LI
MERICK
Under-19 Programme 2015 Collection Issue 9 | Under-19 Southern Elite Division Series 17 | Fairgreen, Saturday, 21 February 2014-15, 2pm 1937
UNDER 19 ELITE SOUTHERN DIVISION LI
MERICK
1937
V
ATHLONE TOWN
Fa i rgre e n , S at u rd ay 2 1 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 5 , 2 p m
greenhegroupt
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MANAGER’S NOTES Good afternoon and welcome back to the Fairgreen for our Under-19 Southern Elite Division match against Athlone Town. We welcome the management team, players and all who have travelled from Athlone for today’s fixture. By looking at the table, it is clear to see how competitive this league is and we will have to work very hard for every point we earn. Reflecting on last Sunday’s scoreless draw with Cork City at Bishopstown, it was a very good performance from us. It was a good result and clean-sheet but I felt we could have won it. I thought we were the better footballing team. We’ve got four points off Cork – at the start of the season we would have taken that. I thought in the second half we were probably the better team. We probably created more in the second half. The one chance they did create probably was a foul on Tommy Holland; they kicked it out of his hand and he still pulled it. I think Tommy kept us in it in the first half. They had the better chances. He pulled off two unbelievable saves. Tommy has been brilliant all year. At UCD he did the same for us; he kept us in the game. I said to the boys going out that if we keep a clean-sheet I thought we would win. But the ball didn’t fall for us. I thought our goal didn’t look offside. I think it was a good finish. It was a good strike by James Duggan and a good finish by Oisín Kelly. It didn’t look offside to me. Waterford are well ahead at the moment but we will continue to only worry about ourselves. We’re a very young team. If we finish in the top four we’ll be more than happy. There are six games left but I still wouldn’t take anything for granted because any one of seven can get into that top four. I think
Waterford are in it now; they’ve stretched the gap and they’ve been very good. After that, it’s three places for six teams. Today’s opponents Athlone are the only team to beat us away from home. They’re a very dangerous side. They have some nice little midfield players, a good striker up front and they’re solid at the back. It will be a tough game. We won’t take it lightly. Obviously we might make a few changes again because we have to keep the 22 players playing as much as we can. We have to try to develop the 22 players so we probably will make a couple of changes but not too many. Enjoy the game, Tommy Barrett.
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ATHLONE TOWN
TOMMY BARRETT MANAGER
MICK DOLAN MANAGER
TOMMY HOLLAND (GK) AREK MAMALA (GK) STEPHEN NOLAN PAUDIE O’CONNOR CONOR MAGUIRE KILLIAN BROUDER EOIN WHELAN CLYDE O’CONNELL VAL FEENEY ALAN MURPHY MARK HOBAN SHANE LOWTH ROSS FITZGERALD KILLIAN HAYES ROSS MANN SEÁN MCSWEENEY DECLAN CUSACK JAMES DUGGAN OISIN KELLY EVAN CUSACK LIAM MCCARTAN JACK LYNCH
EOGHAN BREATHNACH AIDAN BYRNE PATRICK DUNICAN IAN FLETCHER SEÁN FRENCH RYAN GAFFEY MARK GEOGHEGAN CIAN HAYDEN CONOR MARLOW EOIN MCCORMACK EVAN MCEVOY DANIEL MOLLOY MICHAEL MONAGHAN AARON O’NEILL COLM POOLE JACK QUINN AARON RAFTER CHRIS REID ROBERT REID AARON SHINE JAMES TONER
PL
GD
PTS
1
Waterford Utd
15
21
32
2
Limerick FC
14
7
25
3
Cobh Ramblers
15
4
23
4
Cork City
14
6
22
5
UCD
13
6
22
6
Shamrock Rovers
13
6
20
7
Bray Wanderers
14
1
19
8
Wexford Youths
14
-5
18
9
Athlone Town
15
-10
16
10
Mervue Utd
15
-21
11
11
Salthill Devon
14
-15
0
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LAST TIME OUT: KELLY DENIED IN CORK Second-half goal ruled out for Barrett’s boys Oisín Kelly saw a second-half goal disallowed as Limerick had to settle for a point in an entertaining scoreless draw against Cork City in their Under-19 Southern Elite Division Munster Derby at Bishopstown last Sunday. The first chance fell the way of Cork before the quarter-hour mark when a freekick was met by Aaron O’Raw but from a tight angle the header was comfortable for Tommy Holland. Then a good move from Limerick almost led to the opener. Mark Hoban played a pass to Seán McSweeney on the right and he created space for a low cross which was just missed in the centre by James Duggan and Ross Mann. At the midway point of the half, Cork were only denied the lead goal by a stunning save from Holland who was at his best to deny Connor Ellis with a superb reflex stop after the striker had controlled well on the 18yard line. Then McSweeney fed Kelly on the right but his low cross was put wide by Mann who was under pressure. On the half-hour, Cork ‘keeper Cathal O’Hanlon had a let-off when his attempted clearance was chased down by Duggan, with the ball rebounding off the forward and bouncing wide. On 33 minutes, Paudie O’Connor’s inch-perfect diagonal free-kick picked out Mann on the left and he forced O’Hanlon into his first stop of the match, the netminder getting down smartly to push the ball behind.
Five minutes before the break, Limerick were almost caught out by Alex Marshall who got in on the left of the box but his effort went just wide. Right on half-time, Cork went close again when Stuart Murphy’s corner was attacked by Conor McCarthy at the near post and Holland produced heroics to get down and push the ball around the post, as the sides went in scoreless. Into the second half, Cork almost took the lead on 47 minutes when captain Craig Donnellan’s free-kick was flicked on and then met by the rising Ellis whose header went just over. Limerick, though, made a bright opening to the period and after a pass from McSweeney, Kelly sent a 25-yard effort past the upright. McSweeney then showed good feet to create space for a shot of his own but this one was held by O’Hanlon. On 56 minutes, the Shannonsiders had Holland to thank again. Timmy Murphy sent Ellis away but his effort was pushed away by the ‘keeper before he produced a stunning reaction save to Mark Buckley’s follow-up. Past the hour mark, Limerick thought they had broken the deadlock when Duggan’s stinging drive was pushed away only as far as Kelly who slid the ball to the net. However, the linesman’s flag was raised in what was a marginal call, with little of note thereafter.
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PLAYER VIEW: O’CONNOR FOCUSSED ON TOP FOUR Young defender looks
to complete job in remaining games Limerick Under-19 defender Paudie O’Connor is determined to see through their goal of a top-four finish in the Southern Elite Division, after picking up a solid point at Munster rivals Cork City in Bishopstown last Sunday. The 17-year-old centre-half put in a commanding performance at the heart of the young Superblues defence to help the team to a third straight clean-sheet. While they were unable to capitalise at the other end – Oisín Kelly denied what appeared a legitimate goal on the hour – O’Connor was pleased with their overall display as they kept their three-point advantage over the Leesiders intact. With Waterford United currently well clear at the top, there is a congested race for the remaining three places in the Champions Knockout Phase, with Limerick in pole position for one of those spots with six games remaining. And the former Kilcornan, Breska Rovers and Regional United youngster says they must “push on and make sure we stay there”. “I thought we played really well,” Paudie, from Ballybrown, said. “The pitch was poor
enough so we had to press them high; a lot of it was in the air so we had to be strong and physical throughout the game. The chances evened out. We had a few in the second half and Tommy (Holland) kept one or two out so it was a fair result in the end. It’s three clean-sheets now on the trot. As Tommy (Barrett) says, you win leagues with clean-sheets so it’s important to keep them. We’ll take that. “We have Athlone now next week so if we can pick up another three there – it’s all about picking up points. The top four was our goal at the start of the year so we’re not too far from that now; we just need to push on and make sure we stay there until the end of the season.” O’Connor’s Under-19 season was disrupted early on through injury but now he is back fighting fit. Last month, he made his full debut for the first team in the Munster Senior Cup, with his aim to make further “strides” in the year ahead. “I’ve picked up a good bit of game-time (since returning),” Paudie – who has 145 senior competitive minutes under his belt – said. “I’ve had two full 90s now in the last two weeks so I’m happy enough with how it’s going. “Martin (Russell) is doing very well with the first team so it’s important to try to test myself against better players as well. I love it up there. Since I’ve come in, I’ve made good strides so I’m just trying to take another one and maybe break in for a couple of games this year. I’d be happy enough with that. I’ll keep trying to improve.”
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IRISH U18s: MURPHY CALLED IN FOR WALES TRIP Former Mervue winger prepares for two friendlies
Limerick FC winger Alan Murphy has been called up to the Republic of Ireland Under-18 squad for two games in Wales this coming week. The youngster arrived from Mervue United during the winter transfer window and made his debut in a home victory over his former club last month.
player capped at International level so it’s a very proud moment for all concerned. The majority of the opposition players are with League of Wales clubs and involved at firstteam level so it will be a tough challenge but it’s something we’re looking forward to.”
Murphy will join up with the home-based Irish squad for training in Dublin this afternoon before departing for Swansea tomorrow. Their first game comes at New Bridge Meadow Stadium, Haverfordwest on Monday evening, kick-off 7.30pm, with another match against the Welsh at Genquip Stadium, Port Talbot on Tuesday afternoon, kick-off 3pm.
Murphy made his club bow against Mervue three weeks ago and after that display, at left-back, manager Tommy Barrett commented: “Alan did fine. He’s born ‘98 so he has three years as well. He needs to tidy up on a few things; he’s not used to playing left-back in fairness to him. He usually plays wide left. It was new-ish to him although he’s played there in the past.”
Head Coach Paul Osam – a five-time League of Ireland winner in his playing days – is looking forward to the “experience”. “This squad was picked from the FAI Interprovincial tournament which takes place in October every year and it’s a unique opportunity for the players to represent their country,” Osam said. “It gives them a chance to show they can play at a higher level and to test themselves on the International stage.
Meanwhile, forward Seán McSweeney featured in two wins for the Irish Schools Under-18s in Athlone this week. The 17-yearold only received the call-up to Paddy O’Reilly’s squad at the weekend after an impressive performance in Limerick’s draw at Cork City in the Under-19 Southern Elite Division on Sunday. The former Shannonside youngster came on at half-time in Monday’s 4-0 win over Athlone Town Under-19s, setting up a goal, and started in a 2-1 victory over Athlone IT on Tuesday.
“I’m hoping to gain experience myself as a coach from this experience. I’m honoured to be working with an International team and I hope the players and coaching staff all learn from the time we have with them. For some of the clubs who will be represented it’ll be the first time they have a
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