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Minor footballers strike late to capture Leinster League

November 8, 2018

Minor footballers strike late to capture Leinster League

02 Mar 2013 | hill16.ie

DUBLIN 3-8 KILDARE 0-13

Two late goals saw Dublin snatch victory in this Leinster MFL final at Parnell’s grounds on Saturday morning.

The game looked to be edging the way of the Lilywhites over the concluding ten minutes and Wayne Fitzpatrick’s 58th minute point nosed the visitors in front, 0-12 to 1-8.

However, Dublin struck for two goals in the dying minutes to capture the provincial minor league title to follow up on last year’s success in the same competition.

Colm Basquel got the first of these two late strikes when a long ball broke off substitute full-forward Seán Ryan for the Ballyboden St Enda’s man to half-volley first time to the net.

Within 90 seconds Ryan rescued a ball going out of play and squared the ball to fellow sub, wing-forward Cillian Sheanon, who made no mistake from close range.

In between Dublin keeper, Loran Molloy, made an excellent save to deny Kildare’s Niall Flynn as the Lilywhites looked to salvage something from a game in which they held the upperhand for long periods of the second half.

The game was finely balanced at the break with Dublin enjoying a 1-5 to 0-7 lead.

The only goal of the opening half came in the second minute when pacey wing-back Aaron Byrne show brilliant opportunism to fire the ball to the top corner to give the Dubs the dream start.

The half in general was nip and tuck with both Michael Deegan and Con O’Callaghan finding the range and two occasions to keep Dublin in front by the break.

SCORERS – Dublin: M Deegan 0-4, A Byrne, C Basquel, C Sheanon 1-0 each, C O’Callaghan 0-2, G Gallagher, S Malony 0-1 each. Kildare: J Flynn 0-3 (0-2f), J Connolly, W Fitzpatrick, M Kelly (0-2f) 0-2 each, I McKeon, M Byrne, JJ Mahon, N Flynn 0-1 each.
DUBLIN: L Molloy; A Foley, J Mullins, E Murchan; A Byrne, T Hanafin, E O’Donnell; S McGrath, G Gallagher; E McHugh, S Molony, A Fitzgerald; C O’Callaghan, C Basquel, M Deegan. Subs: S Ryan for McGrath (37), K Sheanon for Fitzgerald (42), C Mullen for O’Callaghan (52), S Tully for Byrne (59).
KILDARE: J Reeves; J Briody, E Bateman, C McConnell; J Flynn, N Fleming, J Mahon; M Sherry, M Bursey; R Houlihan, C Davin, D Keane; I McKeon, M Byrne, M Kelly. Subs: T Cribbin for Keane (23), C Shannon for Reeves, D Maguire for Bateman, P Connell for Houlihan, P Mescal for Fleming and N Flynn for Bursey (half-time), C McMonagle for Davin (37), W Fitzpatrick for McKeon and J Connolly for J Flynn (41), A McConville for Byrne (44), A Scully for Kelly (50).