Quinn pleased with CK Utd's battling spirit as Adeleye's late strike earns a point

With manager Tom O’Connor suspended for this game, his assistant James Quinn was sent out to face the media once again after CK United snatched a 3-3 draw against Villa FC at SETU Arena on Saturday afternoon. 

While immensely proud of his side’s incredible comeback after being two goals behind, Quinn was still frustrated because he believes that CK should have won the match.

“Listen, we're happy after we've been 3-1 down to get ourselves back level in the game. I thought myself that we could have had a few more before that. We're looking at this as a game that we could have won, even though we've done well to come back from 3-1 down and get a draw,” Quinn explained.

“Like I said, to be fair to them, they're a good side. They don't give up 3-1 leads too easily. But I thought we were excellent today at times. We were excellent. We fought really hard. It became a bit of a battle. And when it became a bit of a battle, we battled with them and we did okay, especially in the second half,” he added.

He was full of praise for 17 year old Timmy Adeleye, who nine minutes into his National League debut, after being introduced from the bench, scored the equaliser to preserve CK's unbeaten start to the season going and keep their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive.

“It's the stuff of dreams for Timmy, and that's something that he'll always have with him for the rest of his career. That's what he's done. That's his introduction to this level of football. Hopefully he'll go on and he'll play, you know, at this level and higher levels as well because he definitely has the ability. Timmy's ceiling is very high.” 

“We asked him to get in and impact the game, get in among them when they had the ball and he did that and then we all know the quality he has and when today he really showed it.” 

Adeleye may just be 17 years old but he’s shown time and time again that he has a bright future ahead of him. At 16, he was playing regularly for CK United’s U20’s side. Adeleye who came through the youth system at Hanover Harps, has been in the CK academy for a few years now. This season has seen him rise to prominence, scoring seven goals and registering two assists in nine games this season for the U20’s, including five goals in six games in the second half of the season. He’s had to wait for his chance to show his potential as the management team try and manage him, but when he got his chance, he seized it. Speaking afterwards, he said it’s been about being patient and waiting for his moment.

“It was a good crowd as well, so it was great to score in front of everyone.

“It’s been a tough last two games because I didn’t come on against Newbridge or Killarney, but obviously I was happy with the team getting three points in both games.

“It was just about staying focused, working hard in training, waiting for my opportunity to come and grasping it with two hands when it did.

“Of course, every time I go out on the pitch, I feel like I have a point to prove. I just had to show everyone my ability and show everyone what I can do.” 

Ravo Kilonda won the Player of the Match award and with two assists, it’s hard to disagree with that choice. Kilonda was playing against his old side in Villa and said it was a special moment to get to line out against people he’s known for a long time.

“Obviously, I’d be friends with the lads. We were just having a joke and a laugh before the match.

“My siblings came up today, which was great because I haven’t had someone come and watch me like that in a good while. I knew I had to try and put on a performance for them, just to make them proud.

“So I was really happy with that at the end.”