Quay lift the Clancy Cup
Still look the best equipped of the local teams and will start as favourites to defend their title.
Sean Maguire will oversee from the sideline with Tiarnan Mulvenna now able to influence affairs on the field and strengthen the team in attack.
Stephen Woods and especially Anton Webb have been finding the net regularly in the Dundalk Summer League, and will give the champions more attacking power.
Michael Cooney’s return to the fold is also a further boost. He was the team’s regular goalkeeper before he moved to Australia, and also was the number one choice for the league’s representative side.
Sean Maguire is forthright: ‘Our target is to win the league.’
All they were short on last season was a trophy to adorn a highly successful campaign.
How they fare this season depends on how new boss Wayne Conroy and the new players he has brought in with him can adapt to their new surroundings.
Conroy guided Rangers from the fourth to the first division, picking up the accolade of “Team of the Year” along the way when the Leinster Junior Shield was bagged the season before last.
He has taken an impressive backroom team with him, including Davey Flynn who was an integral part of Rangers success and before that Woodview, along with the Peninsula’s club most famous goalkeeper Tommy Tasker and another no mean goalkeeper Jason McConville with notably Muirhevnamor. The latter is to take on a coaching role.
Barry Carr, who had a previous spell at the club, formed with TJ Murtagh one of the most prolific striking partnerships in the league at Rangers.
They have moved with Gavin Gaffey to Flynn Park, and Gavin Donnelly has rejoined the club. Unfortunately James Renaghan one of the team’s most impressive players last season, is not available, but the like of Keith Finnegan, Declan Sharkey, Ray Finnegan, Daniel O’Connor, Shane Finnegan and Daragh Laverty are in due course expected to rejoin the ranks.
Quay’s form tailed off badly after challenging strongly at the top end of the table until after Christmas. Then they were lucky to escape relegation, but finished last season on a high by winning the Kilmessan Shield.
New player management duo Martin Smith and John Rogers have most of last year’s panel at their disposal, with the exception of Sean Hande who is due to rejoin Newry, and the vastly experienced Johnny Winters, who has stepped down grades and signed for Bay.
These have been balanced by two new signings in Aaron Comerford, a striker, who has turned out for Crumlin United and Drogheda Town, and Shaun O’Connor, a forceful right sided player from Rangers, who has figured prominently with Quay in the Summer League.
The duo plan to make a couple more additions.
The Seasiders with their glory years behind them lost their place in the top flight last season and are on a rebuilding mission.
Central to it is their young players, several of whom gained a chance last season and prospered in a very trying campaign. The likes of Jack Reid , Brendan Rogers and Phelim Joyce along with members of their under -17 squad that won the Dundalk Schoolboys League title are players with which the club are looking to build their future.
Long-serving strikers David Ward and Derek Delany are there to lend a guiding hand to them and provide the team with vital experience. Goalkeeper Paul Scanlon, who came out of retirement to perform so well last term, will also assist when he can.
The club are to sign a young goalkeeper, and could be boosted by the return of the talented brothers Fergal and Conor McDonald who spent time with Dundalk, with the latter making the first team squad at Oriel Park.
Robert Cosgrove is to concentrate on a coaching role after serving as manager last season.
He says that there are encouraging signs from the young players in pre-season and is looking forward to working with them. Meanwhile, the club search for a replacement manager.
The newcomers will compete in Division 2 which could stretch their capability, but that is what manager Stephen Fisher wishes. He thinks: ‘We will give a good account of ourselves and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
‘Our dream is to be in the first division next season, but the reality hopefully is that we will be in Division 2.’
His panel will comprise a mix of experience, provided by the like of Anto Reilly, a member of the highly successful Woodview squad, the powerful Woichech Gladyz and Anto McLaughlin, and youth drawn from the club’s under-17 squad.
McLaughlin was one of a number of the highly successful Rangers team that has quit the league, and opted to join the newcomers.
Bay have made a raft of new signings to boost their panel and prospects of moving up another grade from the third division.
The club in their debut season won promotion as champions from the fourth division, and challenged strongly for promotion again last season.
The very experienced Jonathan Winters heads the list of arrivals which includes striker Ryan Dillon from Ardee, Gavin Toner, who played with Quay in the Dundalk Summer League, Dino Stimac from Glenmuir and Derek McCabe from Bellurgan.
Others without attachments who have signed are Ryan Markey, Adam Larrigan, Nikola Jurkovic and Jadran Stimac.
Only two have left from last year, Anto Webb who is with champions Muirhevnamor, who he has played with in the Dundalk Summer, and Steven McGuinness has moved to Redeemer.
Damien Bellew continues as manager, while Robert Rafferty has joined the committee and backroom team comprised of Kevin Scollon and Peter Sweeney.
Made a return to the league after a seven-year absence last season and competed well in Division 4.
They just missed out on promotion but have been upgraded, one of three Dundalk teams who now are in the third division.
Young management team duo of Kevin McArdle and Pat Crilly, products of the club’s youth system, were entrusted with bringing through the club’s young talent from schoolboy football, blending them with older players who had previous playing experience with the club.
They are to continue with the task, but have been dealt a big double blow being deprived of two of their prominent players last season.
Conor Nicholson has been involved with the successful Louth Minor team and is set to join Newry City under-20s, while Lorcan Doyle can’t play due to work on a Friday night, when the team plays many of their games.
Kevin says two of last year’s under-17 squad, Jamie Doherty and Tolani, have impressed in pre-season.
Kingpins not so long ago. Resurrected last season after a short period out of the league and suffered relegation. Had a harrowing time in the first division, and the aim is ‘to get promoted and back up again into the division,’ said manager Conor Macken.
Brother Gavin is to help him with the managerial duties, leaving him he can ‘concentrate more on playing’, he says.
Ten players have left, and he has taken in proven players in Ray McCann (Muirhevnamor) and Stephen Fisher (Quay) who have won the Premier league with the club.
He has also added Robbie Farrell who formerly was with Rock Celtic, and Dean Hoey a member of the Irish Defence Forces team, who turned out for Muirhevnamor.
‘With the standard of player we have taken in I think we can aim for promotion and to win the second division and get back up into the first,’ assessed Conor.
The Quay club have entered a second team to give an opportunity to players who have drifted away from the game after their schoolboy days ended to resume playing.
Manager Gerry Cooney explained: ‘Most haven’t played in three or four years. They are in the 18 to 23 age bracket, with some who played for local Schoolboy Representative Teams and a number who were with Dundalk Youths and others who played in Dublin when younger.
‘We are trying to get a lot of young lads who came up through the schoolboy ranks in the last ten years and are not playing back involved in football. We are not confining it to ex club players.’
Gerry is to be assisted in running the team by Barney Connolly. QUAY Celtic repeated their win five nights earlier over Fane FC to lift the Clancy Cup when they booked a date with the holders in the final of the McConville Cup, running out clear 5-2 winners on Friday night at Clancy Park.
It took them until the final quarter to wrap up victory, but they could as easily have secured their passage to the decider by the break, but poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping by Kyle Murphy kept Fane in the game.
The winners turned over with a slender 2-1 advantage after opening a two-goal lead with goals by Paddy Connor and Mario Kolak. Shane O’Sullivan netted for Fane.
Vinny Smith stretched their lead, only for Woicheck Gladyz to reduce the deficit to the minimum again.
However, Que Olula scored a delightful individual goal, dribbling past two opponents in the penalty box and rounded Murphy to tap the ball into the empty net, and then his parried shot was rammed home by defender Brian McCloskey.
Like in the teams’ league encounter earlier in the season, three players were sent off as the holders and Shamrocks met in the other semi-final of the McConville Cup on Thursday night at the same venue.
It also produced the exact same result – a 3-2 win for Muirhevnamor who are now warm favourites to complete an 11th straight success in the knockout competition.
The tussle in the later stages regretfully bore an ill natured resemblance to the league match, with all three dismissals coming in the closing quarter.
All were issued to Shamrocks players, differing from the league match when they had one player red-carded and two were dismissed on the Muirhevnamor side.
The Fatima outfit trailed by the final dividing margin when key performer Owen Armstrong was shown the line, and minutes later John Smith followed him, severely handicapping their cause to try and salvage the tie.
A sorry night for them ended when they were reduced to eight men before the final whistle.
They had fought back from falling behind after four minutes when Stephen Woods scored. Two goals within three minutes by Derek Rogers and Dean Browne put them ahead short of the half hour.
However, Mickey O’Kane struck twice in the 44th and 45th minute to regain the lead for Muirhevnamor and that’s how it remained until the final whistle.
Results
Rampart 2 (Azeez Ogunfuwora, Saheed Ogunfuwora) Fane 3 (Gerald Collins, Sean Bailey, Peter Begley); Quay 5 (Jimmy Byrne 2, Que Olula 2, Vinny Smith) Doolargy 2 (Aaron Grimes, Joey Doherty) aet; Muirhevnamor wo Washestown scr; Shamrocks wo Setanta scr.. Semi-finals, Muirhevnamor 3 (Mickey O’Kane 2, Stephen Woods) Shamrocks. 2 (Derek Rogers, Dean Brown); Quay 5 (Paddy Connor, Mario Kolak, Vinny Smith Que Olula, Brian McCloskey) Fane 2 (Shane O’Sullivan).
Fixtures
Tonight (Tues), Rampart Celtic v Shamrocks. Wednesday, Walshestown v Setanta. Thursday, Fane Fc v Muirhevnamor; Shamrocks FC v Doolargy All Stars.
Monday, Setanta FC v Quay.
(all games kick off at 7pm)