21/06/2026
League Final Match Report
Strand Road 2–1 Kerry Blues
Strand Road were crowned league champions after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Kerry Blues in a hard-fought final that was settled in the closing minutes.
The first half was a tight and competitive affair, with Strand Road creating several promising opportunities through TJ, Aaron, Dara and Daryl. Despite some excellent attacking play, they were unable to find a way past the Kerry Blues goalkeeper, who was in superb form throughout the night and kept the sides level going into the break.
Strand Road went into half-time full of confidence, but suffered an early setback in the second half when Kerry Blues took the lead through a well-worked move. While it was a quality goal, Strand Road would have been disappointed to concede and now faced another test of character.
This group has faced plenty of setbacks both on and off the pitch throughout the season, and the question was whether they had the mentality to respond once again.
The answer was emphatically yes.
Strand Road quickly regained control of the game, moving the ball well and showing great composure. The back four of Choggy, Duggan, Luke and Milos were outstanding all night. After the goal they settled quickly, defended resolutely and provided the platform for the comeback.
In midfield, Lee and Tommy battled tirelessly and were determined not to let the final slip away. On the right-hand side, Daryl produced arguably his best performance of the season. Back to his very best, he caused endless problems for the Kerry Blues defence and on another night could easily have found himself on the scoresheet after creating two excellent chances.
The equaliser finally arrived from a set piece — something discussed at length during the half-time team talk. A long ball from Tommy towards TJ led to a corner, and Strand Road made it count.
Lee stepped up and delivered a superb corner with his trademark left foot. Sean Duggan timed his run perfectly from the back post and powered a bullet header across the goalkeeper and into the net to make it 1-1.
Game on.
Another key moment came from the management team of Ken and Stuart, who switched Aaron out to the left wing. Their most creative player had been excellent throughout and the move gave him even more opportunities to influence the game. Aaron was outstanding from start to finish, while the switch also allowed TJ McMahon — “Mr Goals” as he likes to call himself — to operate more centrally where he continually troubled the Kerry Blues defence.
As the clock ticked down, extra time looked inevitable, but this final still had one more twist.
In the 88th minute, goalkeeper Gavin launched a long ball into midfield. Pup won the initial challenge before linking up with Lee. Once again, Lee’s sweet left foot produced a moment of quality, threading a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Strand Road’s number seven.
TJ McMahon needed just one touch.
Cool, composed and clinical, he slotted the ball beyond the advancing goalkeeper to send the Strand Road supporters into celebration and put his side 2-1 ahead.
Substitutes Bowler, Cian Eamon and Darrion were introduced to help see out the game, and all four made a huge impact. Their energy, commitment and fearless challenges helped Strand Road withstand the late pressure as Kerry Blues pushed desperately for an equaliser.
There was still time for one final scare when Kerry Blues earned a late corner. The delivery caused chaos in the box, but Gavin produced a massive save before Cian threw himself in front of the rebound with a crucial block to preserve the lead.
Moments later, the final whistle blew.
A tremendous team performance, full of character, resilience and determination, saw Strand Road complete a memorable comeback and lift the league title. Every player played their part, and after overcoming so many challenges throughout the season, this victory was thoroughly deserved.
It makes the achievement even more special when you consider that Strand Road had to do it all without their skipper, Alan Quirke, a true club legend and the heart and soul of this group of players. They were also without the players’ favourite, Seanie Mahoney, who at just 18 years of age has established himself as one of the finest wingers in the league and has been outstanding all season. The determination shown by those on the pitch was clear for all to see, as there was no way they were going to let this final slip away and let down two teammates who mean so much to the club. The victory was as much for Alan and Seanie as it was for everyone else involved.
Champions.
