'We love a challenge' says Larries boss Noel Mooney ahead Kildare IFC Final
After leading Allenwood to a Kildare (and later Leinster) Intermediate Championship just two years ago, Noel Mooney is back in a second-tier decider with St Laurence’s
After leading Allenwood to a Kildare (and later Leinster) Intermediate Championship just two years ago, Noel Mooney is back in a second-tier decider with his new side St Laurence’s in their first year back in the IFC. They face red-hot favourites Sallins and the Larries boss is under no illusions about the task his team face in the final against a side who have dominated this Championship in 2025.
He said, “Sallins have been 10 points the better team of everyone this year. We’ve played them twice this year, they’ll know us inside out and we’ll know a good bit about them, but we love a challenge. You play sport because you want to play the best and Sallins are the best t, but it is a one-off game anything can happen.
“We've been in battle since the start of the year and have had a very up and down year in the sense it is a very young team. We ran out of time against Ellistown (Prelim Round), we went three points up against Kilcullen and made a mistake discipline-wise and got punished. Every game we have learned something. There has only been a kick of the ball between us when we played so I know they are looking forward to it.”
Key to Larries’ success in their Semi-Final outing against Two Mile House was their ball retention and ability to hold their nerve in possession, which will be crucial in this game against a direct and free-scoring Sallins outfit.
St Laurence’s are an incredibly young team and there is no indication how that might impact this final, but their semi-final clash against The House was decided by two of their best young talents in TJ Nolan and Ruaidhri Lawlor standing up when they needing them most.
“The boys are phenomenal. Unfortunately we didn’t have Oisin Grufferty for our Semi-Final because we had glandular fever and James Donnelly was missing but it is a team of youngsters really. We throw Kevin Eustace, Niall Clynch and a couple of others in there and it is great to have Mark Glynn back. It is a blend of youth and experience, which is really important,” Mooney said.