WATCH: Offaly soccer player's sensational cup final winning goal
FORMER Killeigh underage soccer player Kevin Sweeney scored a sensational winner in the Mark Farren Under 17 National Cup final for Athlone Town.
In the seventh minute of added time when the decider against Cork City was still scoreless, Sweeney swept a magnificent right-footed corner all the way above and beyond opposing goalkeeper Ryan Delaney to the to clinch the cup for Athlone on a 1-0 scoreline.
Kevin had played all his schoolboy football with Killeigh before joining Athlone Town and was the Under 14 Club player of the year for 2018/19.
Kevin also played on the Midlands Schoolboys League Kennedy Cup team and was captain of the Midlands Kennedy Cup squad in 2019.
WATCH Kevin Sweeney's goal and the final whistle celebrations as recorded by LoITV on the Athlone Town Facebook page
The Under 17 National Cup final was played at Athlone Town stadium and another hero for the home side on Saturday was an ex-Birr Town player, the goalkeeper Charlie Raper.
Raper made a crucial save to deny Cork City's Cian Spillane what could have been a winner in the 75th minute in a game which delivered few clear-cut scoring chances.
Charlie was also on the Midlands Schoolboys League Kennedy Cup team in 2019 and attended the Just4Keepers goalkeeping academy.
A versatile footballer, Charlie has also featured out field for Athlone in what has proved to be a very exciting and ultimately successful season.
Former Tullamore Town striker Conor Bracken was an important player in the final too, doing very well in the full-back position.
Darragh Kenny , Gordon Feery and goalkeeper Szymon Skura, all formerly of Tullamore, were also in the squad.
The full Athlone squad was – Gordon Feery, Jason Ukatu, Scott Clynes, Noah Flynn, Szymon Skura, Charlie Raper, Oisin Lawlor, Albert Edet, Eoin Sheeran, Kevin Sweeney, Hubert Zakrzewski, Roy Lawlor, Brandon Wykes, Conor Bracken, Cameron Keighery, Darragh Kenny, Taylor Slevin and Martin Skelly.
The Killeigh club said they were delighted with Kevin Sweeney's achievement for a club that is growing from strength to strength and they hope Kevin can inspire and give belief to other young players to follow in his footsteps.
Athlone Town: Charlie Raper; Cameron Keighery, Conor Bracken, Noah Flynn (captain), Jason Ukatu, Eoin Sheeran, Scott Clynes, Martin Scally, Brandon Wykes, Albert Edet, Kevin Sweeney. Subs: Roy Lawlor for Edet, Hubert Zakrzewski for Clynes.
Cork City: Ryan Delaney; Patryk Swieczka Andrzejczak, Matthew Kiernan, Callum Honohan, Sam Bailey, Cian Carmody, Josh Fitzpatrick, Dara McCormick, Daniel Leonard, Eanna Fitzgerald (captain), Liam Murray. Subs: Cian Spillane for McCormick, Cillian Mulvihill for Leonard, Noah Sowinski for Kiernan.