A fantastic three points on the road today for the boys, coming through some absolutely shocking weather conditions to earn a hard-fought 3–2 away victory.
Storm Boelo played a big part on Saturday, the wind and driving rain made conditions extremely difficult. However, the boys adapted well and made the most of playing with the wind behind them.
We started brightly and put St. Joseph’s under sustained pressure, looking to get that all-important opening goal. It arrived when Harry Keanes inswining corner on the right-hand side sailed directly into the net to give us a deserved 1–0 lead!
We continued to dominate the first half and pushed hard to find a second goal and give ourselves some breathing room. Unfortunately, that second goal wouldn’t come before half-time, but defensively we were solid and St. Joseph’s offered very little threat.
At half-time, we spoke to the boys about the challenge ahead. Playing against that wind in the second half was always going to be difficult, and we knew the opposition would come out with renewed energy.
The opening five or six minutes were always going to be crucial, and the boys rode that initial storm brilliantly. We then began to play some lovely football through the middle, and Jude Gallagher produced a moment of real quality. Picking up the ball in an advanced position, Jude unleashed a rocket from around 20 yards that flew past the defence and goalkeeper into the top of the net. A brilliant finish to make it 2–0!
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, St. Joseph’s pulled one back. We failed to clear a corner, allowing an opposition player a free header, and they made it 2–1.
With around 10 minutes remaining, though, we produced another moment of quality to restore our two-goal cushion. Winning the ball in the middle of the park, we moved it out to Harry Gaffney on the left wing. Harry cut inside onto his right foot and unleashed a superb strike from around 20 yards, finding the top corner and making it 3–1!
Prior to Harry making it 3-1, Our Gk Foalan Matthews made two vital 1 on 1 saves to keep our lead in tact.
St. Joseph’s managed to grab a late consolation goal right at the death, but the boys held firm to see out the game and secure all three points.
U15 Premier Boys Home Farm 1-2 Leixlip United.
Great win out in Mobhi road Saturday morning after losing a game we shouldn't to the orchard last week.
Puts in striking distance of the top with games in hand. We had 13 players and no keeper and started nervy.
A loose pass after 5 minutes. 1 nil to Home Farm. The lads really dug in and played lovely football on an excellent pitch. Diego Murphy equalised with 15 left pouncing on a great save from oskar izbinskis strike.
5 mins to go centre half James Ryan scored excellent header from stefan gasans free kick.
Real team effort today and showed how versatile the squad is. Right full zach tighe was excellent in goals and great character to volunteer to do that in a game like that.
Great win!
U15 Boys SFAI CUP Leixlip United 4-2 Crumlin.
Another good win against a very physical Crumlin side. We took the lead inside 10 minutes when Tate Rampaul played the ball out wide to Alan Maly and his cross was headed in by Sean Boland.
3 minutes later we made it 2. Adam Corban played a ball in behind the defence for Sean Boland who pulled it back for Tate Rampaul to score. Nicholas Gajovic added a third from a penalty after Tadhg Mallon was fouled in the box.
We gave Crumlin a lifeline a few minutes before half time when we didn't clear a corner and the Crumlin striker poked it in. Then right on half time Crumlin scored from a long range effort which flew into the top corner.
We were well on top in the second half and got a fourth when Tate Rampaul won the ball off the centre back and curled it beyond the keeper. Solid performance all round in tricky conditions.
U13 SFAI CUP Boys Round1 Lourdes Celtic v Leixlip United.
1-1 FT
1-2 AET
A proper cup tie Saturday morning in wet and blustery weather, against a strong well organised team.
We had most of the ball first half and created chances but nothing went in. Just on half-time we fail to deal with a cross and Lourdes score to go ahead.
Second half we stepped up intensity and were playing well but it was one of those days, just couldn't score a goal.
The equaliser came 5 minutes from the end when Ross Murtagh raced to the end line and his inch perfect cross was volleyed in by James Dooley.
Extra time was a cagey affair, with neither team wanting to make a mistake and both teams battling for everything.
We looked dead set for penalties until the last minute of extra time, when Aaron Roach's corner was headed home by Ryan Dwyer! #Scenes.
There was still time for a restart though, and straight from tip Lourdes hit a looping long range shot with the wind that Ronan had to tip over. We defended the corner and cleared our lines, very happy to hear that final whistle!
U16 Premier Boys Shelbourne 0-3 Leixlip United.
A good performance from the lads and a clean sheet for Evan Clarke in extremely tough conditions
Goalscorers - Conor O Sullivan, Dennis Salgau and Daniel Stepinak
Man of the match - Daniel Stepinak
Evan Clarke, Dennis Salgau, Daniel Stepinak, Conor O Sullivan
U13 Boys SFAI Round 1 Templeogue 1 - 4 Leixlip United.
Not as straight forward as scoreline suggests as we were pushed all the way by a strong Templeogue side in rough conditions.
Ryan Mooney put us ahead after 20 minutes with a great 25 yard strike giving the keeper no chance. Templeogue started the second half brighter with the wind behind them and equalised with 15 minutes to go with a well struck free kick.
Game looked to be heading to extra time but with 4 minutes to go Harry Gibbs hit a powerful half volley from just inside the box when a corner was half cleared. We got our 3rd 2 minutes later through a substitute Evan O'Sullivan. A great moment for him, having missed the whole season so far through illness. We got our 4th just before full time when Evan's strike was parried by the keeper for Daniel Tighe to finish from close range. Into the next round!
U13 boys
U17 Major Boys Leixlip 2-0 Lucan United.
FINALLY the lads get the result and 3 points they deserve. We started with a strong wind behind us and we were playing some great football with Daniel Bradley leading the line with really intelligent runs in the channels and holding the ball up when required but also harrying their back 4 constantly.
We had created a few half chances and after 25 minutes a well worked short corner led to Daniel Bradley heading just wide. 5 minutes later the best move of the half when Max Farnan linked up with Daniel Bradley in the right channel and Daniels perfect pullback found Max again and his snapshot was smothered brilliantly by the Lucan keeper.
We knew we needed a goal with the wind and Sean Dowd who had been putting himself about drove at the Lucan back line and won us a free kick 35 yards out, up stepped captain Dave Andrews and his superb free kick up and over the wall and into the corner was exactly what we deserved 1-0.
Second half we knew we would be up against it as Lucan put us under long ball pressure with the wind but we held firm and in fact should’ve added to our lead, eventually with 20mins to go a great cross field ball from Daniel Charles was brilliantly controlled by Michael Cavanagh on the right wing and he drove inside and slipped a great pass between two defenders to an unmarked Nathan Byrne 12 yards out and he calmly took a touch and slid the ball under the on rushing keeper 2-0.
Special mention to the back four and keeper Finn Heffernan Oisin Kelly Dave Andrews Daniel Charles & Davi Beckman keeping a clean sheet in those conditions was superb and in truth we held Lucan to very few opportunities with Harry Habington as no.6 putting in a shift covering in front of the back four too. Hopefully this can kickstart our season!
U14 Major Boys Kevins 0-6 Leixlip United.
SFAI game against Kevins Sunday team, bit of a tale of 2 halves. The lads have made a huge amount of progress this season so far but in the first half they fell below the high standards they've set for themselves. We had loads of chances but couldn't convert, 0-0 at half-time.
Second half the lads full took control of the game and limited Kevins to just a few speculative chances on the break. Sandro put us 1-0 up with about 3 minutes gone in the half with a great looping finish from about 16 yards out.
Lee Mcdonagh added a 2nd 10 minutes later with a spectacular 30 yard freekick. The lads then began to play some great football, carving out chance after chance.
Liam White put us 3-0 up from some great play before Lee added his 2nd from a corner. Jack Byrne was next on the score sheet, before Liam White added his 2nd at the end of a brilliant team counter attack to make it 6-0
Into the hat for the next round and lots of positives to build on as this team continues to improve week after week.
U14 Major Boys
U12 Major Girls Swords Celtic 0-5 Leixlip United.
A superb away performance from the girls, who travelled to Swords and ran out convincing 5-0 winners in severe, windy conditions.
We played against the wind in the first half and had to dig in. Naoise Mehari and Aimee Mooney both got on the scoresheet, but it was a real team effort to stay on top in the difficult conditions — and a special mention goes to goalkeeper Ayda Silke, who made two terrific saves in the first half to keep us in it.
With the wind behind them in the second half, the girls took control and dominated the play from start to finish — tough tackling, great ball work, and relentless pressure down the right-hand side despite the severe wind. A brilliant all-round display away from home.
Girl of the Match Naoise Mehari with a brilliant performance down the right hand side causing problems for Swords defence all afternoon
A special mention for
Goalkeeper Ayda Silke — two terrific first-half saves against the wind that kept Leixlip in the game and set up the second-half win.
Scorers
Naoise Mehari 2 goals
Aimee Mooney 2 goals
Aoife Martin 1 goal
A great performance by every one of the girls today — resilient against the wind in the first half, dominant in the second. Superb effort all round. Well done, girls!
