Fulham Irish survive St Kiernans' rally to clinch fifth London SFC crown

Fulham Irish's Dan Eastwood ©INPHO/James Crombie

Fulham Irish claimed their fifth London senior football championship title after holding off a fierce St Kiernans comeback to win by 1-10 to 1-8 at McGovern Park, Ruislip this afternoon. 

Despite difficult weather conditions, Fulham made an impressive start, racing into an early three-point lead. Midfielder Sean Hawkshaw was among the early scorers, producing a fine effort after cutting inside and curling over. Managed by Hurl Dockry, Alan Kelleher, Cormac Duffy and Con Gordon, Fulham continued to dominate and went in 0-7 to 0-0 ahead at half-time.

Their grip on the final strengthened after the restart, as they added 1-3 without reply. Niall O’Leary finished a fine team move, with Sean Caffrey heavily involved, to score the goal that put Fulham 1-10 to 0-0 ahead 10 minutes into the restart.

However, St Kiernans mounted a remarkable fightback in the final 20 minutes. Ruairi Burns opened their account before Sean Tucker found the net, sparking hopes of an unlikely comeback.

Sean Rock added a point and two frees, with Tucker also registering a score before Matthew McCormack landed a two-pointer to reduce the deficit to just two points with five minutes remaining.

Fulham were forced to withstand intense late pressure but showed their composure to prevent St Kiernans from adding to their tally and secure a hard-earned victory.

The win delivers Fulham Irish their first London SFC crown since 2023 and a fifth championship crown in the club’s 20-year history.