Kilkenny Soccer Round-Up: Big wins and Leinster Junior Cup set-backs

It was a quiet weekend in the top tier of the Kilkenny & District League with just one game played locally as teams competed in the second round of the Leinster Junior Cup.

Defending champions Evergreen advanced to the third round of the provincial competition with a win but it was a disappointing day on the results front overall in provincial competition with just three Kilkenny team from eight matches advancing to the next round.

THOMASTOWN UTD 1, DEEN CELTIC 0 - Deen Celtic remain without a win and rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division table after falling to a spirited Grennan side who have won two of their last three matches.

The only goal of the game came after just four minutes as Kasper Konapka set up Steven Connolly for the all important winner for Thomastown United (sixth).

The win leaves the winners mid table on nine points and they will be hoping it can act as a launch pad to maintaining their Premier Division status.

LEINSTER JUNIOR CUP

EVERGREEN 4, MOYNE RANGERS 2 - Gary Maher’s side had too much strength for their Enniscorthy opponents in a six goal shootout on the Kells Road. The winning of the game arrived just off the half hour mark with a quick fire double for the city side.

Ethan Phelan, who scored in the final of last year’s competition, was involved in both.
Phelan himself opened the scoring on the 34th minute before turning provider for David Grincell just two minutes later in a dream period for the champions.

Moyne Rangers hit back with a response just past the hour but the game always seemed to be in Evergreen’s control with a late Mikey Drennan finish in the 91st minute meaning the away’s side 94th minute second had no significance on the outcome.

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FORT RANGERS 2, NORTH END 3 - After scoring a whopping nine goals in the first round, Fort were brought back down to earth with a bang last weekend, losing a competitive five-goal thriller on their own home turf.

New recruit Zach Bay-Hammond scored his very first goal for his new club after just 60 seconds on Sunday morning, but the dream soon became a nightmare with the Kilkenny side trailing 1-2 at the break, conceding on the 22nd and 30th minutes (the latter from a penalty).

Any hopes of a comeback for Jim Nugent’s team were ended with the concession of a goal seven minutes into the new half with a late Emmet Nugent goal on the 84th minute too late.

FREEBOOTERS 0, DROGHEDA TOWN 4 - Three time winners of the competition Freebooters also fell at the latest hurdle with three first half goals for the County Louth team leaving the home side up against it as they fell to their second defeat on the spin after losing at home in the league to Fort Rangers a week earlier.

Callan United also progressed after they were awarded a walkover by Shelburne United.

OTHER RESULTS:
Lions 1, St John’s 3
Balbriggan 1, Bridge Utd 2
Sherriff 0, East End Utd 3
Castlewarren Celtic 0, Bagenalstown 3

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