Boys U16 (2009) Premier - Kilcullen AFC

Kilcullen AFC 0-3 Naas AFC – Cup Quarter-Final

The sun was shining, the crowd was buzzing, and team spirit in the Naas camp was sky-high. With parents on the sidelines in full voice, Naas AFC stepped onto the pitch knowing this cup quarter-final could have been a potential stumbling block in their treble chase. But these boys stayed humble, stayed focused—and delivered a performance worthy of champions.

The first five minutes were scrappy, with a few half-chances for both sides. On five minutes, Ryan Murtagh turned on the burners down the wing, leaving his marker in his wake before whipping in a dangerous cross—only for no one to get on the end of it. That set the tone for what was to come.

Kilcullen soon had a golden chance, breaking through one-on-one, but they were denied by one of the day’s standout performers, Ollie Curran, who pulled off a superb save to keep things level.

Moments later, a delightful through ball from Liam O’Shea found Conor Murtagh, only for the offside flag to be raised to Naas’s frustration. The pressure continued to mount. A clever Dawid Kolter corner routine found Jack Tilly at the edge of the area, but his powerful strike flew just wide.

The momentum had clearly shifted. Kilcullen may have been dreaming of the Spanish sun, but Naas’s focus was locked on the task at hand. In the 36th minute, Matthew Greene found space and let fly—just wide again.

Then, right when the game needed a spark, Conor Fagan stepped up. Out of nowhere, he popped up in the box with a cool, composed finish—a goal any Premier League striker would be proud of. 1-0 Naas at halftime.

Second Half: Ruthless and Relentless

Naas came out of the break on fire. Another Kolter corner found Oran Sherry, who saw his effort well saved. Defensively, Tilly stood strong, snuffing out any hopes Kilcullen had of a comeback.

Murtagh soon cut inside and unleashed one of his signature efforts, but again the Kilcullen keeper was equal to it. With the game still in the balance, Curran came to the rescue once more, producing big saves and showcasing his distribution to keep Naas pushing forward.

Then came the breakthrough. On 68 minutes, Luca skipped past multiple challenges and delivered a brilliant cross. Fagan controlled it effortlessly, turned, and slotted home his second of the day. 2-0.

Four minutes later, Ryan Murtagh surged into the box and was brought down. Penalty to Naas. With a hat trick on the line, Fagan made no mistake, calmly slotting home number three to seal the tie.

A Complete Team Performance

This was more than just a win—it was a statement. There was clever link-up play from Jack Campbell, rock-solid defending from Jake Dooley, Jack Tilly, Christy Reilly, Matthew Greene, and Brody Power. In the middle, Huey Phelan, Liam O’Shea, and Dawid Kolter pulled the strings, while Jake Pitt Byrne, Luca, and Conor Murtagh added energy and tenacity.

And let’s not forget Oran Sherry, whose touches of class added spark to every Naas attack.

This was a proper squad performance from start to finish. Every single player played their part—and every one should be proud.

Semi-final bound. The treble dream lives on.

Well done, boys. Onwards.