LIMERICK Desmond League captured the inaugural All-Ireland Under-14 Boys Championship after an 3-2 extra-time win over Kerry at University of Limerick.
The teams were tied at 2-2 at full time but in additional time Brooklyn Delahunty found the score to separate the sides. It was his second goal in the final and brought his competition tally to an impressive seven.
On fifteen minutes and against the run of play Kerry opened the scoring when a stray pass was seized upon by the Kerry left winger who powered into the area and his sweet strike with his left foot across the keeper and into the top right corner.
On twenty-three minutes Desmond were level. A cross from the right wasn’t dealt with by the Kerry defence, their number four seeing his attempted clearance get altitude more than distance, Brooklyn Delahunty back headed the ball to Tiernan Kelly. The Newcastle West Town player still had lots to do as he placed the ball low into the bottom right corner for his fourth goal in the competition.
Fifteen minutes into the second half and Kerry were back in front when the ball was drilled low into the bottom left corner of the Desmond net.
With twelve minutes left Desmond were back level, a Kerry attack was broken up and the ball was played to Tiernan Kelly, who took it from deep in his own half and shrugged off two Kerry players before playing a delightful through ball to Brooklyn Delahunty who showed some deft skill to shift the ball onto his left foot and roll in past the advancing keeper.
Extra time brought a moment of magic when Tiernan Kelly skipped past a Kerry player and took the ball on a few paces before clipping a cross behind the Kerry defence. Delahunty got onto it and chipped the ball over one defender before going past a second. As the ball touched the ground, the Dromore United striker drilled the ball to the Kerry net for a famous victory.
Limerick Desmond: Zach Bennis (Dromore Utd), Ryan Foley (Breska Rvs), Aaron Murphy (Abbeyfeale Utd), John Ross O’Reilly (Breska Rvs), Ben Hough (Creeves Celtic), Rowan Collins capt, (Shountrade), Eamon O’Sullivan (Shountrade), Eoin Hennessy (Breska Rvs), Tiarnan Kelly (NCW Town), Seán O’Flynn (Broadford Utd), Dylan Buckley (GB Rvs), Brooklyn Delahunty (Dromore Utd), Michael Kirby (Shountrade), Charlie McCarthy (Shountrade), Sheagh Mulvihill (GB Rvs), Mikolaj Pater (NCW Town), Thomas McMahon (Dromore Utd), Andrew Johnson (Shountrade), Cian Barry (Dromore Utd), Matthew Walshe (NCW Town).
Management: Niall O’Connor (Breska Rvs), Tommy O’Connor (Dromore Utd), Kevin Taylor (Breska Rvs)
