Our U11s travelled to Enniskerry on a glorious morning for the first leg of the Hackett Cup quarter-final, marking their first experience of competitive football.

The boys started slowly and found themselves behind to a scruffy Enniskerry goal, but they responded well and gradually found their rhythm. They deservedly levelled through Teejay Finn after a strong spell of pressure and grew in confidence from there.

Tom Keating then grabbed a superb brace. The first came after excellent interplay involving Liam Earls and Sam Bewley, with Keating arriving at the back post to finish from the resulting cross. The third goal again featured Teejay Finn, whose perfectly weighted through ball released the pacey Keating. Tom showed great composure to finish and complete his brace.

At the other end, Matt Clarke had a fine game in goal, stepping in admirably for our injured goalkeeper. Eoghan Delaney was solid at centre half throughout, while Scott Marah showed great pace and tenacity up and down the line all morning.

The game was played in a great spirit by both teams, with old-school sportsmanship evident throughout. While the result was important, the focus remained firmly on the development and enjoyment of the players, making it a very positive occasion for everyone involved.

A good team performance and a strong result to take into the second leg.