St Joseph’s FC under-16s: Team of the Year finalist
The St Joseph’s FC under-16 team is being recognised in the Westmeath Independent Community & Sports Awards for winning two national soccer titles in the space of two years.
St Joseph’s won the 2024 U-16 SFAI Cup last May, defeating Leeside United of Cork 1-0 in the final at the Evergreen FC grounds in Kilkenny.
The defining moment in a highly competitive match arrived early on when the Athlone side was awarded a penalty after a foul on John Price. Up stepped Dylan Dennehy and he beat the Leeside goalkeeper with a crisp, low drive.
In an exciting semi-final, played on home turf at Cushla Park, St Joseph’s defeated renowned Dublin outfit Belvedere 3-2. Felipe Sousa scored two goals in that game, with John Price rising like a salmon to head home the winner.
In 2023, most of the same group of players helped the Monksland based club to win the U-15 SFAI Cup, defeating Home Farm in the final on a 3-1 scoreline. On that occasion, the St Joseph’s goals were scored by Dylan Dennehy (a penalty), Timothy Tselapedi and Leon Nolan Henderson. In the 2023 semi-final, a dramatic injury time winner from Will Geraghty secured a memorable 2-1 win over Malahide United.
The successful 2024 team was captained by John Timlin, with Shay McGuinness having occupied the role with the previous year’s U-15 team.
Upon their return to Athlone after both SFAI Cup triumphs, the St Joseph’s players carried the silverware across the town bridge as the club celebrated coveted success at national level.
Both teams were managed and coached by Davy Cummins and former League of Ireland star Padraig Moran. “It’s a dream come true for the lads. I can’t even get it into words what it means to us,” said Cummins, after St Joseph’s secured back-to-back national titles.
St Joseph’s FC was founded in 1998 and the club caters for Monksland, Cornafulla and surrounding areas, and the club celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala ball at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in 2023.
St Joseph’s U-16 squad (2024): Niall Ward; Ciarán Cummins, Abdul Adams, Dylan Dennehy, John Timlin (captain); Darragh Riordan, William Geraghty, Sean Finneran; John Price, Felipe Sousa, Leon Nolan Henderson, Jossi Jose, Colin Moran, Timothy Tselapedi, Jimmy Walshe, Aaron Meares, Patryk Misiewicz, Gary Staunton, Santiago Lopez, Zac Mullally, Alvaro Garcia.
The other Team of the Year finalists are St Brigid's GAA senior football team and Athlone Community College U-17 girls soccer team.
The Westmeath Independent Community & Sports Awards 2024 takes place at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel on Thursday.
The Carer of the Year category at the Westmeath Independent Community & Sports Awards 2024 is sponsored by Action Physio.