Athy Boys take Schools Soccer Division 2 title in style

Scoil Phadraig Naofa Athy 5

(David Dirlea '9, A O'Connor '43, '46, Darius Dirlea '48, H Beever '50 [pen])

Scoil San Carlo Confey 2

(D Tighe '31, D Connolly '38)

Scoil Phadraig Naofa Athy brought the curtain down on what was a fantastic festival of football last week in Kerdiffstown Park, beating Scoil San Carlo Confey to lift the Kildare Primary Schools Soccer Boys Division 2 title.

It had been a long wait for silverware for the Athy school who were last crowned champions at this level in the

second staging of the competition back in 2018.

San Carlo SNS, Confey were leading 2-1 with less than ten minutes left on the clock, but a late flurry of goals from Scoil Phádraig Naofa ensured the trophy would be residing in Athy this winter.

Athy took the lead inside the opening ten minutes when David Dirlea arrived at the back post to turn home a

brilliant cross into the box from Dominic O'Neill.

San Carlo took control after the concession and went close several times, but could not get the better of Athy goalkeeper, Levi Fenlon.

Having held out for almost 20 minutes, Scoil Phadraig Naofa had a massive chance to extend their lead on the

stroke of half time when Tobi Rudy was brought down in the box. Aaron O'Connor took the responsibility, but his left-footed penalty could only find the butt of the post as it ended 1-0 to Athy at the interval.

San Carlo started much the brighter in the second half and won a corner six minutes after the restart which saw a wonderful cross from Darragh Connolly arrive in the path of Dylan Tighe, who pulled off an acrobatic bicycle kick to ripple the net and draw the sides level.

San Carlo were in the ascendancy and took the lead midway through the half. Fenlon came off his line, but Connolly was faster to the ball and toe-poked his shot away from the keeper and into the bottom corner to put Confey into the lead. But it all fell apart after that, with Scoil Phadraig Naofa netting four times in the closing seven minutes to wrap up the final in style.

O'Connor grabbed the equaliser after a lovely ball from Darius Dirlea split the San Carlo defence. Athy were in front just three minutes later when Jonah O'Donnell picked out O'Connor, who made sure of his second with a class finish. O'Connor then turned provider, playing the ball in behind for Darius Dirlea, who rifled his shot home to double the lead.

Not content with that, Scoil Phadraig Naofa wrapped up the game when captain, Harry Beever was brought down in the area. He promptly dusted himself off and converted the penalty with the last kick of the game.

SCOIL PHADRAIG NAOFA ATHY: Levi Fenlon; David Dirlea, Harry Cardiff, Jack May, TJ Harris; Darius Dirlea, Jake Ryan Hughes, Harry Beever, Toby Rudy, Dominic O'Neill; Aaron O'Connor. Subs: Luke Murray, Casey Curtis Preston, Jonah O'Donnell, Scott Kelly, Josh Moran.

SCOIL SAN CARLO CONFEY: Christopher Keogan; Diego Lupu, Benny Tyrrell, Dylan Gissane, Liam Cullen; Eli Lucey, Dylan Tighe, Alex Cleary, Tadhg Kenny; Cian Cassells, Darragh Connolly. Subs: Sean Fitzgerald, Dima Moisei, Sam McDonald, Michael Burke, Sam Corscadden, Sean McCann.