Electric Evergreen run riot on soccer return

After an enforced Covid-19 absence over the last two weekend’s, junior soccer in Kilkenny kicked back into action with a bang.

Evergreen and Thomastown United topped the billing as the Premier Division’s joint leaders collided on the Kells Road.

It was expected to be a close and fiery encounter but the opposite proved to be the case with the home side running out the most emphatic 9-1 winners.

Thomastown will have felt that this was their acid test of the season, but it wasn’t one that they passed with flying colours.

The game was only on five minutes and Evergreen had already built up a 2-0 lead when Mark Slater and Andrew Wall found the net.

Ben Hickey then stamped his name all over proceedings with a quickfire hat-trick and with Wall adding another goal before the interval when, remarkably, there was six goals separating the sides.

Rory Monks grabbed a consolation goal for Thomastown at the beginning of the second half but Evergreen weren’t done yet and they found the net on three further occasions as their goal difference received a massive boost.

There was three other games on show in the Premier Division, where there were wins for Freebooters A, Deen Celtic and Clover United.

Deen Celtic A came from behind twice before eventually getting the better of Highview Athletic A in a 5-2 victory at the Prince Grounds on Sunday.

The home side went a goal down in the opening minutes when Highview central defender CJ Browne was allowed a free run to slot home.

A mistake by the away ’keeper presented free scoring Jamie Maher with a chance to equalise which the in-form striker finished clinically.

Highview soon retook the lead but Celtic pushed forward, and when Jamie Maher was fouled in the area the same player duly converted to tie the game 2-2 at the interval. A succession of corners were then cleared in the second half before Jamie Dowling headed powerfully to the net to give Celtic the lead for the first time.

As Highview visibly tired the evergreen Colin Phelan carried the ball from box to box before releasing Stephen Daly for a sweet finish.

The same duo repeated the act on the stroke of full time for a deserved 5-2 win.

Elsewhere Freebooters edged past Bridge United on a 3-2 scoreline with goals from Jason Hennessy, Seanie Bolger and Darren Lawlor while Clover United ran out comprehensive 3-0 winners over Newpark.