U19 Programme: Limerick v Mervue United, 31 January 2015

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Under-19 Programme 2015 Collection Issue 8 | Under-19 Southern Elite Division Series 15 | Fairgreen, Saturday 31 January 2015, 2pm 1937

UNDER 19 ELITE SOUTHERN DIVISION LI

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MERVUE UTD

Fa i rgre e n , S at u rd ay 3 1 Ja n u a r y 2 0 1 5 , 2 p m

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LIMERICK FC UNDER 19’s

LIVE FOOTBALL Under-19 Southern Elite Division Series 17 LI

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ATHLONE TOWN

Fairgreen, Saturday 21 Februar y 2015, 2pm

FAIRGREEN - ADMISSION: €5 (INCLUDES -DRAW 2 - & PROGRAMME), UNDER-16S GO FREE

MANAGER’S NOTES Good afternoon and welcome back to the Fairgreen for our Under-19 Southern Elite Division match against Mervue United. We welcome Brian Laffey, his backroom staff, players and all those who have made the trip down from Galway for what we anticipate will be another tough encounter.

This is our first outing here at the home of Fairview Rangers for eight weeks and it’s good to be back at a venue where we have done well this season. Last month, we met Mervue in the Enda McGuill Cup at Charleville and were defeated on penalties. Like any team in the division, Mervue are hard to beat. Two weeks ago against the leaders Waterford United, they got a great result, drawing 1-1 having led for most of the match.

We expect it will be another tough fixture for us today.

Every game in this league is difficult, but we will go in with the right attitude. The boys are playing well at the moment and training well. We’ll be looking to win it but there’s nothing easy in this league. We’ll make changes again. We have been doing it all season. I think we need to keep doing that.

The lads are used to it now at this stage. We had chances to win the Cup tie but when you don’t take your chances you’re always unlikely to succeed. Hopefully, we’ll take our chances that come today.

I said it before; if we keep a clean-sheet against any team we’re likely to score. There are only a couple of games where we haven’t scored. I think it’s about getting the defence right first and then we’re always likely to score. We had a lot of clean-sheets early on in the season. If you look at the goals we conceded in the six games previous to our last outing at UCD, they were really sloppy goals, last-minute goals. They were just

mistakes; individual errors. That happens at this level. We’re looking for lads to make the mistakes at Under-19 level so they won’t make them with the first team.

The league is wide open – there is no real pressure on us. Even against UCD, we brought on five substitutes. We’re using our squad; I’m not afraid to use it. Every one of the players know that they’ll get a fair chance. They’re all good enough to play. We have 22 players; any 11 that we put out and any five that we bring on I think are good enough to win and to go out and put in a performance.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the club’s players who have received International recognition recently – Val Feeney, Ross Mann (both U19), Seán McSweeney (U18 Schools), Killian Brouder, Stephen Nolan (both U17), Ger Barry, Colm Walsh-O’Loghlen (both U16) and Ronan Quinn (U15).

Enjoy the game, Tommy Barrett.

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MERVUE UTD

TOMMY BARRETT MANAGER

BRIAN LAFFEY 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

PETER HEALY MAURICE NUGENT GARY BAILEY CHRIS CARROLL NOEL COTTON EOGHAN KELLY ROB SPELMAN MOISE ASSOGBA YOUSSEF MAHDY PETER WALSH AIDAN COYLE BRIAN O’CONNOR RYAN FORDE PAUL HEALY ANDREW CONNOLLY EOIN CURRY DARREN MURRAY TONY MCHUGH JOE HYNES OSCAR NOWAK MIKEY FOX

PL

GD

PTS

1

Waterford Utd

13

17

26

2

Cork City

12

9

21

3

Limerick FC

12

5

21

4

Shamrock Rovers

11

7

19

5

UCD

12

2

19

6

Cobh Ramblers

13

2

17

7

Bray Wanderers

11

2

17

8

Athlone Town

13

-8

16

9

Wexford Youths

12

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12

10

Mervue Utd

13

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11

11

Salthill Devon

12

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7

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LAST TIME OUT: SEÁN NETS ON RETURN McSweeney marks comeback from injury Seán McSweeney’s sweet second-half strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Limerick over UCD in the Under-19 Southern Elite Division at the AUL Complex a fortnight ago, as they ended the Students’ four-game winning streak. On a bitterly cold night at the North Dublin venue, the first effort came on seven minutes. Good footwork by McSweeney created space for a shot but he was denied by ‘keeper Karl Skinner who held well. Clyde O’Connell then fired over. Shortly after, Limerick put good pressure on the home goal and eventually Liam McCartan struck an effort, this one whistling just wide of the target.

he marked his return from injury in perfect style.

UCD created the first real opening on 17 minutes when a neat one-two between Troy Carey and Dylan Watts left the latter through on goal but from close in he was brilliantly denied by a superb save from Tommy Holland. Daire O’Connor then produced an exquisite touch in the box to take down a ball over the top but his finish did not match his initial skill and the young Superblues survived.

On 74 minutes, the Students’ task was made more difficult when defender Shane Whelan was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card for a poor tackle on McSweeney in midfield. Still, the Dubliners proved a threat and Limerick had to work hard to hold onto all three points. With five minutes remaining, Hanney went close from a corner, which proved to be UCD’s last real chance. And the Shannonsiders almost added another late on but Cusack’s 20-yard shot was deflected and looped just over the bar.

On 37 minutes, McSweeney floated an inch-perfect corner onto the head of captain Ross Mann but his effort was blocked wide, before O’Connell struck a free-kick from distance narrowly off target close to half-time. Ten minutes after the break, Limerick broke the deadlock when McSweeney picked up possession outside the box and curled a sweet effort to the bottom corner, for his fifth goal of the campaign as

On the hour-mark, Watts’ free-kick found Adam Hanney in space but he failed to connect properly. Limerick’s advantage was then almost doubled as substitute Declan Cusack rifled a shot that seemed bound for the top corner but it flew just wide. UCD began to pressure the visiting defence in search of an equaliser and a smart turn by Adam Hanney in the area left him with just the ‘keeper to beat but Holland again produced a fine stop. He then denied substitute Jessie Kamm.

Limerick FC: Tommy Holland, Conor Maguire, Mark Hoban, Killian Brouder, Stephen Nolan, Ross Fitzgerald, Clyde O’Connell, Ross Mann, Seán McSweeney, Liam McCartan, James Duggan. Goal: S McSweeney (55). Subs: Declan Cusack, Oisín Kelly, Jack Lynch, Killian Hayes, Shane Lowth. Unused Subs: Arkadiusz Mamala (GK), Evan Cusack.

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CHAIRMAN’S NOTES Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Under-19 Southern Elite Division match. I wish to welcome Mervue United, their staff and players to Limerick for this fixture. We know from last month’s Enda McGuill Cup tie that Mervue are a determined and hard-working team that will ensure a very competitive match here at the Fairgreen. As always, we thank Fairview Rangers AFC and all their staff for their kind welcome and superb playing facilities.

In our last match two weeks ago, our young players recorded an excellent 1-0 win at UCD, who had won their previous four matches. It was a very tight game in Dublin but it was decided by a fine goal from Seán McSweeney who was making a very welcome return from injury. Seán is among the most promising young talents in our underage system and indeed played a key role in our first-team’s victory last weekend when coming off the bench to set up our second goal in the Munster Senior Cup against Leeds in Kilmallock. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Kilmallock United AFC for their hospitality on the day and we now look forward to the semi-finals.

The past few weeks have been very proud for Limerick FC as a number of our underage players have received International recognition and performed so well for Ireland.

It is a great honour for our young players to pull on the green jersey. I want to send congratulations to Val Feeney, Ross Mann (both U19), Seán McSweeney (U18 Schools), Killian Brouder, Stephen Nolan (both U17), Ger Barry, Colm Walsh-O’Loghlen (both U16) and Ronan Quinn (U15). Val, Seán and Killian all scored which was great to see. Much of the work being done at underage level goes unseen but the opportunities the club

can create for young players is clearly evident and long may it continue. Today will no doubt be another tough test for Tommy and the players but with eight games remaining we are well placed in third and have a real chance of making it into the Champions Knockout Phase where the top four will feature. We wish the whole management team and squad well in the remainder of the season and hope that as well as the continued development of players that we can add success through silverware.

In just five weeks begins the new SSE Airtricity League Premier Division season and we are all looking forward to our long-awaited return home to the Markets Field. We cannot be a success without your support and I would encourage you all to pick up a Season Ticket; they are available in our Online Store on LimerickFC.ie. Again, I would like to thank everyone who has come out to watch our young players today; your continued support is greatly appreciated by all.

Enjoy the game, Pat O’Sullivan.

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ACADEMY ROUND UP: CUP KNOCKOUTS FOR LIMERICK Young Blues suffer disappointment on National stage

Two of Limerick FC’s Academy teams saw their SFAI National Cup hopes suffer knockout blows last weekend, as both the Under-12s and Under-16s were beaten on home soil.

Saturday’s action began in the Under-12 Danone Cup where Barry Lynch’s Limerick welcomed Pike Rovers to Hogan Park in the Last 32. After Pike created most of the openings, they eventually took the lead through an overhead kick two minutes before the break. However, that lead was quickly wiped out by a stunning leveller from Andrei Haxhiaj. The young Superblues, though, failed to build on that and they were undone by three goals in the opening 14 minutes of the second half, with Pike adding another two late on to progress on a 6-1 scoreline.

Later in the day at the same venue, John Grehan’s side went up against Carlow outfit Bagenalstown in the Under-16 Barry Cup with both teams aiming to protect longstanding 100 percent records. Limerick got off to the perfect start when Paul Costelloe fired them ahead inside six minutes but the visitors were in front by the break and then made sure of their place in the last 16 with two goals after half-time to seal a 4-1 victory.

In the Under-14 Premier League, Steven Grant’s under-strength side suffered an 8-0 loss to Mungret Regional in a game which

was played in between the two Cup ties at Hogan Park. Limerick were also out of luck in the Under-14 Division One where they went up against title challengers Geraldines at Bawnmore. Peter Clarke’s boys performed well but they conceded in each half, with Jay O’Loughlin’s injury-time goal proving no more than a consolation.

In the Under-16 Division One, Ger Costelloe’s side made it 13 wins on the spin in all competitions with another comprehensive success, this time beating Corbally United 7-1 at Athlunkard. Ethan Butler made it 11 goals in six games with a brace, Fraser Allen also grabbed a double while there were goals for Ronan Quinn, Carlos Bestard and Brandon O’Halloran, as they maintained their 100 percent record at this level and their lead at the summit.

Meanwhile, nine Limerick FC players were in action during last Sunday’s three Inter-League matches, with five of them playing a part in a nine-goal thriller in Waterford. Quinn, O’Halloran and Corey McManus started for the LDSL Under-15s against the Waterford League, while Ray Kelly and Andy Quaid entered from the bench in a 5-4 win. In the Under-12 match against the Clare League at UL, Andrei Haxhiaj and Ger Quaid played a part in a 6-3 success. And in the Under-13 section, Filip Mostowy played the full game while PJ Molloy entered for the final ten minutes as the Limerick selection lost out 4-1 to the Clare League.

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