Kelly extra-time double kills Fiacc's dream as New Oak regain Shield
New Oak's management team after they won a third KCLR Carlow Shield in four years, reclaiming their trophy back from Parkville. They were 2-0 down after 86 minutes.
New Oak once again refused to be beaten, coming from behind to crush Division 1 side, St. Fiacc's dreams of having a fairytale story and becoming KCLR Carlow Shield winners. For 86 minutes, the Graiguecullen side believed that they could do it, that they could pull off the most remarkable cup run. However, New Oak once again never panicked, never gave up and as they've done so many times in cup games over the past few years and pulled level to send the game to extra-time for a second year in a row. New Oak picked up their third Shield in four years, reclaiming the trophy that they lost to Parkville last season. St. Fiacc's had a fairytale run, beating three Premier sides en route to the final in Burrin Celtic, Vale Wanderers and Killeshin. Speaking to the Carlow Soccer Podcast in the build up to the match, St. Fiacc's manager Pete Dorgan had said that it was a free hit for his side, but they were left heartbroken, as their hopes were cruelly dashed with four minutes left in the match.
St. Fiacc's shocked the Paupish when Scott Roycroft put Fiacc's ahead after 11 minutes as an effort from the left was saved with the ball falling to Roycroft on the right who hit home to give the Graiguecullen side an early lead. Just shy of the hour mark, Roycroft received a second yellow card as Fiacc's found themselves down to ten men, making their job harder. Exactly 20 minutes later, Ben Dorgan fed the ball to his brother Aaron to his right who sent in a long ball into the box where John O'Shea was waiting on the left; he composed himself and slotted home into the far bottom corner. With three minutes to go, Chris Blake pulled back a goal for New Oak from the left, setting up a nervy finish. With a minute gone in stoppage time, Josh Brady levelled the game. A minute into extra-time, Dean Kelly put New Oak ahead as their reliable midfield talisman once again got them out of danger. In the tenth minute of stoppage time, Kelly added a second to put the game beyond doubt.
