Boys U13 (2012) Premier White - Kill Celtic
Naas AFC Produce Stunning Upset to Dismantle League Leaders Kill Celtic 4-0
Naas Sports Centre, Saturday:
In winter-like conditions more suited to ducks than footballers, Naas AFC tore up the script and delivered a thunderous 4-0 victory over top-of-the-table Kill Celtic — a performance brimming with grit, pace, and no shortage of class.
Coming into the match, Kill had title ambitions in their back pocket and a seemingly routine task ahead of them, with Castle Villa and Athy locking horns in Castledermot in a second vs third clash. Kill needed a win. Naas had other ideas.
The hosts came out of the blocks like a side possessed. Mere moments after kickoff, Kaspian Zielenski surged down the right and picked out Joshua Richardson. Richardson still had plenty to do, but he made it look easy — calmly lifting the ball over the keeper to give Naas a dream start. Kill were stunned.
The visitors responded with pressure, carving out half-chances that drifted wide, but they couldn’t break through a Naas defence anchored by the ever-reliable debutant Dan Shelley. In front of him, Abella and O'Toole were rocks in the centre, flanked by the composed Dan Grant and the ever-committed Darragh Nolan.
As the wind howled and the rain lashed, the match became scrappy, both sides lumping long balls into no man's land. Enter Jayden Daniel — introduced from the bench and immediately electric down the left. His cross caused chaos, Zielenski’s header looped into the air, and the alert Futsom pounced on the loose ball to smash home Naas’s second.
Before Kill could regroup, Naas were in again. This time, the clever and composed Ben Cox threaded a beautifully weighted three-yard ball into the path of Futsom, who surged into the box and buried his second of the day. 3-0 — and the Naas crowd were bouncing.
At the heart of it all was Jake Dunbar, delivering his trademark battling performance in midfield, snapping into tackles and disrupting everything Kill tried to build. Alongside him, Michal Mazur made his presence felt with thunderous challenges, letting the opposition know they were in for a war.
The second half brought more of the same. Naas stayed tight, stayed hungry, and refused to let Kill breathe. The pace of Alex Branskky caused problems all afternoon, his runs down the flank keeping the Kill backline on their heels. Kill tried to play their way back into the contest, but Naas were relentless.
Then came the cherry on top. Jayden Daniel, already making waves, won a crunching tackle deep in the Kill half, took a touch, looked up, and sent a lofted shot sailing over the keeper and into the net. 4-0. Bedlam.
Zielenski went agonisingly close to a fifth, Grant fired wide, and Branskky nearly got the goal his pace and endeavour deserved. But the damage was done. Kill looked like a boxer swinging wildly, legs gone, waiting for the bell. The referee obliged.
This was more than a win. It was a statement. A team performance overflowing with heart, courage, and belief.
Special mentions? Take your pick. Dan Shelley impressed on debut between the sticks. Richardson took his goal with real composure. Dunbar battled for every ball. Cox showed his craft. Branskky lit it up with pace. And Mazur? He tackled everything in sight.
With Athy up next in the cup semi-final, they'll be wondering just what kind of storm is heading their way. After this, Naas won’t be taken lightly again.
