Penalty shoot-out decides all Limerick affair in Kennedy Cup quarter-final

Limerick Desmond have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 SFAI Kennedy Cup after a thrilling penalty shoot-out against Limerick District at the University of Limerick on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Gaelscoil an Raithín crowned Limerick Leader Cup champions 

Both sides came into the game having both topped their respective groups. Limerick Desmond topped Group 7 following their impressive 1-1 draw with traditional competition heavyweights the Dublin District Schoolboy League (DDSL).

Limerick District, who had beaten the Inishowen League in their opening group game on Monday, followed up with two further wins on Tuesday.

Whilst both teams had free flowing, attacking performances in the group stage, their quarter-final clash was anything but with both sides acutely aware of how significant this fixture was.

Both sets of defences stood firm throughout regulation time, with neither side having any clear-cut chances at goal. Centre-backs Kareem Mohamed and Darragh O'Connor were solid throughout for District and Desmond respectively.

Desmond could well have won it in normal time when they were awarded a penalty two minutes into the second half but the effort was dragged just wide of the post.

Windy conditions didn't help proceedings which made it all the more difficult for both teams to carve out any real goal-scoring opportunities and after an hour of action, with the sides locked at 0-0, penalties would decide who would go through.

With the standard of penalties at a really high level, it took goalkeeping heroics to decide the outcome. Michael Giltenane pulled off a great stop at the death to ensure Limerick Desmond a safe passage into the semi-finals where they will face North Eastern Regional League (NERL) on Thursday. 

Limerick Desmond manager Dean Maune was both delighted and relieved after his side's victory. 

"Penalties are a lottery but to be fair I thought we were on top for a lot of it and I thought we played well. Limerick District are a great side so it was always going to be a tight game and it was one of those games where if anyone had gotten that first goal, they would've won it," he said. 

Limerick County were also in action on Wednesday. They faced off against Dundalk in the shield quarter-final where they fell to a 2-0 defeat.

Limerick Desmond: Michael Giltenane (Shountrade), Kian Brosnahan (Abbeyfeale), Adam Mulqueen (Ballingarry), Harry Smith (Breska Rovers), Darragh O'Connor (Newcastle West Town), Ronan Magner (Abbeyfeale), Darragh Collins (Newcastle West Town), Dan Healy (GB Rovers), Precieux Malonga (Newcastle West Town), Joey O'Regan (Shountrade), Kyle Smith (Abbeyfeale), Joseph Carr (Newcastle West Town), Liam Gibourne (Newcastle West Town), Sean Walsh (Creeves Celtic), Conor Mullenger (Newcastle West Town), Eamon Kirby (Adare), Conor Geary (Shountrade), Jimmy Mullane (GB Rovers), Dan Phillips (Newcastle West Town), Stephen Pierce (Broadford Utd)

Management: Dean Maune (Rathkeale), Caragh Kelly (Kilcolman Rovers), Alasdair MacInness (Ballingarry), Tom Healy (Glin Rovers)

Limerick District: Ryan Twomey (Pike Rovers), Joseph Cronin (Corbally), Mark O'Grady (Aisling Annacotty), Kareem Mohamed (Fairview), Shay McGuire (Pike Rovers), Casey Doran (Caherdavin), Luke Gleeson (Pike Rovers), Ciaran Maher (Fairview), Mudathir Alkahafu (Aisling Annacotty), Adam O'Shea (Newport), Craig Sheehan (Fairview), Noah Cassidy (Aisling Annacotty), Aden France (Fairview), Jack Houlihan (Mungret), Shane McAnulty (Newport), Samuel Crowley (Fairview), Kacper Poprawski (Shelbourne), Mohamad  Gabyow (Fairview), Oliver Galecki (Shelbourne), Lee Ryan (Pike Rovers)

Management: Cillian Finn (Geraldines AFC), Terry Waters (Fairview Rangers), Noel O'Connor, Aidan Ryan, Sean Heaney, JJ Hartigan

Limerick County: Jamie Ryan (Charleville), Marko Boyle (Charleville), Adam McLoughlin (Charleville), Adam O' Mahony (Charleville), Tadgh McMahon (Charleville), Lucas Lira (Charleville), Sean Whelan (Kilmallock), Dáithí Curley (Kilmallock), Conor Ryan (Kilmallock), Tom O'Mahony (Kilmallock), Conor Philpot (Castle United, Cormac O'Farrell (Castle United), Conor Kiely (Cullen Latin), Gearoid Maguire (Cullen Latin), Billy Ryan (Cullen Latin), Dan Ryan (Murroe), Tom O'Brien (Murroe), Alex Sibert (Herberstown), Olaf Kuruski (Croom), Alfie Donnegan (Holycross)

Management: Jp McLoughlin (Charleville), Paul Philpot (Castle United), Tom Brady (Kilmallock), Sandra Boyle (Charleville)