Cork AUL 2006/07

**Innishvilla** · 25/04/2007, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Shilts

AOH Cup 2007 Semi-Final Draw
Leeside v Kinsale
Grattan Utd v Coachford

I think that they're both on next tuesday. I don't know the venues. 2 cracking games ahead if their recent league games are anything to go by. What money on a repeat of last years final Leeside - Coachford?

Grattan v Coachford; O'Neill Park; Gene Stephens
Leeside v Kinsale; Little Island; Pat Murphy

Both games on Tuesday 1st May 6.45pm

It is a pity that the semi's are on a day that there seems to be a pretty full AUL fixture list because the Leeside v Kinsale is a mouthwatering encounter and as said above Coachford drew 2:2 with Grattan recently...
I fancy a Grattan v Kinsale final, as leeside have had a string of very tough games recently...
Kinsale travel to Macroom on Saturday before game and I guess Leeside and Grattan will have some players on the AUL team v Dublin on the Sunday. Do Coachford have any players on AUL side?

**littleman** · 26/04/2007, 12:06 PM

Grattan V Coachford.............Grattan win,with a few goals to spare plus a few reds.

The recent league game finished 2 apeice and was a dire affair.Coachford came to do two jobs,scrap for every ball and kick the living daylights out of Grattan.They took and early lead against Grattan,doubled it and when Grattans manager got them to half time 2/1 down he let fly and sorted out his ship.Grattan were gifted a somewhat soft peno to level things but then missed 3 gilt edge chances and then nearly gifted Coachford a winner.Terrible Grattan turned up for that game.One thing about the semi that will play a major part is having linesmen.Some of the off the ball stuff that Coachford got up to was a disgrace,expect the Gratts to put Coachford to the sword.The only thing that could go against the Gratts is if the players they have on AUL duty pick up injuries.

Leeside V Kinsale................kinsale win in a tight game.

Kinsale beat Leeside 1/0 recently and you would have to fancy Kinsale this time around again.Kinsale have the experience to get them through plus the physcial edge that Leeside dont have.Derek Delea has been one of the best strikers in the Aul over the last 3 or 4 years but if Leeside are using him in midfield and they hav'nt been bangin goals in, something is'nt right.The other Derek,Varian (Kinsale)that is looks a class act and if he can run at leeside like he was allowed to do in the first half against Maymount then i fancy Leesides lumbering backline to conceed a peno.Kinsale might not be the force they were but they are still a hell of a lot better than most of the Prem.As with the other semi the AUL players Leeside have on duty could prove their downfall.

Thoughts anyone ??????????????//

**KrocBoy** · 27/04/2007, 1:31 PM

I argree can't see Coachford causing an upset and I think Kinsale will get the better of Leeside but that game should be very close might even be decided by penos.

With the Cork AUL playin Sunday it doesn't give the Grattan and Leeside players on that team much time to recover. Why didn't the AUL play these games on a Wednesday night, it would give the players more time to recover and would allow more people to go watch these games, der is alot of fixtures bein played on next tuesday and its a pity cause these should be 2 cracking games.

And is Grattans Jp o sullivan playin for the irish team saturday in dublin then then for the Cork AUL sunday and again for his club tuesday!! I'm sure Grattan will not be happy with this, 3 games in 4 days is excessive by any standards.

And why are the semi finals not bein played in a neutral venue, thought that this was the norm with the AOH, its a big advantage to grattan and leeside to be playin the semi's on their on turf. If the AUL were struggling to find venues for these games they could have just played the Grattan V Coachford game at Leesides pitch and the Kinsale V Leeside game at Coachfords pitch. Both pitches are good enough for important games like AOH semi finals.

Sorry for rantin on but i feel better for it now.

**Innishvilla** · 27/04/2007, 6:03 PM

Originally Posted by KrocBoy

And is Grattans Jp o sullivan playin for the irish team saturday in dublin then then for the Cork AUL sunday and again for his club tuesday!! I'm sure Grattan will not be happy with this, 3 games in 4 days is excessive by any standards.

Well it seems the AUL don't really give a damn about teams/players welfare. I know the winter caused some cancellations but our current fixture schedule is a joke. Game last night (Thursday), game Sunday, game Tuesday, game Thursday and then another game on Sunday; that's 5 games in 10/11 days. It is a bit much for a small junior team to play that kind of schedule!

**littleman** · 27/04/2007, 6:20 PM

Look lads,the fixture pile up is bad but you cant blame the AUL for once.Every team has been caught up in this and none of us wants to be playin games in June lookin at pre season a few weeks later.Grattan have 12 league games to play in about 6 weeks and every time the AUL have a game half their team is called up and they have no game,along with Leeside,Togher and a few others.Those clubs could pull out their players but they would then probably be suspended by the AUL.Its the FAI decided to play the Oscar Tryanor on Sunday (theirs 9 Dublin AUL players on the Irish squad by the way) knowin a lot of the players involved had to play a big game on Tuesday,do you honestly think they care about the AOH cup.

The MJC and the FAI,were the ones that threw a spanner in the works with regards to the use of the cross for the semis.The first team out playin at home was because thats how they ran with the previous semi finals this year in the rest of the cups and if they changed it especially for the AOH surely the teams who lost their semis would have a grumble.

JP'O Sullivan plays for his country on Saturday,his county on Sun and the semi of the AOH on Tue.Thats the price he and Grattan pay for success.Grattan have 5 players on AUL duty sunday,Coachford will have a tough league game on Saturday.They also they have a player on AUL duty. Grattan will have the upper hand because the majority of their players will have had a week off.JP will be on a high if he scores on Saturday against Scotland,god help the Dubs (Sunday)and Coachford (Tuesday) goin on his current form.

**Innishvilla** · 30/04/2007, 10:46 AM

I do understand your point regarding the winter and cancelled fixtures. I know alot of the things going on are outside the AUL's control, International, Oscar T cup etc...
But we have been rushed to play 5 games in a little over a week. We will be finished our season next Sunday while other teams in our division will have 4 or 5 games left to play...
Now that I've that off my chest I will say that the running of AUL is improving in the last few years and the overall standard throughout all the leagues has increased dramatically.

**rebelrover** · 01/05/2007, 12:52 PM

Alright lads,

in fairness ye all seem fairly tuned into things in the Prem Div. Just wanted to add my bit to the Leeside debate.........

Ye are right about Dulea, himself and Craig Donnelly (former Golden Boot winner) are being asked to play in midfied. I think it fair to say Donnelly is far better off up front, he's not a midfielder. As for Dulea, good player, but at the moment he's playing the holding role in Central Midfield, again he's far better off going forward, being the link man between attack and midfield.

Unfortunately the reason they are being played in midfield is because the manager (Eddie O Rourke) insists on playing his son Trevor up front. He's a nice lad Trevor and he's honest and hard-working, its not his fault, but in reality he wouldnt cut it in AUL3B, never mind Prem.

Even though they are a happy camp right now, and the training under the new coach (Eddie O Rourke's other son Paul) has been good, the feeling down there is that the manager's favouritism could derail their title/cup ambitions. The team have a very solid defence, and 4 good midfield players, but the balance of the team isnt right and if the manager doesnt bite the bullet and play his best side, then id be surprised if the players can battle on against the odds for the whole season.

**littleman** · 02/05/2007, 6:33 AM

A total shock for the Gratts.They were gutted at the final whistle because they thought this was their year and in truth this was probably their best chance and blew it.Coachford in all fairness did their job to a tee.They stoped Grattan from playin ball and were faster and more physcial in every area of the pitch.

They never let Grattan settle and for the most part were very happy to soak up Grattan pressure and attack on the break or from set peices.To be very honest this was a brutal game.No football played of any note.The ball spent more time in the air or in the ditch than on the ground.The referee did'nt help,he was like an off his face 16 year old at a rave the way he blew the whistle so much.The thing is that for all his blowin and the hard challanges that were flyin in I think their was only 2 bookins.Grattan had so much of the ball and did nothin with it that you could actually sense Coachford were goin to score.Grattan gave away stuipid pointless frees time after time.The only player who played well for Grattan was Shenkwin at center half,he played Coachford at their own game and took no prisioners.The goal came 5 mins from the end,another stuipid free by Grattan,a good cross and it looked like a combination of defender and Coachford player headin the ball at the same time,ball in the net and Coachford 1 up.Grattans lack of confidence was summed up in the last seconds of the game when they were awarded a free just outside the box slightly right of the right hand post.John Paul O'Sullivan,International,AUL striker and probably the best striker in the AUL for a fair few years had a look and swung his foot at it,,,,,,,,,,,and crossed it,why oh why instead of goin for goal only he will every know.If you cant raise you game for the semi of the AOH you dont deserve to be in the final,you only get out what you put in,Coachford put it in and the Gratts did'nt,fair result.

Congratulations to Coachford on reachin the final,but I must admit i feel sorry for the Gratts.Every game they have lost this season has been a massive one.The Mossie Linnane semi,the AOH semi,the last 16 of the MJC,and worst of all the Quater finals of the FAI.For a team to take those 4 defeats and try to push on to win the premier,i honestly dont know if they could recover from last nights defeat.That is a terrible pity as they have without doubt been the best junior club in Cork all season and the Cross would have been a better place this season if they had of grace its hallowed turf.

**Innishvilla** · 02/05/2007, 8:41 AM

Originally Posted by Shilts

AOH Cup 2007 Semi-Final Draw
Leeside v Kinsale
Grattan Utd v Coachford

I think that they're both on next tuesday. I don't know the venues. 2 cracking games ahead if their recent league games are anything to go by. What money on a repeat of last years final Leeside - Coachford?

Shilts looks like you'd have made some money...
Leeside beat Kinsale 2:1 so final is a repeat of last year!!!

**Innishvilla** · 08/05/2007, 2:42 PM

Looks like it is a chance for someone to top Kinsale this year...
Another draw 2:2 against Glenthorn.
Great opportunity for Leeside or Grattan, but still an awful long way to go yet.

**KrocBoy** · 09/05/2007, 4:12 PM

Originally Posted by Innishvilla

Looks like it is a chance for someone to top Kinsale this year...
Another draw 2:2 against Glenthorn.
Great opportunity for Leeside or Grattan, but still an awful long way to go yet.

__________P___W__D___L____Pts
Park Utd___15__10__0___5____30
Kinsale____11___7__4___0____25
Grattan____8___7___1___0____22
Maymount _15__5___6__4_____21
Leeside____8___6___1__1_____19
Glenthorn__17__4___2__11____14
Villa_______12__4___2__6_____14
Togher_____15__4___1__10____13
Macroom___13__3___2__8_____11
Coachford__14__2___5__7_____11

It's not lookin good for Kinsale alright, dats 4 draws on the trot.
Big game for them this sat at home to Grattan, if they lose then dats them out of the title race.

**littleman** · 09/05/2007, 6:29 PM

I'd agree with you their kroc,Kinsale have to beat Grattan to have any hope.If Grattan get out of their with a draw it would still be a good point and a point for Kinsale would be a killer blow for them considerin they still have to come up to O'Neill park.Grattans next 3 games are against Kinsale away,Macroom and Park up in O'Neill park,both midweek fixtures.7 points from those 3 games puts them 1 point behind Park with half a dozen games in hand,but thats a big if

**qwertyui** · 10/05/2007, 10:16 PM

Kinsale have thrown it away. Grattan can lose both games to them i think and still win the league. Drawn four in a row? Not good enuf i'm afraid. Leeside will be concentrating on the AOH i'd say but still have to play Grattan twice i think? Theres still a chance for all three but its got to be Grattan-1, Leeside-2, Kinsale-3. JP o'sull to show the posh folk down south what a decent player looks like on sat...

**littleman** · 14/05/2007, 7:07 AM

This result should kill off Kinsale and leave it between Leeside and Grattan for the league.Kinsale at home, i expected to be physcial but still try to play ball.Did'nt happen.The amount of frees they gave away was unbeliveable.A pale shadow of the team that has won the league for the last 4 seasons. The pitch looked great but was brutal to play on, i'd say the rabbits in Kinsale are huge from the size of the holes they left on the pitch..Kinsale were poor,i expected this to be a cracker but was dissapointed.Bar Varian up front for Kinsale they never really created anything and i mean nothin.The goal came against the run of play,Kinsale got a free just outside the box,shot looked tame and Grattans keeper seemed to catch it and then drop it into the net under no pressure.Then it was all Grattan again.John Paul O'Sullivan ran Kinsale ragged and to be fair the Kinsale keeper Quim,made 3 or 4 terrific saves before Grattan scored.Goldsmith with the header from one of Grattans 12 corners in the second half alone.

Grattan should have won it but with Kinsale down to 10 men for the last 20 they defended with the 10 and only broke on the counter once in a while.Funny thing when the game was nil/nil their were about ten match balls between the 2 teams.Kinsale scored and they suddenly had none,and everytime Grattan through a ball in Kinsale said it was soft and when Grattan scored Kinsales matchballs resurfaced again.Referee was ok but Kinsale were over physcial (which is a nice way of sayin they late for basically every tackle) and should have come down a bit harder on them ,might have helped the game flow.Kinsale lost a man for kickin a player after the ball was gone and had their ex manager thrown out of the ground for stopin a Grattan player takin a quick throw so that sums up their effort on the day.

**qwertyui** · 14/05/2007, 8:57 PM

Originally Posted by littleman

This result should kill off Kinsale and leave it between Leeside and Grattan for the league.Kinsale at home, i expected to be physcial but still try to play ball.Did'nt happen.The amount of frees they gave away was unbeliveable.A pale shadow of the team that has won the league for the last 4 seasons. The pitch looked great but was brutal to play on, i'd say the rabbits in Kinsale are huge from the size of the holes they left on the pitch..Kinsale were poor,i expected this to be a cracker but was dissapointed.Bar Varian up front for Kinsale they never really created anything and i mean nothin.The goal came against the run of play,Kinsale got a free just outside the box,shot looked tame and Grattans keeper seemed to catch it and then drop it into the net under no pressure.Then it was all Grattan again.John Paul O'Sullivan ran Kinsale ragged and to be fair the Kinsale keeper Quim,made 3 or 4 terrific saves before Grattan scored.Goldsmith with the header from one of Grattans 12 corners in the second half alone.

Grattan should have won it but with Kinsale down to 10 men for the last 20 they defended with the 10 and only broke on the counter once in a while.Funny thing when the game was nil/nil their were about ten match balls between the 2 teams.Kinsale scored and they suddenly had none,and everytime Grattan through a ball in Kinsale said it was soft and when Grattan scored Kinsales matchballs resurfaced again.Referee was ok but Kinsale were over physcial (which is a nice way of sayin they late for basically every tackle) and should have come down a bit harder on them ,might have helped the game flow.Kinsale lost a man for kickin a player after the ball was gone and had their ex manager thrown out of the ground for stopin a Grattan player takin a quick throw so that sums up their effort on the day.

Just goes to show how opinions can change from person to person. I was at the game and thought Grattan were lucky to get away with a point. After my previous comment i thought JP wudnt let me down but he ddnt get a sniff. Dont know what game u were watching. Kinsale were well up for this and it showed. Very physical and resulted in a man getting sent off but i thought Finbarr was whistle happy. Gratts cud of had their midfielder sent off after for retaliation?!? Thoughts little man? When Kinsale went down to ten men they tired badly in the middle. Dont have the legs they once did i agree. Neither team looked like scoring but if u were to pick a winner it had to be the seasiders. They were tight at the back. The peno turned down changed the game in Gratts favour- sending off happened straight after. None the less Grattan showed great desire to come back into it. Even their own manager on the line was shouting at them during the second half saying they werent in the game at all...

As for the disappearing and reappearing footballs i think we've all done that no?

**littleman** · 15/05/2007, 7:03 AM

I'd agree that kinsale were up for it,considerin the importance of the game you would expct nothin less.But they were physcially up for it,they did'nt want to play football with Grattan.Their center for forward spent his time clatterin and i mean clatterin anyone who came next to him.Indeed the Grattan player Goldsmith,who retaliated could have gone,but show me one player in the face of the kickin he recived from the kinsale players durin the incidient that wouldnt lose it.You must admit Kinsale are no angles and were lucky only to have one player sent off.

Grattan were not in the game because they were not allowed,everytime they got the ball on the deck which was hard considerin the conditions kinsale would give away a foul.How many fouls did John Paul O'Sullivan draw out of the Kinsale back four.A striker dos'nt have to get on the score sheet to play well,JP and the other center forward,Harry kept the Kinsale back line deep in their own half for most of the game.I said i was dissapointed with the Kinsale effort and the game in general.Grattan are a football side,i thought Kinsale were but what i have seen of Kinsale this year is a dissapointment.They are gettin old as a side.Their average age would be 30 i'd say,Grattans about 23.By no means were Grattan the far better side,just the better footballin side who carved out the better chances.The amount of corners conceided by Kinsale surley would show that they were on the back foot for much of the game,maybe happy to soak it up and attack on the break but no team can take so much pressure and hope to get away with it against the best junior side in the AUL.

By the way,the Grattan manager shouts at his players win,lose or draw.Thats just his way,always wants them to do better i guess.

**Shilts** · 15/05/2007, 9:50 AM

Don't believe the hype. Grattan are a good side, but not that good, they should've been beaten by Kinsale last saturday. The penalty not given by ref Finbar Murphy was a joke and at 2 nil Gratts would've been buried. Grattan only piled on the pressure/scored after Kinsale went to 10 men (deserved red card) but in my opinion the player who retaliated should've walked also. These 2 decisions swung the game back in Grattan's favour big time.

This was the first time I saw JP O'Sullivan this season and was a bit dissapointed with the junior international after reading rave reviews. Young Varian upfront with Kinsale was far more impressive and dangerous, and he didn't even make the Cork AUL squad. In fact I would also rate Delea with Leeside as a more effective player. But maybe JP just had an off day, or wasn't used properly by his team? As for the title, it looks like it will now be decided between Leeside and Grattan. They must play each other twice. Nothing between them, however I fancy Leeside now to complete the double. I go with them based on their greater experience. Grattan's young guns are a team for the future.

But what do I know anyway?

**Towelie** · 15/05/2007, 2:22 PM

There is a lot more twists and turns to go yet lads.
Leesides season will be decided with 5 games over the next 10 days.
Home to Park tonight,home to Villa thursday,away to kinsale saturday,away to Grattan tuesday and then next thursday away to maymount in what is the biggest rivalry in the premier over the last number of years.
There is no way Leesides Squad is big enough to cope with that kind of fixture pile-up.

**littleman** · 15/05/2007, 3:07 PM

Thats why i like postin on this site,you get different views on things from people who know what their on about.

Varian for Kinsale is a great prospect but hes better out on the wing and attackin with the ball rather than an out an out striker.

Delea for Leeside has been one of the best strikers from the AUL over the last few years but Leeside have been playin him in midfield and if thats correct Leeside must be bangin in the goals,which they hav'nt been,so somtin is not right.Also their was a post a few days ago about the Leeside manager havin some hassle with his players because of his son gettin a game ahead of some established Leeside players.Dont know how true it is but theirs no smoke without fire and you need your squad to be a tight unit in a situation like this so it dont look rosy in the Leeside garden.

I think it will boil down to who ever takes the most points from their next 5 games.Grattans next 5 are all at home,all be it against 3 of the top sides,but none the less all at home.I think if they were to get 3 wins and 2 draws(11 points) they would have 4 games left and llokin at the finishin line knowin exactly what they have to do.

**KrocBoy** · 15/05/2007, 4:06 PM

__________P___W__D___L____Pts
Park Utd___15__10__0___5____30
Kinsale____12___7__5___0____26
Grattan____9___7___2___0____23
Maymount _15__5___6__4_____21
Leeside____8___6___1__1_____19
Glenthorn__18__5___2__11____17
Villa_______12__4___2__6_____14
Togher_____15__4___1__10____13
Macroom___14__3___2__9_____11
Coachford__14__2___5__7_____11

Still plenty of points to play for yet, so i wouldn't write off kinsale yet but they need to start wining games again startin tonight. All the top 3 will be playin 3 games a week from now on i assume, so it will be a big test for the respective squads.

Tuesday May 15th
Leeside v Park United
Villa United v Kinsale
Grattan United v Macroom