The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Spillane confident ahead of Traynor Trophy campaign
FAI OSCAR TRAYNOR TROPHY 2019/20
AFTER taking a break from the national competition last year Kerry are back in the Oscar Traynor Cup this season and are in Group C with Desmond League, Limerick District League and Clare League.
The top two teams in the group will progress to the knock out stages of the competition. Limerick District League are probably the top seed in the group and should top it and it will be a dog-fight between the three other teams for that second spot
Their opening game takes place at Mounthawk Park next Sunday where they play The Desmond League. Winning home games in this competition is very important and this is a game Kerry should be able to win if they play according to plan.
The manager taking over the reins this year is Brian Spillane, and when it comes to knowledge of the game on and off the field of play there are few better qualified for the job than the Killarney Celtic man. He has steered his club to many major honours as a player and now he is excelling in the world of team management guiding his side to the Premier A title last year.
His assistant is Timmy Lynch, who has given tremendous service to the promotion of soccer in Kerry for the past decade or more. The manager is looking forward to the challenge that the job poses and has got a good squad of players at his disposal who have been training together for the past few weeks.
“I am happy with the squad I have selected and our training in going very well. Our first game against Desmond League is like a cup final as we have to win it to have any hope of reaching the knock out stages of the competition.
“While Killarney Celtic players will be the backbone of the squad there is a good mix of players from clubs all over the county. I told the lads if they came in the gate thinking they will walk on the team they have another thing coming as everyone must earn their place and it will be a squad effort with a good bench essential.”
It should be a close game and Kerry should be good enough to squeeze out a win. In their second game they are away to Clare and that will be a big test as and their final game is at home to Limerick District League.
SQUAD: Roy Kelliher, Wayne Sparling, Adam O’Rourke, Cathal O’Shea, Gary Keane, Kevin O’Sullivan, Matt Keane, Stephen McCarthy, Stephen O’Mahony, Danny Roche (all Killarney Celtic); Stephen Bartlett, Tommy Feehan (Castleisland); Shane Doolan and William Courtney (Killarney Athletic); Ashley Kelliher and Paudie Quinn (Listowel Celtic); James Sugrue (Tralee Dynamos); Tadhg Fleming (MEK Galaxy); Sean Foley (Fenit Samphires); Con Barrett (The Park).
OSCAR TRAYNOR CUP FIXTURES
First Round
Kerry District League v Limerick Desmond League Limerick & District League v Clare League
Second Round
Limerick Desmond League v Limerick & District League
Clare League v Kerry District League
Round 3
Kerry District League v Limerick & District League Limerick Desmond League v Clare League
KEANE JEWELLERS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY
KILLARNEY Celtic have been drawn at home to Waterford side Bohemians in the quarter-final of the Champions League Trophy.
The game will be played on the weekend of November 23/24. The two big guns left in the competition Newmarket Celtic and St Michaels clash in another quarter-final.
QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Doolans Cow (Cork B&S League) v Lismore (WWEC) Newmarket Celtic (Clare) v St Michaels (TSDL) Killarney Celtic (Kerry) v Hibernians (Waterford) Rathkeale (Limerick Desmond) v Dunmanway Town (West Cork)