It’s been a landmark weekend for local soccer, with silverware, promotion, and heartbreak all playing out across Kilkenny and Carlow.
Evergreen Lift Leinster Junior Cup
Kilkenny Premier Division champions Evergreen etched their name into the history books by claiming the O’Neills.com Leinster Junior Cup.
A first-half goal from Ethan Phelan was enough to seal a 1-0 win over Carlow side New Oak Boys, capping off a superb campaign for the city club.
Captain Lee Delaney had the honour of becoming the first Evergreen player to lift the prestigious provincial trophy.
Supporters can relive the occasion by watching the full match on the Evergreen FC YouTube channel, with commentary provided by KCLR.
Bridge United Go Back-to-Back in McCalmont Cup
Elsewhere, Bridge United retained the KCLR McCalmont Cup on Saturday evening in Derdimus, seeing off Thomastown United in a 4-2 thriller.
Thomastown led 2-1 at half-time, but a spirited second-half comeback saw Marty Dalton grab his second goal of the game, while Eoin Kavanagh and Nicholas Lianos added one each to seal the win for Conor English’s side.
Premier Division Return for Lions After Final Day Drama
For the first time since 2008, Lions AFC will compete in the Kilkenny Premier Division next season.
Needing just a point on the final day to confirm promotion, Lions played out a tense 0-0 draw with Castlewarren Celtic.
It was enough to see them join Fort Rangers and Newpark in next season’s top flight.
It’s yet more disappointment for Castlewarren, who narrowly missed out on promotion for the second year running—falling short once again on the final day.
