From eleven-a-side.com website..
Champions dominate First Division selection
Sligo Rovers, the eircom League First Division champions in 2005, dominate the eleven-a-side.com First Division Team of the Year selection, with six Bit O’Red stars making it onto our end-of-year XI.
Rovers’ defence was regarded as the principal reason for their success in 2005 – Sean Connor’s side conceded just 27 goals in their 36 league games this year, seven fewer than the next stingiest rearguard.
Their close-season acquisition of goalkeeper John O’Hara from the American college scene was arguably the shrewdest of several shrewd pieces of business conducted by Connor.
The Mayo native quickly established himself as first-choice at the Showgrounds, and his performances throughout the year betrayed his undoubted class, with O’Hara’s ability to organise his defence only beaten by his shot-stopping capabilities.
In front of him, two of the back four are Sligo players, with the versatile Raffael Cretaro selected at right back and pre-season signing Liam Burns, brought in from Port Vale last winter, named at the centre of defence.
Cretaro’s energy and commitment, in a range of positions, have made him a long-time favourite of Rovers supporters, and 2005 was arguably his best season for the club, while former Northern Ireland under-21 international Burns added strength and solidity to the back four.
Kupono Low, who played much of the season at left back, is slotted in on the left side of midfield in our selection, while Sligo skipper Michael McNamara could easily have made it a back five clean sweep for Rovers, but Kilkenny City’s Aidan Price had to be included after an exceptional first season in senior soccer.
Former Cherry Orchard man Price captained the Buckley Park side from bottom-of-the-table no-hopers to promotion contenders.
Manager Pat Scully left Kilkenny to take over at Shamrock Rovers at the end of the season, and wasted no time about raiding his former club for the young defender, and immediately installing him as captain at the fallen Dublin giants.
The defensive unit is completed by Dublin City left full Robbie Hedderman. Hedderman is well-travelled, having had spells at Aberdeen, St Patrick's Athletic, Cork City and Derry, as well as a loan stint at Sligo, but at 23, remains one for the future for the Vikings after a highly-promising season.
Central midfield is the domain of champions Sligo, in our selection at least.
Conor O’Grady, formerly of Cork City and Derry City, brought proven Premier Division class to the central zone after returning to his hometown club, while he had a perfect foil in Bosnian star Faz Kuduzovic, plucked from the Notts County reserves by the astute Connor.
Rovers also fill the left side of midfield spot, with Kupono Low selected there despite playing at left back for much of the campaign.
Low offered both defensive fortitude and attacking flair from left back, and scored some vitally important goals for Sligo, with his dead-ball ability a key component in their armoury. The Hawaiian native, who joined the Bit O’Red from American side Syracuse Salty Dogs, has returned to the United States, and he will be missed.
On the other side of the midfield unit, Dublin City are represented by David Freeman.
Freeman, signed from Drogheda United early in the season, struck nine league goals, many of which came when he was fielded on the right of midfield – he started his career as a striker with Nottingham Forest, but he is adept at getting into goalscoring positions from a wide midfield role.
The 26-year-old opened his account on his Vikings debut in July, and never looked back thereafter.
There was no disputing the top marksman in the First Division in 2005 – Cobh Ramblers star Kieran O’Reilly was clear at the top of the scorers’ charts with 17 league goals.
He would surely have broken the 20-goal barrier but for a four-week lay-off with a shoulder injury, and his absence was sorely felt by the Cork side who just missed out on a promotion place.
He is joined up front by Dublin City front man Robbie Collins, who made a mockery of Roddy Collins’s decision to dump him a year previously by becoming the Vikings’ top scorer in 2005.
Collins had been offloaded to Monaghan United by his namesake in 2004, but was snapped by Dermot Keely in the close-season and scored 11 league goals, including the crucial promotion/relegation play-off second leg strike against Shamrock Rovers which assured the Vikings of Premier Division football next season.
Among the unlucky losers were Kilkenny City duo Tadgh Purcell and Philip Sheppard, Sligo captain Michael McNamara and striker Paul McTiernan, Dublin City quartet Alan Keely, Ben Whelehan, Alan Kelly and David McGill and Monaghan United defender Keith Foy, who has since been snapped up by eagle-eyed Sligo boss Sean Connor.
Galway United star Barry Moran was in contention for the outright scorers’ honours with 11 goals before breaking his leg in September, while Dundalk striker Ger McCarthy helped himself to 12 goals, enough to see the former St Patrick's Athletic and Shelbourne man complete a return move to the Premier Division with newly-promoted Dublin City.
eleven-a-side.com First Division Team of the Year 2005:
1. John O’Hara (Sligo Rovers)
2. Raffael Cretaro (Sligo Rovers)
3. Robbie Hedderman (Dublin City)
4. Aidan Price (Kilkenny City)
5. Liam Burns (Sligo Rovers)
6. Conor O’Grady (Sligo Rovers)
7. Faz Kuduzovic (Sligo Rovers)
8. David Freeman (Dublin City)
9. Kieran O’Reilly (Cobh Ramblers)
10. Robbie Collins (Dublin City)
11. Kupono Low (Sligo Rovers)
