Those were the days! ’Booters relive first Leinster Cup win - Kilkenny Live

The Freebooters team of 1999 under the stewardship of Tony Scanlon and Davy Morris made history when they became the first Kilkenny side to lift the Leinster Junior Cup after two thrilling games against the West Finglas Tenants’ Association in Newbridge.

After a 3-3 draw on the first day, it looked like curtains when the Blues trailed 2-1 going into stoppage time in the replay, but a late Eoghan Delaney strike sent the tie to penalties with the local side prevailing in the penalty shootout, 5-3.

Since then, ’Booters have gone from strength to strength provincially, winning Leinster Junior Cups in 2002 and 2008.

However, the team of ’99 will forever hold a place in the history books of Freebooters and Kilkenny soccer and that book will be reopened on Saturday as players, management and supporters will join together in Pat Carrolls to relive some of those great memories.

Sean Doyle and Michael Clifford were two pivotal members of that Freebooters side and they spoke to the Kilkenny People in recent days.

"In the first year we won it we should have been gone out of it," Doyle said, recalling a tough afternoon away in Freshford where a 1-0 deficit in the 93rd minute was turned around in ’Booters favour by the end of extra time.

"After that we just took off and it was fantastic," he added.

The final of the competition was drama filled. After squandering a 3-1 lead in the first game, ’Booters showed their fighting spirit to fight back and earn extra-time in the replay.

"I'd say the nervous energy got us near the end. We were running on empty," commented Doyle.

"I think coming off that pitch we were like 'how did we even draw that game?' and I think there was a bit of negative energy but fair play to the boys they regrouped," Clifford recalled.

An Eoghan Delaney wonder strike and an impressive penalty shootout win followed, creating history and euphoria in equal measure, but the winning of the title began long before that unforgettable day.

"Anything we won was won on a Friday night at training," said Clifford. "Were there arguments? Of course! No one wanted to lose but that’s what we had and it got us over the line in big games," he commented, stating, despite everything they 'all stuck together and backed each other'.

"I think that’s where we won a lot of our stuff. It was flat out, there was no tippy tappy (football), it was win at all costs," remarked Doyle.

Off the pitch, the camaraderie and respect amongst the squad and the supporters was a united bond throughout the cup run, but how close were the players to each other in their personal lives?

"We had a great social life," Doyle claimed but we didn’t live in each other’s pockets either which was a good thing. We didn’t live with each other but come Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, it was nearly unbreakable," Doyle recalled.

"Once the final whistle went in Scanlon Park, sure you’d be walking off the pitch shaking hands and hugging and saying 'are we going for a pint?' and I think that brought us closer," remarked Clifford.

Listen to the full interview below: