the best in the country.

Kildare, Killian Browne 1-1, Adam Fanning 0-3, Seán Hanafin 0-2, Callum Bolton 0-2, Oisín O'Sullivan 0-2, Niall Dolan 0-1, Ryan Sinkey 0-1, Cormac Barker 0-1 (0-1 frees), Shane Farrell 0-1 (0-1 frees), Tomas Von Engelbrechten 0-1, Harry O'Neill 0-1, Eoin Cully 0-1.

Sligo, Luke Marren 0-7 (0-7 frees), Brian Byrne 0-2, Daire O'Boyle 0-1, James Donlon 0-1, Dylan Walsh 0-1.

KILDARE: Cormac barker; Harry O'Neill, Tomas Von Engelbrechten, Ryan Burke; James Harris, James McGrath, Jack McKevitt; Niall Dolan, Shane Farrell; Ryan Sinkey, Callum Bolton, Colm Dalton; Adam Fanning, Seán Hanafin,Oisín O'Sullivan. Subs: Eoin Cully for Oisín O'Sullivan (38 minutes), Ethan Mountaine for James Harris 43 minutes), Killian Browne for Ryan Sinkey (47 minutes), Sam Savage for Niall Dolan (55 minutes), Daire Guerin for Adam Fanning (61 minutes).

SLIGO: Ethan Carden; Ross Chambers, Conor Johnston, Luke Casserly; Dylan Walsh, Dylan McLoughlin, Rossa Sloyan; Conor Sheridan, Ross Doherty; Mark McDaniel, James Donlon, Ronan Niland; Luke Marren, Daire O'Boyle, Matt Henry. Subs: Joshua Flynn for Matt Henry (23 minutes), Zaak Mahon for Ross Chambers (Half-time), Robert O'Kelly Lynch for Mark McDaniel (Half-time), Brian Byrne for Joshua Flynn (33 minutes), Conor McMorrow for James Donlon (38 minutes).

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)