LEAGUE SPONSORED BY: O'BRIEN'S BAR, ROSSCARBERY
CUP SPONSORED BY: BERNARD HAYES TRAVEL, CORK
SHIELD SPONSORED BY: A CUT ABOVE SALON
Published in Friday May 17th edition of the Evening Echo
SUMMER OF MASTERS SOCCER AROUND THE CORNER
By Ger McCarthy
The 2013 West Cork Masters League, Cup and Shield tournaments are set to kick-off in the coming weeks with the largest number of clubs taking part since the competitions inception four years ago.
Ardfield AFC’s Noel O’Donovan and Diarmuid Keohane idea to run an Over33’s soccer league during the summer months has grown in such popularity that twelve clubs, split into two separate divisions, will contest for league honours this summer as well as the usual knockout Masters Cup and Shield tournaments.
The loss of Courtmacsherry has been offset by the arrival of two West Cork based clubs to the Masters arena with Bantry Bay Rovers and Castlelack making their respective debuts. The newcomers will join Ardfield, Clonakilty AFC, Dunmanway Town and Rosscarbery in what promises to be a hard-fought battle for the West Cork Masters First Division with no outstanding favourite amongst the competing sides.
Drinagh Rangers will defend their West Cork Masters Premier League title against Bunratty United, Castletown Celtic, Clonakilty Town, Cloughduv Celtic and Skibbereen. The current champions will be without many of the squad that stayed undefeated throughout last summer’s successful campaign so expect Cloughduv and Clonakilty Town to have a big say in the destination of this season’s league trophy.
The West Cork Masters are delighted to welcome back main the Premier League and First Division’s main sponsor; O’Brien’s Bar Rosscarbery as well as Bernard Hayes Travel, Cork (Cup) and A Cut Above Salon (Shield) who have been loyal supporters of the competitions since 2009.
Last summer’s West Cork Masters League title won by a hugely talented Drinagh Rangers side that racked up 8 wins from their 10 fixtures and held off the late challenge of Cloughduv and Castletown Celtic in a tight run-in. Mike Doolan top-scored for the Cannon Crowley Park club with 7 goals while Liam Curran, Colm McCarthy, Philip Clifford, David Hourihane and J.J. Hurley also weighed in with some important strikes.
Cloughduv made up for the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League by deservedly claiming the West Cork Masters Cup following an impressive run to the final. Bunratty United were swept aside 7-0 in the opening round before a 3-1 quarter-final victory over Clonakilty AFC secured a last four berth. Celtic edged a high-scoring semi-final away to Skibbereen 4-2 to setup a cup final date with Rosscarbery in which a hat-trick from 2013 West Cork Masters Golden Boot winner Donal Collins secured the trophy for a delighted Cloughduv.
The third and final piece of Masters silverware was claimed by Dunmanway Town in the West Cork Masters Shield competition. The Mohona club edged past local rivals Castletown Celtic 1-0 after extra time in the quarter-finals before a powerful team display knocked Courtmacsherry out 3-0 in the semi’s. First half goals from Noel O’Donovan and Cathal Crowley plus a late Kieran O’Leary effort cemented a 3-0 win over Ardfield in the Shield decider.
Follow the West Cork Masters League at http://westcorkmasters.blogspot.ie/
