North Tipp ready for Oscar Traynor return
By Gary Culbert
CLARE & DISTRICT SOCCER LEAGUE
v
NORTH TIPPERARY & DISTRICT LEAGUE
Healy Park, Ennis
Wednesday, 21st October
Kick-off @ 7.30pm
The first North Tipperary & District League (NT&DL) Oscar Traynor squad in over twenty years has been named by manager Henry Newman ahead of their return to the competition this Wednesday.
There has been a lot of change since the last Oscar Traynor representative squad took on Kerry in Rearcross in 2004. Back then there were twelve different clubs represented in the panel, whereas this one sees only five clubs represented.
As expected, Ballymackey and BT Harps dominate the list, with Moneygall, Rearcross and Shinrone also represented.
Encouragingly, the squad is made up almost exclusively of players who choose soccer as their primary sport, and it seems as though an emphasis has been put on technical abilities over raw physical attributes.
Sean Paddy Guerins will be the foundations on which the rest of the NT&DL team is built. Wednesday’s clash with Clare will conclude a busy week for the Templemore man, who claimed his 14th Irish amateur cap last Wednesday before getting married on Friday.
Eamonn White will likely play alongside Guerins at centre half, completing a formidable centre half pairing that could hold its own against any Oscar Traynor side in the country.
Jake Slattery, from Rearcross, will be a surprise inclusion for most readers but the 19-year-old has caught many an eye already this season at full-back.
In midfield, Dean Lawlor and Cathal Delaney will bring immense physicality to the side, while it looks like the league’s most skilful player, Jack O’Brien will be playmaker for the side.
Aidan White is nailed on to lead the line, with his in-form teammate James Kenneally also likely to get the nod. Depending on opponent, the incredible pace of Cian Galvin may be utilised on the wing for the NT&DL side.
The Clare District Soccer League (CDSL) are the NT&DL’s first opponents on their return to Oscar Traynor competition. The NT&DL are an “unknown entity” according to Clare manager Adrian Walsh, who also manages Treaty United under 20 men.
Much like in the Premier County, Clare’s preparation has not been as extensive as was envisaged, with Walsh revealing that they only got together in the last two weeks and that everything was a bit last minute. But despite this, he says that Clare will be out “to win every game” and that they will not take a passive approach.
Understandably, the Avenue United manager did not want to give too much away on a tactics front, and despite insisting that his side don’t have any one star player, he did say to keep an eye out for Tulla 19-year-old Adam Kilcker.
With Clare placing such a high emphasis on youth, it could be the perfect opening game for North Tipp. Walsh maintains that if both sides go out to play football, a very entertaining game could be served up to those in attendance at Frank Healy Park on the outskirts of Ennis with supporters encouraged to make the effort to come out and support this up-and-coming group, who are making history by returning the NT&DL to the Oscar Traynor competition.
NT&DL OSCAR TRAYNOR Squad
Goalkeepers: Julian Bentancourt (Moneygall); Taylor Duffy (Ballymackey); Jordan Moloney (BT Harps).
Defenders: Sean Paddy Guerins (BT Harps); Eamon White (Ballymackey); Jack Kennedy (BT Harps); Jake Slattery (Rearcross); Lyndon Fairbrother (BT Harps); Ben O’Dwyer (Ballymackey); Dylan Hogan (Moneygall).
Midfielders: Jack O’Brien (Moneygall); Cathal Delaney (Ballymackey); Paul Costello (Moneygall); Dean Lawlor (BT Harps); Cian Galvin (Ballymackey); Conor Longe (Moneygall); Colm Maher (Ballymackey).
Forwards: Aidan White (Ballymackey); James Kenneally (Ballymackey); Simon Hayes (Shinrone United); James Deegan (Rearcross); Joe Bourke (BT Harps); Ryan Loughnane (BT Harps).
Management: Henry Newman, Johnny Coleman, Mark Fennell, Sean McCormack, Kuba Beben.