It will rank now among their greatest hours as Kildrum Tigers defeated Norwich City to win the Under-19 Foyle Cup at Ardmore last night.
Kildrum Tigers 1 Norwich City 0
Shane Brennan’s delightful free-kick in the 11th minute gave the Tigers something to hold onto – and the Station Road men gritted their teeth for a famous win against David Wright’s Canaries.
Fancied Norwich pushed with all their might, but Jonny McGinty’s disciplined and well-organised Tigers executed their gameplan to minute perfection.
Remarkably, Kildrum were only 11th hour entrants into the competition following the withdrawal of two sides who had been ahead of them in the organisers’ pecking order.
But they were every inch a seasoned side against the full-time Carrow Road outfit.
Twice, Norwich hit the crossbar, Callum Ellesey in the first half and Conor Parsons in the second. Both were from set plays and Norwich found the space in behind the compact Tigers defence impossible to find.
From first whistle to last, and in six agonising added minutes at the end, Kildrum had to battle as if their very lives were at stake, but they did just that with a heroic performance.
That they left Ardmore with the prize was down to that moment, in the 11th minute of the game, when Brennan stepped up to curl a sweet free kick from 25 yards beyond the Norwich wall and past the stunned ‘keeper, Fergal Hale Brown.
Earlier, Oran Higgins snatched at a pot shot from outside the box and another attempt by Higgins had the large Kildrum crowd calling for a penalty, but referee Diarmuid Harrigan was having none of it.
Kildrum knocked out a highly-rated Derry City in Thursday night’s semi-final and were without the influence of Davy O’Brien for the final after his red card.
Kildrum had a real let-off in the 21st minute as Ellesey rose to meet Parsons’ corner at the front post and cracked a header off the bar, with Brett McGinty on hand to clear the lines.
Ace boxer McGinty anchored an industrious Tigers midfield in which Aaron McCready and Paddy Carr caught the eye, with Brennan getting back to his best. Up top, Matthew Duffy ploughed the lonely furrow superbly.
Two minutes into the second half, Kildrum had another close shave. Parsons’ teasing, dipping free-kick from just outside the left edge of the penalty box was touched onto the crossbar by the stretching Shaun Friel.
Alan Fleming riffled into the side-netting as Norwich began to play with a real purpose, but Kildrum – in spite of stern pressure from Norwich – clung on for a deserved win.
As Norwich fell dejected after a tough week, Kildrum left toasting their hour of glory, one that could stand alongside any other.
Kildrum Tigers: Shaun Friel, Jamie McKinney, Caolan McLaughlin, Duncan Patterson, Shaun Crossan, Paddy Carr, Brett McGinty, Aaron McCready, Shane Brennan, Oran Higgins, Matthew Duffy. Subs used: Micheál Browne, Dean O’Donnell.
Norwich City: Fergal Hale Brown, Shae Hutchinson, Henry Pollock, Callum Ellesey, Louis Lomas, Conor Parsons, Isak Thorvaldsson, Owen Wallis, Alan Fleming, Jaden Thompson Brissee, Adam Idah. Subs used: Finlay Barnes, Brandon Oddy.
Referee: Diarmuid Harrigan.
Tags: