- OUR PARTNERS
The under14 squad claimed their league title with a magnificent & nerve wreaking 6-5 this evening.
Match Report
Skerries Town U14s clinch championship with dramatic win
Skerries Town 6 – 5 Hartstown Huntstown,
Matthew Donnelly’s last minute goal sealed a heart-stopping finish to a thrilling game that saw Skerries Town edge out close rivals Hartstown Huntstown to win the NDSL U14C League Championship. Both teams took to the field at Park Lane on Thursday 14 May as title contenders in a “winner takes all” match. A Skerries win would see them take the crown in this, their final fixture of the season. Hartstown only needed to avoid defeat to make them strong favourites to end the season on top.
Skerries had almost a full squad available with the exception of Paddy Lattimore who was unfortunately injured but nevertheless played his part in what was a tremendous season for the Skerries team. Skerries also drafted in ex-coach Matthew “eye-on-the-ball” Kelly who's guile and insight on the night had a big influence in the Skerries win.
The decisive late goal was the eleventh of a remarkable game that saw both sides swap the lead and draw level in an end-to-end encounter worthy of deciding any championship. With the seconds ticking away after a late Hartstown equalizer had squared the game at 5-5, it looked like a brilliant and brave Skerries season would end in disappointment. But this Skerries team fights to the end, and when Tadhg Kelly launched a free kick into the Hartstown box one last time, Donnelly steered the ball home for his fifth goal of the game. After another minute that seemed like a lifetime for everyone except ice-cool coach Tom “Jose-Pep” Garland (“I always knew the lads would do it”) the final whistle confirmed the 6-5 victory and a truly remarkable achievement for this special Skerries team.
Non-stop action
A large crowd of Skerries supporters at Park Lane were given plenty to cheer from the kick-off as both teams tried to impose their game. Skerries started strongly, turning confident defence in the face of a powerful and direct Huntstown attack into early chances for Emmet Trant, Matthew Donnelly, Rory Garland and Rian O’Connor. As Skerries settled into their trademark pass-and-move game they were rocked back when the strong-running Hartstown forwards forced the ball home in a crowded penalty box. Skerries levelled within five minutes when fine work down the left from Ben Oakes and team captain Rory Garland freed Daragh McCarney, who sidestepped two defenders before calmly stroking the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the Hartstown net.
Skerries pressed on, with Conor Kinsella pulling the strings in midfield as the home team matched a physically imposing Hartstown team through clever support play all over the pitch. Skerries took a deserved lead with a trademark Matthew Donnelly strike, collecting the ball just over the halfway line and surging past three players on the left to crash the ball past a helpless keeper.
With both teams in never-say-die mode, this dramatic game still had a long way to go. A goalmouth scramble following a brave save from first-half Skerries keeper Liam Byrne saw Hartstown equalize and then take a 2-3 lead into the break.
“Win the second half!”
Just as they had in their NDSL Cup triumph last season when they turned around a half-time deficit, the Skerries lads were determined to win the second half. An energetic start soon paid off as Donnelly raced on to a Garland through ball to calmly roll home and level the game at 3-3.
Hartstown pressed hard and second-half keeper Emmet Trant produced a number of vital stops between the sticks. Skerries gave as good as they got and continued to carve out the better chances, building from a solid defence featuring Jake Cruise, Tadhg Kelly, Conall Tully, Callum O’Sullivan and Liam Byrne and with excellent midfield contributions from Issa Masri, James Dempsey and Ben Oakes.
The Skerries lads’ remarkable self-belief was tested yet again as a close-range Hartstown goal put the visitors in front (3-4), but Donnelly’s perfect top-corner finish from a 25-yard free kick squared the game once more.
Worthy champions
As the game entered its final ten minutes, and with tension and excitement reaching emergency room levels on the sidelines, Donnelly again surged into the box and was dragged down for a clear penalty. With his hat-trick already secured, Donnelly stepped up to convert the spot-kick but this one needed a slice of luck after the Hartstown keeper reached but could not hold the ball.
At 5-4 and with less than two minutes to go, even the most nervous Skerries supporters were starting to believe, especially as the home team continued to press forward. But the skillful and powerful Hartstown team had other ideas, and with barely 90 seconds left on the clock the Skerries defence was undone by a long through ball and a smart finish (5-5).
Hartstown had every right to celebrate like it was the winner, but this game was never going to end in a draw. Even before the dramatic winner, Skerries were again forced to show their collective defensive strength, repelling a Hartstown attack and playing the ball into the centre circle where fast footwork by Garland drew a foul. Kelly launched it forward, Donnelly reacted quickest to the knock-down, and coach “Jose-Pep” Garland jumped higher than any man with two good knees!
The final whistle was greeted with wild excitement from the Skerries team and supporters – and by hearty congratulations from a very sporting Hartstown coach and players who knew they had fought hard but had lost to a team who had shown all season that their day would come. But nobody could have written the script to this season decider!
Tom Garland (coach), Daragh McCarney, Rian O’Connor, Callum O’Sullivan, Jake Cruise, Tadhg Kelly, Emmet Trant, Conall Tully, Issa Masri, Ben Oakes, Matthew Donnelly, James Dempsey, Rory Garland (capt), Conor Kinsella, Liam Byrne, Matthew Kelly (guest coach). Missing from picture: Patrick Lattimore.
