Division 2 finalists both seeking the first senior silverware
DENNY DIVISION 2 FINAL
Annascaul/Inch United v Castlemaine United B
Friday June 30
At Mounthawk Park at 7.30pm
IT has been a long season for teams participating in this division having to play 22 games and they all completed their schedule admirably which is a credit to all the clubs involved.
Annascaul/Inch had been in the driving seat for a while and qualified easily for the final.
Meanwhile, Castlemaine had to slog it out with a few other clubs and edged their noses in front in the final game of the season.
Annascaul/Inch are a strong side who are used to winning games and they will go into this encounter with a lot of confidence.
They lost just two games and drew two over the entire season while Castlemaine lost just three and drew four.
However, Castlemaine showed they could rise to the challenge in those final few games and got the results they required under a lot of pressure as Ballybunion FC were breathing down their necks.
Annascaul/Inch will probably go into the game as favourites as they have a formidable panel of players who have displayed consistant form all season.
However Castlemaine will have nothing to fear going into the game as they are on a great winning sequence and morale in the team is very high.
They have got to 2 finals in recent years but went down in both of them.
They lost 4-1 to Killarney Celtic in the Reserve Cup while they went down 4-3 to Na Fianna in the Tommy Healy Cup final.
The only title Castlemaine have ever won is the Under-16 Division 1 title back in 2013 and it is Annancaul/Inch’s first year in the KDL but a lot of their panel have played previously with other West Kerry clubs.
Annascaul/Inch have an excellent goalkeeper in Tommy Pierce and have great defensive players in Brian Kennedy, Noel Flahive, John Bowler Sam Moriarty, Sean O’Connor, and Adam Newstead. Their midfield is also strong with Timmy Smith the playmaker and his has great assistants in James Sayers, Paul Whelehan, Aidan Cox, Shane Foley, Paddy Daly, Alan Falvey, Jack O’Connor and Kieran O’Connor.
They are also very strong up front with high calibre attackers in Jerry Foley, Greg Ashe, Eoghan O’Donnell and Danny O’Shea. They will be without the very influential Eamonn Hickson due to injury.
There are no weak links in the Castlemaine squad either with Daniel Ashe, Kieran O’Carroll, Stephen O’Carroll and Sean Brosnan rock solid at the back. Morgan McCarthy, Wayne Coffey, Mark Wren, Daniel O’Connor, Dara O’Connor, always put in a good shift at midfield while Cathal Moriarty Seamus O’Dowd, and Daniel Cronin makes a habit of scoring crucial goals.
Others who will be vying for a place in the team include Ronan Casey, Cian Flynn, Mikey Quinn, Darren Griffin, James Powell, Ciaran O’Connor, James O’Shea, Shane Prendiville and Luke Doran.
It should be a really tight game that could go either way and a replay is a distinct possibility.
FIXTURES
THURSDAY, JUNE 29 Denny U-17 League Final
7-30 Listowel Celtic v Killarney Celtic in Mounthawk Park
Tommy Healy Memorial Cup quarter-final
7-30 Strand Road v Killarney Athletic B in Mounthawk Park
FRIDAY, JUNE 30
Denny Premier A League Final Replay
(extra-time and penalties if needed) 7-30 Killarney Athletic v Killarney Celtic in Mounthawk Park
Denny Divison 2 League Final
7-30 Annascaul Inch United v Castlemaine United B in Mounthawk Park
Dominos Pizza Reserve Cup quarter-fnal
7-30 QPR v Classic FC in Kilbrean Park
Tommy Healy Memorial Cup quarter-final
7-30 Abhainn Li v Sporting Listowel in Mounthawk Park
SATURDAY, JULY 1 Denny Youth League Final
7-00 Listowel Celtic v Killarney Celtic in Mounthawk Park
SUNDAY, JULY 2
SSE Airtricity U-17 League
2-00 Kerry v Cork City in Mounthawk Park
Denny Divison 1A League Final
11-30 Mitchels Avenue v Tralee Celtic in Mounthawk Park
RESULTS SSE Airtricity U-17 League
Bray Wanderers 3-2 Kerry
Denny Premmier A League Final
Killarney Athletic 0-0 Killarney Celtic
Dominos Pizza Reserve Cup Second Round Replay
QPR 1-0 Abhainn Li
Dominos Pizza Reserve Cup quarter-finals
AC Athletic 0-4 Castleisland B Sporting Listowel 3-5 Mitchels Avenue Camp United 2-0 Tralee Celtic
Tommy Healy Memorial Cup Second Round
Castlemaine United 2-1 Ballyheigue Athletic A
Tommy Healy Memorial Cup Third Round
Abhainn Li 2-0 Windmill United Ballyheigue Athletic B 3-4 Killarney Athletic B
Tommy Healy Memorial Cup quarter-final
Mitchels Avenue 2-1 CS Clochain Breannainn
Denny U-17 League
Listowel Celtic 2-0 Killorglin Castleisland AFC 1-1 Killarney Athletic