The Story of The Season: The Premiers

The team of the season based on minutes played

Manager: Paulie Morris
Assistant: Mate Salacan

Premiers Player of the Year: TBC
Premiers Top Goalscorer: Shane Halpin (7)
Premiers - Most Assists: Mate Salacan (5)

[Scroll down for all the stats]

The Seaford Premiers produced another fine campaign under the leadership of Paulie Morris, recording a creditable top-half finish following promotion to the 15-team behemoth  of Major 1C.

AFter a number of key men retired during the summer of 2023, Morris had a rebuilding job on his hands, but his side got off to a flying start with four wins on the bounce, as Palmerstown, Newbridge Town, St Paul's Artane and Manortown United were all dispatched with relative  ease in the first month of the season. New signing Ben Kelly was a  prominent player during that opening month, when Jamie McCaul produced the standout moment with a brilliant hat-trick at Manortown.

But that run of form came to a shuddering halt when the Penguins collided headlong with the division's top two sides in successive games, suffering heavy defeats against both Sandyhill Shangan and Ayrfield United.

Not to be deterred, the side bounced back with a couple of strong performances, recording handsome wins over Dunboyne and Blackrock College, before a James Kearney winner helped them grind out three points against Ballyfermot United,

But it never seemed likely that Seaford would be able to defy gravity and sustain an unlikely promotion push, and a run of just one win in five either side of Christmas caused another reality check.

Hope was restored by a brilliant away win against title-chasing Kilmore, with teenager Finn O'Neill producing one of the moments of the season with the crucial goal in the 88th minute. O'Neill bagged another screamer in the win over Dublin University on St Patrick;s weekend, but that was as good as it got for Morris's men, and here followed a dismal run  of eight straight defeats as injuries and unavailability took their toll on the squad.

But the squad kept battling through adversity, buoyed by the introduction of some excellent additions like sturdy defender Dan Keegan, midfield baller Jack Keegan and prolific centre-back Owen Petticrew. And finally the tide turned, with a demolition of Manortown in the Rockfield Park sunshine, before in the final minute of the final match of the 28-game league season, Conor Fennell bagged a last-gasp winner against St Paul's to bring the curtain down on Paulie's brilliant managership in fitting fashion,