Thursday, July 24, 2008

West Cork Schoolobys U14 Cup 2007-08 Review

Skibbereen were crowned 2007-2008 West Cork Schoolboys U14 Cup winners following a 2-0 Cup final victory over Lyre Rovers before a huge crowd in Mullough, Dunmanway earlier this season.

The draw for the WCSL U14 cup created two first round ties between Clonakilty AFC and Lyre Rovers as well as a local derby pitting Ballydehob against Bunratty United. The winners of the Clon AFC / Lyre encounter were drawn away to Togher Celtic in the quarter finals with Clonakilty Youths vs. Skibbereen, Riverside Athletic vs. Bay Rovers and Drinagh Rangers vs. the winners of the Ballydehob / Bunratty United first round tie completing the line-up. Skibbereen, Lyre Rovers and Bunratty United began their respective cup campaigns in style with comprehensive victories away from home on the 5th of January. Bunratty United clashed with local rivals Ballydehob in Rathravane in a first round tie and brushed the host's aside 7-1. The visitors were 4-1 up at the break and added three additional goals in a dominant second half to book a place in the last eight. Sean Evans was the best player on view and grabbed a hat-trick following a terrific individual display. Brendan Goggin added another two and further efforts from Adam Collins and Eddie Goggin completed an excellent afternoon's work for the visitors. Tadgh O'Mahony netted a consolation effort late on for the home side.

A brace of goals from Ethan Draper and a fine effort from Gearoid Barry earned Lyre Rovers a hard fought 3-1 victory away to Clonakilty AFC in the first round of the U14 Cup on the same day. Rovers were pushed all the way by a gallant Clonakilty side in an absorbing cup tie in which Tadgh Casey starred and scored the goal of the game with an incredible long range volley for the losers. The other U14 Cup tie played on the 5th of January saw Skibbereen record a one-sided 8-0 victory away to Clonakilty Youths in Ballyvackey to book a semi-final berth. Shane Hourihan broke the deadlock, Kevin Davis notched a brace and Dan MacEoin headed in from a corner to leave Skibb four up at the interval. The visitors continued their domination in the second half thanks to further goals from Rudi Henwood, Brendan O'Dwyer and two from Dan MacEoin to march into the final four in great confidence.

The three remaining quarter finals were completed back in February. On Saturday the 2nd Togher Celtic and Lyre Rovers played out a five goal thriller in Togher. Rovers came from 2-0 down to knock Celtic out in an enthralling quarter final tie. Mark Quinn put the hosts 1-0 ahead with a converted spot-kick. Daniel Twomey doubled Togher’s lead direct from a corner and it seemed Lyre were on their way out. To their credit, Rovers re-grouped and lead by the inspirational Kevin Cormican somehow fought back to clinch the unlikeliest of victories. James Hayes reduced the deficit and then Cormican slid in to equalise. Ethan Draper grabbed a winner soon afterwards and Lyre were through to the semi finals. The other quarter final tie played on the 2nd of Feb between Bay Rovers and Riverside matched the Lyre / Togher encounter for excitement and drama. A pulsating cup tie ended 3-3 after extra time so penalties were needed to decide the outcome. Alex Karkalas was the hero for Bay Rovers, saving the penultimate penalty and then Tom O’Sullivan netted to win the shootout 6-5 and send the Kealkil side into the last four. Bunratty completed the semi final line-up by knocking out the U14 Cup holders, Drinagh Rangers 2-0 on the 16th of February. The match turned out to be one of the games of the season at U14 level with both sides serving up a magnificent spectacle. The game finished scoreless so extra time was needed to separate the sides. Adam Collins converted a superb individual effort to break the deadlock and then Eddie Goggin made it 2-0 shortly afterwards to send Bunratty through to the semi finals.

March the 1st was the date for both U14 Cup semi finals and Skibbereen kicked off proceedings with a one-sided victory away to Bay Rovers. The Baltimore Road club completely outclassed a disappointing Rovers side with Brendan O'Dwyer (2), Rudi Henwood and Kevin Davis all scoring for the visitors. The day belonged to Skibb Captain, Dan MacEoin, who netted an astonishing 5 times to send his side through to the final. The second semi proved a much closer affair with Lyre knocking out the much-fancied Bunratty after a tremendous 2-1 victory in Knockskeagh. James Hayes sprung the United offside trap to put the hosts 1-0 up. Bunratty fought back and deservedly equalised through a cracking Eddie Goggin effort. Kevin Cormican crossed and Scott Sheehan slid in to bury the ball into the net to make it 2-1 late on and Lyre were in the final.

The U14 Cup final took place on the 22nd of March and the top two ranked sides in the U14 division served up a wonderful match befitting such a prestigious occasion. Lyre Rovers dominated possession but lead by their inspirational Captain, Dan MacEoin, the Baltimore Road club demonstrated their undoubted class. Skibb scored twice in the second half to claim the U14 Cup trophy for the first time in a decade. Dan MacEoin curled a free kick into the penalty area for Jason Minihane to guide a fantastic header to put Skibb 1-0 ahead. MacEoin converted a re-taken 50th minute penalty to seal a memorable victory.

SuperValu WCSL U14 Cup 2007-08 Results:
1st Round: Ballydehob 1 Bunratty United 7, Clonakilty AFC 1 Lyre Rovers 3.
Quarter Finals: Togher Celtic 2 Lyre Rovers 3, Clonakilty Youths 0 Skibbereen 8, Riverside Athletic 3 Bay Rovers 3 * aet Bay won 6-5 on penalties, Drinagh Rangers 0 Bunratty United 2.
Semi Finals: Lyre Rovers 2 Bunratty United 1, Bay Rovers 0 Skibbereen 9.
U14 Cup Final: Lyre Rovers 0 Skibbereen 2.

West Cork Schoolobys U16 Cup 2007-08 Review

Togher Celtic made up for the heartbreak of missing out on the U16 league title by deservedly lifting the 2007-08 West Cork Schoolboys U16 Cup following a hard fought 1-0 final victory over Skibbereen.

10 teams entered the Cup competition with Bay Rovers and Bunratty United drawn together in the only opening round fixture. Lyre Rovers would meet the winners in the quarter finals with Clonakilty AFC vs. Leeside, Skibbereen vs. Drinagh Rangers and Riverside Athletic vs. Togher Celtic completing the draw. The inclement weather at the beginning of the year played havoc with the fixture list until the tournament ended on the 5th of April with Skibb and Togher meeting in the showpiece final in Mullough.


The U16 Cup began on the 12th of January with a quarter final between Skibb and Drinagh Rangers the only fixture to survive a weekend of horrendous weather. What a cup tie it turned out to be with extra time failing to split two evenly matched sides. The weather was atrocious throughout with a gale force wind and driving rain making attractive football difficult until Skibb broke the deadlock just before the break when Darragh Leonard netted to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Rangers used the wind to good effect in the second period with Gavin Connolly netting from 15 yards to level the tie at 1-1. Drinagh made it 2-1 shortly afterwards when Connolly set up Brian Hurley to score. Skibbereen pushed every player forward in search of a goal and were rewarded with a dramatic equaliser deep into injury time. Jonathan Davis reacted quickest after a goalmouth scramble to stab the ball home and take the game into extra time. There was no further scoring in the additional period so penalties were required to decide the outcome. The shoot-out went to sudden death (5-5) before Danny O'Donovan converted to put the home side 6-5 ahead. Donnagh McCarthy saved Drinagh's next spot kick to send the Skibbereen team into the semi finals.

Bunratty United knocked out Bay Rovers 5-1 in a re-arranged first round tie in Kealkil on the 26th of January. Goals from Jack Twomey, Cormac Wholley, Eddie Goggin and a brace from Sean Evans earned United their place in the quarter finals. Alan Thomas scored Rovers solitary goal. On the same afternoon Togher Celtic travelled to Balineen to face Riverside Athletic in a local derby. Celtic were pushed all the way by the eventual League winners but emerged with a 2-0 win to qualify for the semi finals. Strikes in either half from Fin Collins and David Collins booked Togher’s place in the final four. Leeside caused a minor upset when the Inchigeela outfit knocked Clonakilty AFC out of the Cup with a well deserved 4-2 quarter final victory in Ballyvackey. The visitors hit the front after 19 minutes when Ben Shorten crossed for Sean O’Leary to steal in and finish confidently from 10 yards. Cian Dineen made it 2-0 when the Leeside midfielder sprinted clear of the Clon defence and slotted home. Clon refused to lie down and pulled one back through Conor McKahey after a frantic goalmouth scramble. The Inchigeela side were not to be denied and extended their lead on the hour mark when Kevin Manning netted. The visitors made sure of the victory late in the game when David Hourihane raced clear and slipped the ball into the net. There was still time for a late consolation from Clonakilty when Eoin Feen scored with an incredible 30 yard lob. Bunratty United travelled to Knockskeagh and defeated Lyre Rovers 3-1 in the last of the quarter final ties. The visitors took an early lead through a Jack Twomey penalty and doubled their advantage shortly before the break with another Twomey effort. Lyre fought back valiantly and pulled one back with a long range Ethan Draper free kick until Bunratty pounced to seal their victory in the dying seconds through a Sonny O'Regan effort.


Skibbereen defeated Leeside 2-0 to qualify for the U16 Cup final in a wind-swept Baltimore road on the 8th of March. Leeside goalkeeper, Shane Galvin, put in a man of the match display with a string of world class saves but couldn’t prevent the cup holders from progressing. An own goal and a late Ger Minihane effort propelled Skibbereen into the final despite an un-inspiring performance. Togher Celtic defeated Bunratty United 4-1 in the second semi final in Togher on the 22nd of March. Celtic’s Diarmuid O'Brien scored the only goal of the first half. Fintan Collins added a second on the hour mark but Bunratty United responded well and pulled a goal back 5 minutes later. The Togher defence held firm and Celtic made sure of the victory with two late goals from Declan Coughlan and Brian O'Sullivan to seal a memorable win.


The WCSL U16 Cup final took place on the 5th of April on the immaculate playing surface in Mullough, Dunmanway between (holders) Skibbereen and Togher Celtic. A solitary strike from ace marksman, Declan Coughlan, won the coveted trophy for Togher after an open, entertaining encounter. In the 22nd minute Cian O'Mahony's superb run and cross was met by a fantastic first-time volley from the in-rushing Coughlan who gave the Skibb goalkeeper no chance with a stunning finish. It was a goal worthy of winning any cup final and despite a gallant fight-back from Skibbereen Togher Celtic eventually ran out deserving winners to claim the SuperValu WCSL U16 Cup for the 2007-08 campaign.


SuperValu WCSL U16 Cup 2007-08 Results:
1st Round: Bay Rovers 1 Bunratty United 5.
Quarter Finals: Clonakilty AFC 2 Leeside 4, Skibbereen 2 Drinagh Rangers 2 (aet Skibb won 6-5 on penalties), Riverside Athletic 0 Togher Celtic 2, Lyre Rovers 1 Bunratty United 3.
Semi Finals: Togher Celtic 4 Bunratty United 1, Skibbereen 2 Leeside 0.
U16 Cup Final: Togher Celtic 1 Skibbereen 0.

West Cork Schoolobys U12 League 2007-08 Review

Clonakilty AFC deservedly lifted the 2007-08 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys League U12 crown after topping a second play-off ‘group of death’ ahead of Skibbereen and Bunratty United.


SuperValu U12 League
The 2007-08 SuperValu U12 league season saw fourteen teams split into two groups with the top two ranked sides in each group progressing to the SuperValu U12 Play-Offs to decide the destination of the league title. Clonakilty AFC dominated Group1, topping the table with 10 wins from their 12 matches and qualifying for the play-offs in confident fashion. The battle for the second play-off berth was surprisingly won by Leeside who edged out the much-fancied Durrus by two points. Durrus recovered from the disappointment of missing the play-offs to eventually win the U12 Shield tournament by the end of the season. Lyre Rovers, Bay Rovers and Drinagh Rangers each enjoyed decent runs in Group1 but were never consistent enough to mount a serious challenge. Ardfield - playing at U12 level for the first time - found the going extremely tough but battled courageously in every game and proved a credit to their club. U12 Group2 transpired as expected with both Bunratty United and Skibbereen qualifying for the play-offs but not before league debutantes, Dunmanway Town, came mightily close to forcing their way into the top two. The Mullough club topped the table for much of the season but crucially ran out of steam towards the end of the group. Third place is still a remarkable result in Dunmanway’s inaugural season. Riverside Athletic and Togher Celtic failed to mount a sustained challenge and finished mid-table. Clonakilty Youths were outclassed in many of their games while Harbour United folded only two weeks into the season.



SFAI National Cups
The early stages of the West Cork Schoolboys U12 League season saw no less than six clubs enter the Preliminary rounds of the SFAI National Cup competition. Clonakilty AFC fell at the first hurdle at home to Corinthian Boys ‘A’ 5-3 in an eight goal thriller. The five remaining WCSL clubs fared much better with Durrus defeating Park United 4-1 and Bunratty United knocking out Everton 4-0. Drinagh Rangers accounted for Togher 3-1 in an all WCSL tie with goals from Jake King (2) and Gary Lordan earning the home side a deserved victory. Skibbereen recorded the most impressive preliminary round triumph of all the West Cork sides, travelling to Cork and knocking out Crosshaven 4-3. The first round of SFAI matches took place in October with Skibbereen and Bunratty each recording notable wins. Skibb knocked out Rockmount in the Baltimore Road 4-1 after a fantastic team display. Bunratty travelled to Midleton and won a ten goal extravaganza 6-4 in Knockgriffin. Conor O'Driscoll scored 4 and Arron Barry grabbed a brace for the Schull side. Macroom ended Drinagh’s cup run in Cannon Crowley Park 3-1 while Durrus failed to field a team for the trip to Springfield Ramblers who were subsequently awarded a walkover.

Mayfield United ended Bunratty United’s interest in the competition in Town Park, Schull in November. The city side proved too strong for an under-strength United and ran out 5-3 winners. On the same day Skibbereen progressed to the last four of the Cork section following a superb 4-2 victory at home to Riverstown. Stephen McCarthy (2), Sean Deasy and Owen Collins found the net for Skibb in a famous win. The Baltimore Road club’s National Cup journey was finally ended by a star-studded Lakewood U12 outfit in December following a 3-2 defeat. Late goals from Sean Deasy and Stephen McCarthy proved immaterial but Skibb’s SFAI National Cup run turned out to be one of the highlights of a tremendous season for the West Cork club.



SuperValu U12 Play-Offs
The SuperValu U12 Play-Offs kicked off in April with Bunratty United edging Clonakilty AFC 3-2 following an ill-tempered affair in Town Park, Scull. Skibbereen proved too strong for Leeside in the opening round winning 4-1 thanks to a hat-trick from the prolific Stephen McCarthy and a late effort from Mark Collins. The Inchigeela side were effectively knocked out of the Play-Offs following a 9-1 drubbing away to Bunratty in May with the mercurial Conor O’Driscoll weighing in with 4 of Bunratty’s total. Clonakilty AFC recovered from their defeat to Bunratty to overpower a disappointing Skibbereen side 5-2 in Ballyvackey. Jack O'Mahony notched a hat-trick while Jack Cowhig and Eoin Ryan completed the scoring for Clon. The final round of play-off fixtures saw Bunratty ravel to the Baltimore Road knowing a draw would be enough to capture the league title. Skibbereen had other ideas and ran out 8-4 winners after a tremendous game. Owen Collins (3), Stephen McCarthy (2), Sean Deasy (2 Pens) and Sean O'Donovan found the net for Skibb while Conor O'Driscoll (3) and Josh Pickett responded for a shell-shocked United. Clonakilty AFC’s expected win at home to Leeside (5-2) meant there was a three way tie for the U12 League Championship so another play-off group was needed to decide a winner from Clon AFC, Skibb and Bunratty.



SuperValu U12 Play-Off Deciders
Bunratty United and Skibbereen share thee points in the opening match of the SuperValu U12 Play-Off Deciders in Town Park Schull. A Fionn Hurley penalty cancelled out a Stephen McCarthy effort in a tight affair. Three days later Clonakilty AFC gained revenge over Bunratty United for their 5-2 defeat in the play-offs to record a hard fought 2-1 victory before a huge crowd in Ballyvackey. A last minute goal from Jack O’Mahony effectively knocked Bunratty out of the title race and set up a winner take all encounter with Skibbereen on the 19th of May. The destination of the title was finally decided following a pulsating 3-3 draw in the Baltimore Road Ground with Clon AFC grabbing a point away to Skibb to secure the U12 Championship. Goals from Eoin Ryan and a brace from Jack Cowhig brought the league crown back to Clonakilty following an unforgettable season for the Ballyvackey-based club.

WCSL 2007-08 U14 League Review

Lyre Rovers rounded off a terrific year for the Knockskeagh club by defeating Togher Celtic 4-1 in a SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U14 Play-Off decider in Ballyvackey on the 10th of May to lift the SuperValu U14 League title.

SuperValu U14 League
The WCSL U14 League kicked off back in September with 11 clubs vying for the SuperValu U14 League title. The top four ranked clubs then moved forward to the SuperValu Play-Offs to decide the eventual Champions in a round-robin tournament. Skibbereen topped the league table at the end of March with 9 wins and 1 draw after an extraordinary season. Lyre Rovers finished only 4 points behind the Baltimore Road club with Bunratty United and Togher Celtic rounding off the Play-Off berths. Riverside Athletic and Bay Rovers were disappointed to miss the play-offs by only a single point despite each club enjoying decent league campaigns. Drinagh Rangers finished a disappointing 7th for the Cannon Crowley Park club who had won the U14 double the season before. Rangers still managed to enjoy a decent run in the SFAI National Cup and deservedly lifted the SuperValu U14 Shield in May. Clonakilty AFC, Clonakilty AFC Youths and newcomers Ballydehob found the going tough and finished in the bottom half of the league while Harbour United folded only a few weeks into the season.



SFAI National Cups
One of the highlights of the 2007-08 campaign turned out to be both Skibbereen and Drinagh Rangers U14’s remarkable run in the SFAI National Cup. In September’s Preliminary Round Greenwood knocked out a gallant Ballydehob (3-0), Ardmore defeated Clonakilty AFC and Ringmahon accounted for Togher Celtic. The WCSL enjoyed opening round success with Drinagh overcoming the challenge of Springfield Ramblers (4-1), Skibbereen travelling to Inishvilla and winning a 5 goal thriller (3-2), while Bay Rovers and Bunratty United accounted for Glounthaune United (3-1) and Castleview (4-1) respectively.

Kilreen Celtic brought an end to Bunratty United’s run on October 20th following a 4-2 victory in Schull. Bay Rovers were also eliminated at the first round stage with Rockmount scoring 4 times without reply in Kealkil. It was left to Skibbereen and Drinagh to fly the flag for West Cork with the Baltimore Road side recording an emphatic 7-0 win away to Ardmore and Drinagh picking up a memorable 2-1 victory away to Greenwood. Round 3 of the SFAI National cup saw Skibbereen continue their marvellous run with a 6-0 demolition of Buttevant. Drinagh Rangers were finally knocked out after 3-1 defeat to Corinthian Boys in Cannon Crowley Park. Skibbereen’s extraordinary odyssey in the National Cup finally came to halt on the 15th of December when the visiting Ballincollig proved too strong for an under-strength West Cork outfit (4-1). Overall, the West Cork Schoolboys League sides proved more than a match for most CSL opposition throughout the early rounds of the U14 National Cup. The collective 2007-08 performances are hugely encouraging heading into the upcoming 2008-09 National Cup competitions.



SuperValu U14 Play-Offs
Lyre Rovers entertained Bunratty United in the opening match of the SuperValu U14 Play-Offs on April 12th. The host produced a blistering display to upset the favourites from Schull (5-2). Kevin Cormican and Eoin Hartnett each weighed in with braces while Ethan Draper added a fifth for the home side. Eddie Goggin replied with two goals for a depleted Bunratty. Togher Celtic repeated the same 5-2 score-line at home to Skibbereen a week later in Togher. Mark Quinn notched a hat-trick with Daniel Twomey and David O’Brien completing the scoring in a memorable win for Celtic. A shell-shocked Skibbereen’s goals came from Dan MacEoin and Kevin Davis.

The second round of U14 Play-Off fixtures took place on Saturday the 26th of April with Lyre and Togher repeating their opening day heroics. Lyre Rovers defeated Skibbereen 4-2 in a six goal thriller in Knockskeagh. The match turned out to be one of the games of the season at U14 level with two fully committed sides playing superb football throughout and each contributing to a magnificent spectacle. Kevin Davis beat John Leahy to a long ball into the Lyre penalty area and headed into the net for an early 1-0 Skibbereen lead. James Hayes levelled for the hosts before expertly chipping the Skibbereen goalkeeper from the tightest of angles to put the home side 2-1 up at the interval. Ethan Draper sent an unstoppable 25 free-kick into the top corner of the net for a remarkable goal and a 3-1 lead five minutes after the break. Dan MacEoin brought it back to 3-2 before James Hayes grabbed his hat-trick to end an exciting encounter. On the same day Togher travelled to Schull and came away with all 3 points in a pulsating 2-1 victory over Bunratty United. Gavin McEntaggart put Bunratty 1-0 ahead but Shane Cotter equalised and Maurice Murphy won the game with a late header to setup a home clash with Lyre Rovers to decide the outcome of the U14 League title.

Togher and Lyre played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Togher on the 5th of May. The result meant the two sides would have to square up once again to decide the U14 title as both teams finished level on points joint-top of the SuperValu U14 Play-Off table. Daniel Twomey put Togher ahead only for Ethan Draper to equalise from the penalty spot just before half time in what turned out to be a tense match.



SuperValu U14 Decider
Rovers finally got their hands on the coveted league trophy following a well deserved 4-1 victory over Togher in a SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U14 Play-Off decider in Ballyvackey on the 11th of May. Togher grabbed the lead against the run of play with the lively Mark Quinn netting. Rovers demonstrated their undoubted talent and resolve to fight back and score 4 times to secure the U14 league crown. James Hayes (2), Scott Sheehan and Kevin Cormican each netted to bring the SuperValu U14 League title to Knockskeagh for the first time in the club’s history.

SFAI - WCSL Futsal Tournament in Clonakilty

The FAI in conjunction with the SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys League ran the first ever one-day FUTSAL mini-tournament in the Clonakilty Sports Complex Astro Pitch recently.

The idea of the tournament was to promote the game of FUTSAL (non-contact, mini-football, encouraging close control and skill) in a 7-a-side competition. The Bay Rovers, Clonakilty AFC and Riverside Athletic clubs sent representative teams to take part in the inaugural event for the West Cork region. FAI Regional Development Officer, Ray Claffey, structured the day’s events once the number of confirmed entries had arrived at the superb Clonakilty Astro turf venue.


WHAT IS FUTSAL?
Futsal is the official FIFA and UEFA version of indoor 5 a side football and indeed the only internationally recognised small sided game. The word “Futsal” comes from the Portuguese phrase “futebol de salao” or the Spanish, “futbol de sala” which basically means indoor football. The main feature of the game is the ball which is a size 4 slightly weighted leather ball with restricted bounce rather than the fluffy, bouncy, yellow ball traditional to the indoor game in Ireland.

The FAI launched the country’s first ever Futsal Development Programme back in December of last year, which set out a method to improve the technical skills of young players throughout the country. The new programme (part of the FAI Technical Development Plan) was launched by UEFA President and former French International star, Michel Platini. According to the FAI website: “The main aim of the Programme is to establish Futsal as the preferred version of five-a-side football in Ireland and to increase and sustain participation at all ages and ability levels by promoting and developing the game as a complementary format of football within the football family. The game allows players to improve their technical skills as it requires quick thinking and rapid decision making facilitating the development of overall football intelligence.”

There was a surprise in store for each of the young participants who attended the mini-tournament in the Clonakilty Sports Complex when Cork City stars, Colin O'Brien and Mick Devine arrived to present Certificates and pose for photographs. Colin O'Brien and Ray Claffey took time at the end of the competition to conduct a lively questions and answers session with the attending players discussing the merits of FUTSAL.

Every player who attended the tournament expressed their satisfaction with the event and offered encouraging feedback to the organisers. The mini-tournament turned out to be such a resounding success that the West Cork Schoolboys League - with the help of the FAI - hope to arrange further FUTSAL events during the forthcoming 2008-2009 season.

FUTSAL SQUADS
Bay Rovers: Ayrton O'Shea, Mark Hine, Joe Murphy, Shane Delaney, Donal Casey and Darren Cronin.

Clonakilty AFC: Fergus Jayes, Patrick McCarthy, Mark Crowley, Damien O'Brien, Daniel Kelleher, Stephen Madden, Colm O'Donovan, Jack McCarthy and Daniel Lane.

Riverside Athletic: Jack O'Callaghan, Shane O'Driscoll, Finghin O'Driscoll, Ray O'Connor, Kevin O'Neill, Mark Kingston, Sean Jackson and Gavin O'Leary.

WCSL 2007-08 U16 League Review

Riverside Athletic made it two U16 League title wins on the trot following the most dramatic of conclusions to the 2007-08 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys U16 League season. The Balineen based club came back from the dead to snatch the league crown from the grasp of Togher Celtic in a pulsating finale on the final day of the SuperValu U16 Play-Offs.

National Cups
The early stages of the SuperValu WCSL U16 season began with 6 West Cork clubs entering the SFAI National Cup tournament. Four teams fell at the first hurdle with Cobh Ramblers proving too strong for Skibbereen (7-1), Leeds accounting for Bay Rovers (3-0) and Castleview receiving a walkover from Clonakilty AFC. The only two West Cork clubs to progress from the Preliminary Round were Drinagh Rangers who overcame the challenge of Buttevant 4-1 thanks to goals from Jamie Walsh, Daniel Hayes, Paul Crowley and Shane Connolly. Bunratty United defeated Togher Celtic in a West Cork derby following a pulsating encounter and a penalty shoot-out to progress to the first round proper. Sean Deasy and Dan O’Sullivan scored for Togher and Jack Twomey and Ger O’Callaghan netted for Bunratty. At 7-7 in the shootout Daniel Hickey saved for United before Michael Bailey made sure of the win with the decisive spot kick. Disappointingly neither Drinagh nor Bunratty were able to field teams in the first round, handing Ballincollig and Cobh Ramblers walkovers and an automatic passage into the second round.

SuperValu U16 League
Togher Celtic topped the SuperValu U16 League table at the end of the regular season, remaining unbeaten with 7 wins and 2 draws from their campaign. Togher’s Cian O’Mahony and Declan Coughlan proved a lethal strike-force combining to score over 15 goals. Drinagh Rangers finished second (also remaining undefeated) with Gavin Connolly topping their goal-scoring charts. Reigning Champions Riverside Athletic finished third with Bunratty United securing the fourth and final play-off spot. There was disappointment for Skibbereen who just missed out on a place in the play-offs by a mere 2 points. Lyre Rovers enjoyed an indifferent League campaign but still managed to secure the U16 Shield trophy before the end of the season. Clonakilty AFC, Bay Rovers, Leeside and Harbour United rarely challenged the front-runners and will hope to improve on their lowly league positions for the upcoming 2008-09 campaign.

The Play-Offs
The first round of the SuperValu U16 Play-Offs exploded into life on April the 19th with an amazing 11 goals in the opening games. Cian O'Mahony grabbed a last minute winner for Togher Celtic after an absolutely pulsating game with Bunratty United in Town Park, Schull. Togher came back from 2-0 down to score twice in the final 5 minutes and win a dramatic encounter 3-2. Gavin McEntaggart broke the deadlock in the 17th minute to put Bunratty 1-0 ahead. Declan Coughlan curled in a terrific effort to tie the scores until Bunratty retook the lead in the 45th minute when Simian Lipitch pounced from 6 yards. Cian O’Mahony made no mistake with a super strike from the edge of the box following a mix-up in the Bunratty defence to level the game. O’Mahony then raced clear of a static defence and sent an unstoppable shot into the net to win a pulsating encounter. On the same afternoon it finished honours even between Riverside Athletic and Drinagh Rangers following a 6-goal thriller in the West End Balineen. Michael Dineen opened the scoring only for Riverside to equalise early in the second half with Michael O'Driscoll netting. Athletic went 3-1 ahead thanks to a fine Brian McCarthy effort and then a second from the in-form O'Driscoll. The home side looked to have the points wrapped up until Drinagh dramatically fought back to score twice in the last 5 minutes. Derek Crowley netted with a tremendous long range free kick and Gavin Connolly stabbed home in injury time to steal a precious point. Round 2 of the SuperValu Play-Offs saw Bunratty United and Riverside Athletic each record crucial home victories. Bunratty emerged with a hard fought 2-0 victory after a tough encounter with Drinagh Rangers thanks to efforts from Gavin MacEntaggart and Sean Evans. Riverside were made to work even harder for their 3-1 home win over Togher Celtic with John Daly, Rory Baggott and Neville Maybury each finding the net in an exciting match. Cian O’Mahony replied for Celtic

Final Day Drama
The final day of a remarkable SuperValu U16 League season took place on Saturday the 10th of May. Riverside entertained Bunratty United while Togher welcomed Drinagh Rangers. Athletic knew that a victory over fellow title-rivals Bunratty would secure a second consecutive Championship. Anything less would allow Togher back into the equation provided they defeated Drinagh in their final match. Things seemed to be going Togher’s way as they easily accounted for out of sorts Drinagh Rangers 5-1. A commanding performance from the home side culminated in a superb Cian O'Mahony hat-trick along with further efforts from David Collins and Dan O'Sullivan. Daniel Hayes was Rangers solitary scorer. In Balineen Athletic found themselves 3-0 down with only 25 minutes remaining having been played off the park by a quite superb Bunratty United performance. What followed next was by far the most remarkable comeback in the 2007-08 Schoolboys League season. The hosts pulled a goal back through a Rory Baggott penalty but the drama wasn't finished there and when Jason Collins bundled the ball over the line 5 minutes later there was only a solitary goal between the sides. Bunratty were under constant pressure now as Riverside pushed everyone forward. Unbelievably Rory Baggott levelled the game at 3-3 with a thundering volley right on full time. Deep into injury time Baggott stepped forward to curl a marvellous effort into the net to complete his hat trick and win the SuperValu U16 League title for an ecstatic Riverside Athletic. It proved to be a final day full of heartbreak for both Bunratty and Togher but for the second season in a row Riverside Athletic stand proudly at the summit of the SuperValu U16 League.

West Cork Schoolboys League Kennedy Cup 2008 Review

The West Cork Schoolboys League Under13 representative side completed their involvement in this season’s SFAI UMBRO Kennedy Cup tournament with back to back wins over the Carlow and North Tipperary Schoolboys Leagues in Limerick last week.

It brought a positive end to a frustrating week for the West Cork outfit who never earned the results their attractive football deserved. Drawn in Group7 along with the North Eastern Counties (NEC), Longford and Galway Schoolboy Leagues, West Cork opened their account with a well deserved draw against NEC on the 9th of June. A tight opening half ended scoreless with little to choose between the sides. The WCSL broke the deadlock a quarter of an hour into the second period with a well constructed goal. Tadgh O’Mahony found the net with a neat finish following good approach play from Conor O’Neill. West Cork failed to capitalise on their lead and allowed NEC to equalise only five minutes after hitting the front. A mix-up in defence allowed an NEC striker to pounce on some hesitant defending to chip Liam Cahalane and tie the score at 1-1. Despite both sides creating a host of chances the game eventually ended in a draw.

The second round of Group7 matches on the 10th of June produced some surprising results. NEC defeated the much fancied Galway and West Cork lost 2-0 to a spirited Longford performance. The WCSL spurned a great opportunity to take the lead during a dominant opening half when Gavin O’Shea saw his penalty brilliantly saved by the Longford goalkeeper. The Leinster side rallied to score twice and take all 3 points following a determined second half display despite West Cork dominating possession for long periods. The early morning results meant WCSL needed to defeat Galway in their final evening Group7 fixture to have any chance of making the Kennedy Cup quarter finals. Alas, the Connacht and top-ranked side in the group proved too strong and emerged with a 2-1 victory. Galway raced into an early 2-0 lead to leave their opponents with a mountain to climb. West Cork put in a terrific second half performance and deservedly pulled a goal back through Gavin O’Shea spot-kick but it proved too little too late.

West Cork emerged from a string of disappointing results in Group7 to face West Waterford / East Cork in the knockout phase of the competition on Wednesday the 11th of June with the two sides clashing in the quarter final of the Kennedy Trophy. WWEC took control of the game early on and enjoyed a 2-0 lead going into the second half. West Cork fought back with another cracking second half performance and took the game to penalties following goals from Conor O’Neill and Ian Falvey. WWEC eventually emerged with the victory following a tense 4-3 shootout to send the WCSL into the Trophy Play-Offs and end their last hope of any silverware. Carlow provided the opposition on the 12th of June in the first of the Kennedy Trophy play-offs. A single Kevin Davis strike earned West Cork their first victory of the tournament and the relief was evident at the final whistle. The WCSL saved their best performance of the week for their final fixture against North Tipperary Schoolboys. Connor O’Driscoll put the WCSL 1-0 ahead in the second minute with a fine effort. North Tipp levelled just before the interval only for O’Driscoll to round the goalkeeper and restore West Cork's advantage early in the second period. The Bunratty United striker completed his hat-trick with a fantastic individual effort midway through the second half to put West Cork 3-1 ahead. North Tipp demonstrated admirable battling qualities to reduce the deficit to a single goal until Kevin Davis made sure of the win in the dying moments of the game and earn West Cork a deserved 4-2 victory.

Some of the individual players who stood out during the competition for West Cork included Adam Collins (Bunratty United) who impressed in his central midfield role in each of the games. Brendan O’Dwyer (Skibbereen) and Martin Scally (Clonakilty AFC) were the pick of the defenders while Kevin Davis (Skibbereen) and Tadgh O’Mahony (Ballydehob) played starring roles in midfield. Conor O’Neill (Riverside Athletic) made a telling contribution when introduced as an impact substitute and found the net during the West Waterford/East Cork game. Conor O’Driscoll (Bunratty United) demonstrated his undoubted skills with a superb hat-trick against North Tipperary and worked tirelessly throughout the tournament in his lone striker’s role.

Finishing 29th overall in the Kennedy Cup tournament is a disappointing result for the West Cork Schoolboys League but the squad can hold their heads high having responded to a poor start to play some of the most attractive football in the tournament. It still proved to be a very enjoyable week for the West Cork squad and mentors who will be back again next year determined to improve on this season’s performance. Coach Martin Henwood best summed up the tournament from a West Cork perspective: “Nerves showed in our opening games but once the side grew in confidence we displayed our true potential and played some excellent football”.

2008 SFAI UMBRO Kennedy Cup Results:
Monday 9th June, Group 7: West Cork 1 NEC 1. Tuesday 10th June, Group 7: West Cork 0 Longford 2, Galway 2 West Cork 1. Wednesday 11th June, Kennedy Trophy Quarter Final: WWEC 2 West Cork 2 (WWEC won 4-3 on penalties). Thursday 12th June, Kennedy Trophy Play-Offs: West Cork 1 Carlow 0, West Cork 4 North Tipperary 2.

West Cork squad for 2008 SFAI UMBRO Kennedy Cup: Liam Cahalane, Alfie Hyland (Drinagh Rangers), Martin Scally, Ian Falvey (Clonakilty AFC), Daniel Nyhan (Lyre Rovers), Conor O’Neill, Niall Kelleher (Riverside Athletic), Tadgh O’Mahony, Bosko Minihane (Ballydehob), Gavin O’Shea , Stephen Casey, Ciaran McElhinney (Bay Rovers), Conor O’Driscoll , Adam Collins (Bunratty United), Stephen O’Driscoll (Togher Celtic), Brendan O’Dwyer, Kevin Davis, Daniel Rowell, Brian Leonard and Sean Deasy (Skibbereen). Coaches: Martin Henwood, Conor Uhl and Paddy McCarthy.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Desperate Liverpool

Who does Rafa Benitez think he is? In the space of two months both he and Liverpool FC (quite openly) have courted the services of two high-profile players in Aston Villa's Gareth Barry and now Spurs' Robbie Keane. Not content with unsettling both players Benitez has also placed initial somewhat derisory offers on the table for both individuals well below their respective club's valuations.

Martin O'Neill and Aston Villa quite rightly value their club captain, Barry, at £18m +. Considering Michael Carrick left Spurs for Manchester United for the same amount surely Benitez understands that the going rate for an English international midfield player is unlikely to be below that amount. Still Liverpool have gone ahead on at least two seperate occasions and offered less than that amount and have had the gall to complain when Villa rebuffed their approaches. Now they are preparing a final offer of £17m. Still £1m below the minimum amount Villa has quoted for their talismanic midfielder. The situation with Spurs and Keane is similar. The Tottenham Captain has been openly courted by Benitez but only if Spurs' will take Peter Crouch as a make-weight in the deal.

Bill Shankly was one of the greatest manager's ever to grace the English (or World) game. He ran his beloved club with a determination to succeed above all else and his strong will rubbed off on his players and set the foundation for over 20 years' of domestic and European success. News from the Anfield Boardroom rarely made the papers and the Liverpool club was a model for all others on how to conduct your business properly and where possible, in private. It proved quite effective. Over the past 5-6 years this philosophy has all changed and I find it sad to see what was once a great club now reduced to squabbling in the media with American owners taking cheap shots at one another in an attempt top grab control of the Anfield club.

Throughout the recent turbulent times Benitez was a voice of reassuring calm and professionalism in delivering a Champions League in the midst of the club's seemingly constant internal squabbling. His club's latest attempt to entice the captains of two other clubs to Anfield but failing to meet even the minimum transfer amount smacks of desperation. Liverpool fans won't like it but Man U, Chelsea and even Arsenal can now outbid them when it comes to attracting the top talent.

The Spanish Coach would do well to heed the warning signs that have been present at Anfield over the past two Premiership campaigns namely that Liverpool are moving closer to fifth rather than third place in the League table after yet another failed attempt to challenge the top three. If Liverpool are not careful it won't be long before clubs coming knocking on their own door offering their star players the opportunity to play Champions League football.