Boys U17 (2009) Premier - Coill Dubh

Coill Dubh 4-1 Naas AFC

Scorelines can be deceiving, and this result tells only half the story. Naas created the lion’s share of the chances, with the Coill Dubh goalkeeper easily the busiest player on the pitch, but ultimately it was the home side who were more clinical in front of goal.

Naas set the tone from the very first minute, when Isaac Cramer forced an early save. At the other end, Alex Higgins, making his competitive debut in goal, was immediately called into action, tipping away a Coill Dubh free kick in the second minute. The opening exchanges were scrappy, with both sides struggling to find rhythm. On eight minutes, Dawid tried his luck from a free kick, but his strike flew over the bar.

Just as Naas looked to settle, Coill Dubh struck first. In the 12th minute, they won a penalty and, despite Higgins diving the right way, the spot kick was converted for 1-0. Naas almost replied instantly as Sean Onwere saw his effort saved, but they were caught napping seconds later. Coill Dubh capitalised and doubled their lead on 14 minutes, forcing the Naas bench into early changes.

The response was immediate. A flurry of chances followed—Cramer firing wide, Liam O’Shea blasting over, and Brody Power forcing another save. At the other end, Higgins stayed sharp, producing a fingertip save on 31 minutes to keep Naas alive. Finally, their persistence paid off. On 37 minutes, debutant Isaac Cramer tapped home a superb Huey Phelan cross to drag Naas back into the game.

But just as the visitors looked to build momentum, a defensive lapse on the stroke of halftime gifted Coill Dubh a third goal. Halftime: 3-1.

Naas came out firing after the restart. Within a minute, Phelan unleashed a thunderous 35-yard strike, forcing another save. On 55 minutes, Cramer thought he had his second of the day, only for the offside flag to deny him. Conor Fagan did everything but score, seeing multiple efforts drift narrowly wide or blocked, while Jack “JC” Campbell drove forward with intent, his 75th-minute strike also denied by the outstanding Coill Dubh keeper.

With Naas pushing numbers forward in search of a late lifeline, they were undone at the other end as Coill Dubh added a fourth against the run of play.

Full-time: Coill Dubh 4-1 Naas AFC.

It may look one-sided on paper, but this was a contest defined by Naas’s relentless attacking play and Coill Dubh’s ruthless finishing. For Naas, there were plenty of positives to take—especially the debut goal from Cramer, Higgins’s fine saves, and the team’s fighting spirit. On another day, the scoreline might have told a very different story.

Squad Effort

This was another all-round squad performance. Alex Higgins impressed on debut with sharp saves and composure, while Isaac Cramer made his mark with a debut goal. Conor Fagan, Sean Onwere, and Liam O’Shea kept the attack ticking, while Huey Phelan pulled the strings in midfield. with Brody Power. Mattias Azzopardi and Jack Campbell bringing energy and intent throughout. At the back, Jack Tilly and Dawid Kolter worked tirelessly, while Matthew Greene, Jake Pitt Byrne, and Luca Muthi added grit and versatility. Every single player played their part—and though the result went against them, the performance showed the togetherness of this squad.

We win together, We lose together, We will learn together. These boys will bounce back.