Kilbarrack United – 5
Evergreen FC (Kilkenny) – 2
jonny stapleton
Kilbarrack United Saturday side produced against another of Leinster junior football’s Sunday best to reach the Leinster Junior Cup final last weekend.
A week after the Greenogue club’s first team celebrated going an entire league campaign undefeated, the second string registered an achievement some will argue is even greater.
The young side plies their trade in the Major Saturday 1C, the fourth tier of second-string Leinster Senior League football, but have outdone some of the biggest junior football clubs in the province by reaching the final of one of the most prestigious competitions in Irish amateur football.
It’s an extremely unique accomplishment for a Saturday side, certainly a rarer achievement than an invincible season – and speaking of Sunday best they fittingly did it in real style.
United produced a five-star performance as they came from behind to blast away a Kilkenny District League big guns Evergreen.
A potent young side recovered from an early blow to eventually run rings around the Hoops. Aaron Wall scored from close range as early as 9 minutes to put the KDSL League leaders in early progression pole.
However, by the time half-time came around the Major Saturday 1C third-place finishers were two to the good.
Kayln Sweeney leveled on 29 minutes before Jack Kelly put the home side ahead 180 seconds later. Sean Cumiskey proceeded to make it three goals in 10 minutes with a composed finish soon after.
The Dublin side started off the second half where they finished the first as Cuminsky dampened any hope of an Evergreen revival when he converted from the spot on 47 minutes.
Kelly then gave the large traveling support a present on his birthday rounding the keeper to round off the rout much to the delight of all in Greenogue.
Irish Amateur international David Grincell pulled one back for the pre-game favourites with three minutes to go but his header was never going to be anything other than a consolation.
With their first team now at Intermediate level the defeated 2012 and 2013 finalists thought they were done with the competition but amazingly find themselves just 90 minutes away from one of the storied tournament’s most historic wins.
If the Saturday side are to go one better than possibly Kilbarrack’s greatest ever first 11, who twice lost deciders to Sheriff YC in their AUL days, they have one more mountain to climb.
They will have to seriously sharpen the scalping knife as reigning champions North End United provide decider opposition.
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