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Yeah the idea is to have it fully up and running by next season. Ok I understand what you're saying, but our site is intended to promote junior soccer all over Ireland not just in one region. You could post your reports to both to increase readership if you want? I'll leave it with ya, if you change your mind you can always just register on the site and submit when you want.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
Regards,
Derek.
Cheers Derek, I will indeed register. I'm probably done for the season now (half considering doing the Wembley-Carew game tomorrow), but yeah I'll post the first few in both locations next season.
Much appreciated !! + There is a link on our site to this forum so there is a connection between the two.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
Regards,
Derek.
Congratulations to Carew Park Afc on winning the league tonight,well deserved lads
congrats to carew park,best team in limerick this season in the league.,and good for the league to have new winners,might give others the belief to do what carew have done.
Wembley 1 Carew park 6
Carew park afc champions 12/13 take a week to sink in :-D
Wembley 1 Carew Park 6,score line says it all we just couldn't cope with this terrific side the way they pressure the ball and are so deadly in front of goal is a pleasure to see,congratulations to them on their league victory thoroughly deserved.
Congrats to Carew Park! Looked like a really close league title run in. Well done :cool::ball:
And so ends another eventful Limerick DL season. A season in which Carew Park, who finished a distant third last year, were one game away from winning the lot. A season in which Pike Rovers, who many were declaring champions after their victory over Janesboro in August, finished empty handed.
Much has been said already about the former, but not much (if anything at all) has been said publicly about the latter. To me it's patently clear that this year's performance by Pike is a gigantic and inexcusable underachievement, considering both the size of their squad and their ability to attract players.
Tactically this season, they've been consistently questionable. Their insistence on sticking with two out and out strikers in a classic 4-4-2 shape saw them looking predictable in their movement and struggling to break down the better sides. This was particularly evident in the key 1-2 home defeat to Carew in which they dominated possession in the middle of the park through Colbert and Tierney, but were faced with static performances from the two strikers and both wide players.
The squad management was also baffling. Pike packed their squad with at least five out and out number 9s - Barry, Moloney, Okoro, Ryan and Doona. They brought Okoro in halfway through the season, when it was clear that they were far more lacking in other areas of the pitch. Why not bring in a nifty number 10 type to play between the lines? Or strengthen in wide areas? There was also the absence of Conor Kavanagh in front of the defence. This was never resolved. Martin Deady performed there briefly earlier in the season and did well, but in his absence Keith Hartnett was fielded there and was patently not suited to that role in terms of his defensive requirements. Why then bring in the Aisling man considering the plethora of similar players already available to them?
The reaction from the sideline to adversity in games was also poor. The tendency was to switch to a system with three out and out strikers, which often left them vulnerable on the flanks and compromised their chances of getting back into games. This actually happened on one occasion when Pike were AHEAD, in the home game against Boro. The decision to switch led to the equaliser and another two points dropped.
Carew on the other hand showed great acumen from the sideline. The signings of John Boyle and Jonathan Grant in the close season were inspired. With the former playing behind the latter in a 4-4-1-1, with Pa Boyle and Steven Grant behind, they dominated possession in the early season games. Really impressive stuff. Grant being a natural number ten however, was crying out for a channel runner to complement his work, and the signing of John Connery from St. Michaels at the halfway point provided this in spades. The switch to a more 4-4-2ish shape, and the (strange) absence of Steven Grant, meant that Carew were no longer controlling games from a possession perspective as often as before. The increased goal threat compensated for that though. With Grant dropping off and Connery staying on the shoulder and running the channels, defences were given two very different problems to deal with. Compare that to Pike's static shape up top. Carew also had a tendency to get late goals this season. This surely is a sign of the type of character that they have at the club. Remember Jonathan Grant's last minute equaliser against Fairview? Or Brian Ahern's last gasp winner against Regional?
Finally, there was a lot of talk here pre-season about Albert Slattery's personality, about whether he would have the personal discipline to do the job. For me, he always conducted himself professionally, and the decisions he made from the sideline were usually very logical. He also broadly selected a very settled side, particularly at the back. Griffin, Keane, Slattery, Kett.
His influence was undoubtedly one of the key differences between first and second this year.
As for the others, Janesboro struggled massively in the early going. The departure of Mike O'Gorman was a huge loss and he simply wasn't replaced. The signing of Christy Doyle was also a disaster as he and Shane Clarke were not suited to playing together by any means. From September I was calling for Lynch to partner Clarke and it was no surprise to me when they dovetailed brilliantly in the Lawson Cup final to restore some pride to Boro's season.
Fairview were being tipped by all and sundry to go down this season, and considering the average age and size of their squad, you have to hand it to the returning Finnan. They faded badly towards the end of the season but some of their early season performances were highly impressive. They were unlucky not to beat Pike and Carew early on on home soil, pressing high up the pitch and looking extremely organised. The 3-0 away win against Balla in the absence of Scanlon, McGrath and Heffernan was hard to believe.
Geraldines, and particularly their management team O'Donnell and Considine, deserve huge credit, both for the type of football they're trying to inculcate in their club and their final league position. The 4-1-2-3 possession based shape that they are looking to implement is unusual in this league. They undoubtedly lack a few players yet to operate it to an optimal degree, but considering that they're a newly promoted side the end result has to be applauded. Finding someone to play that anchorman position effectively is key for them. Steven Grant maybe?
Unfortunately, I didn't see enough of the other sides to really comment on their season. Thanks to everyone involved in Limerick DL football for the entertainment you've provided me with this year. Congratulations also to Carew and Janesboro on clinching the Limerick trophies. Further afield, congrats go to Pike for clinching the Munster Junior. And credit to a Balla side with a lot of young up and coming talent for pushing them all the way in the last 4. Here's to another fantastic year in 2013/14.
umm you were right there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Minesapint
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red devil
Carew park afc champions
Excellent review of the season Alan. It does look like pike are going through a phase where they will have to rebuild. Barry and Moloney are well into their 30's, colm enright will have to be replaced soon. The three Kilmallock signings not up to pikes usual standard neither was okora.
Carew won the league on
Merit but there has been better teams the last few seasons that have finished runners up to superior pike sides namely janesboro last year and Fairview the year they won FAI. Congrats to Carew on their season and if they can bring in 3 or 4 and HOLD what they have they will be a force for the coming seasons.
Alan you have watched a good few games throughout the season, who in your opinion is the top player in the league
I'll only comment on who I think was the top player this season, and in my opinion that was Jonathan Grant. He performed consistently in the key games, both as a 9 in the first half the season, and as a 10 off John Connery in the second half.
No other player made a bigger difference to Carew between this year and last. Exactly the type of player that Pike Rovers were lacking.
Congrats Carew
That is a great report of the season(as usual alanob),from one of the first friendly games of the season against st.michaels Albert has tried to play football,we played Michaels and Drew 3 all and after the game there manager told us that it was one of the best teams they played in along time.the football we played that night was unbelievable..Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
I no grant and Connery scored nearly 80 goals between them but one of the best decisions Albert made was making mark Keane captain.not for one minute did he let players attitude and standards drop all season.he has been an inspirational captain both on and off the field this year.I was never so gutted for any player than I was for mark because of a holiday he had booked meant he missed out on last nights game and lifting the league trophy.all an all it was a brilliant season and hopefully we can have many more like it. I would just like to say that to win this league you nearly have to win every game because that is the standard pike rovers have brought to this league over the last number of years.
Pike had him signed but never played him when it mattered,pikes long ball style was obviously not going to change to accommodate him,fine player grant.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
Finished empty handed??You do know they won the mj and munster champions cup dont you.and with a bit of luck could have won the fai.your constant bashing of the pike management obviously tells me you know nothing bout football.their record speaks for itself.6 out of the last 7 leagues.fai junior cup.2 mjs.lost count of tuohys and lawsons.so you just keep posting your biased opinion and we'll keep laughing and winning trophies.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
- I'm quite aware that Pike won the Munster Junior. I attended the game. I also mentioned it in the above post and congratulated them. Try reading it all next time.
- This season review focused on the Limerick DL season i.e. the Premier, the Tuohy, the Lawson, none of which Pike Rovers clinched this year. They failed in three attempts to beat Carew, losing two.
- As for claiming that you could have won the FAI "with a bit of luck", that's simply ridiculous. You huffed and puffed against 10 man Ballymun and were comprehensively outplayed by Kilbarrack in the semi final. If anyone was unlucky it was Carew. They had the better of their semi against the eventual winners.
- This year, I have been stressing in my reports, from early on, my contention that the Pike management were handling the resources at their disposal poorly. This is not a biased opinion. This is what I observed from closely following the action over a large number of games. And now at the end of the season I feel completely and utterly vindicated.
- Mentioning historical victories is irrelevant to this discussion and frankly quite embarrassing. Are you going to go on about Spurs' 60/61 Double too?
- I'll leave it up to others to decide how much I know about football. But the fact is, I've been listening to your abuse all season, simply for giving my view. If anyone is biased, it's yourself. No-one can be critical of Pike, no matter how valid the criticism, without you rolling in here to shout the odds. The game could do without people like you. We need more people involved in the game who actually think about it.
- Finally, keep laughing. I'll keep writing. Can't wait for the next season.
Haha if nothing your hilarious.you keep writing your playstation views.and by the way what way are you involved in the game by the way.dont ever recall crossing paths with you.??the pike management have won everthing that has to be won and for you to say they have mismanaged is comical.when YOU have played 30 odd times for your country and won every major honour as a player and manager then people who know about football might lister to your balderdash.over and out.Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanOB
Like I said, past achievements, particularly as a player, are utterly irrelevant.
We'll leave it up to others to decide how "comical" my comments are.
I'm safe in the knowledge that I've been consistent in my criticisms all season and that those criticisms have been vindicated.
That's the beauty of football. Having the greatest resources at your disposal might sometimes mean success but doesn't guarantee it. Eventually, cannier managers with less resources to play with, will prevail.
Your man was found out this season. Comprehensively so. And if the new man turns it around next season, I'll be the very first to say it.