Naas AFC 4 – 6 Old Forte | Saturday, 14 March 2026 | Boys U16 (2010) — Premier Division
WHAT. A. GAME. In a week of soul-searching and honest conversations, Naas AFC’s U16 Premier boys turned up against a slick Old Forte side and served up a performance that had everyone on their feet — even if the scoreline left a bitter taste.
After a dressing down that would have made a sergeant major blush, the lads came out firing. Matthew McCarthy, Evan Moriarty and Jamie Byrnes bossed the midfield engine room from the off, while pace merchant Roddy Cummins was giving the right back an absolute nightmare. When Roddy won a corner, Moriarty whipped in a peach of a cross — judged to have crossed the line. 1-0 NAAS!
But Old Forte — cool, calm, and clinical — sucker-punched the Blues with TWO quickfire goals against the run of play. The Naas defence? Not at their sharpest.
No panic. Substitutes Jack O’Brien and Evan Malone were thrown on — though poor Evan barely touched the ball before a reckless tackle took him out. Yellow card? Should have been red. OUTRAGEOUS.
On 30 minutes, a slick move from Sean Stafford and Jamie Byrnes teed up James Collins down the right, and it was Jack O’Brien who slotted home with ice in his veins. 2-2!
Then came the heartbreak before half-time — Old Forte’s sucker punch made it 3-2 at the break. And the injury curse struck too — Captain James Collins and CB Ben Harrington limped off at the interval. A hammer blow.
But Naas didn’t flinch. Dara O’Shea and Conor Murtagh arrived off the bench and immediately changed the game. Goalkeeper Alec Walsh pulled off a string of magnificent stops. On 60 minutes, Jack — magnificent all afternoon — grabbed his SECOND to make it 3-3. The place erupted!
Unbelievably, Old Forte struck again to go 4-3 ahead. But did Naas crumble? Did they heck. On came Roddy Cummins, Ned Keogh and Cian Leo — Naas throwing everything at it.
Final score: 4-6. Defeat. But the spirit, the heart, the sheer bloody-mindedness of this young group? Priceless.