Saturday 21st March 2026 | Boys U16 Premier | Naas AFC 3–2 Monasterevin FC
THREE penalties. TWO red cards. ONE heart-stopping winner with four minutes left on the clock. If you weren’t there, you missed an absolute classic.
Naas AFC’s U16 Premier side ground out a precious, nervy, chaotic — but ultimately deserved — victory over Monasterevin on Saturday afternoon, and the dressing room erupted with the kind of relief that only comes after a season of hard knocks. Not pretty. Not polished. But absolutely, utterly vital.
It was Aaron O’Donnell who got the party started, latching onto a gorgeous through ball from Ned Keogh to slot coolly into the corner after just six minutes. Crisp. Composed. World class.
Roddy Cummins came agonisingly close to doubling the lead — dancing past defenders and curling a left-footed effort that bounced off the underside of the bar. The woodwork was the only thing that denied him.
The second goal arrived from the spot. Ned Keogh was upended in the box — shoulder to the back, blatant — and Aaron O’Donnell stepped up to slot home his second. 2-0. And then, in the blink of an eye, disaster. A ricochet handball against Cormac Donegan, and Monasterevin were back in it from the spot. 2-1. The game was alive.
The second half descended into a war of attrition. Monasterevin flew into tackles. The referee finally found his cards. A straight red for a horror challenge on Roddy Cummins — who was forced off injured — reduced them to ten men. But justice had barely arrived when another extraordinary refereeing decision sent Naas hearts into their mouths: a clean tackle from Daniel Oke somehow resulted in a penalty, and Monasterevin levelled from the spot. 2-2. Naas couldn’t believe it.
Four minutes left. The tension was unbearable.
And then stepped up Fred Cowdell. The centre-back — yes, the centre-back — took the ball on the left edge of the box, beat one man, then another, then a third, and played an inch-perfect cross into the path of Ned Keogh. Ned, who’d had chances and missed them, who’d carried the weight of expectation all afternoon — took one touch, looked up, and slammed it home. 3-2. NAAS! The bench erupted.
Monasterevin were reduced to nine men in the dying moments. The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough.
Daniel Oke and Fred Cowdell were colossal at the back. Aaron O’Donnell and Ned Keogh were devastating in attack. And special mention to U15 Prem trio Alec, Conor and Roddy, who all made an excellent impact when called upon.
Not the prettiest. But three enormous points. Naas are back. 💙