Newcastle West and Abbefeale meet in Desmond Youths final

Frank Nelligan previews the weekend soccer action in the Desmond League.

After four successive weekends of blanket cancellations, making six in all this season, the hope is that the weather will improve sufficiently to allow matches to go ahead this weekend. O

ne game that is sure to take place is the Youths Division 1 League Cup Final between Abbeyfeale United and Newcastle West on Friday night at 7.30, as the venue is Clounreask, which is always playable. There is much less certainly about Saturday’s youths programme or Sunday’s fixture list, which is dominated by the first round of the Desmond Cup.

Youths Division 1 League Cup Final

Without question, Friday night’s Youths Division 1 League Cup Final will be contested by the two best teams in the Division. Newcastle West are top of the table, leading by three points from Abbeyfeale United, who have a game in hand. The two sides have met already this season, Abbeyfeale winning 5-1 at home.

You would get very long odds on a repeat scoreline as there is expected to be very little between the two sides on Friday. Newcastle West will probably be slight favourites, as they are only missing one player from the team which won the double of Desmond Youths Cup and Desmond U-17 Cup last season. Kieran Herlihy was Man of the Match in the U-17 Final, while Paul Downes won the individual accolade in the Youths Final. Both will be key players in midfield for Newcastle West on Friday night, while centre-half Van Mambouana will be expected to play a leading role in defence and Matteus Pakulski will be hoping to get plenty of opportunities to use his strength, speed and skill up front.

Downes is a son of Frank, who manages the side along with Eamonn Walshe. The pair were in charge for the Cup double last season and they will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Clounreask once again proves to be a happy hunting ground.

Abbeyfeale United are managed by Noel Healy, Patrick Smith and Billy Sexton. They have put together a well-balanced squad, which must have a sound chance of going one better than last season when they were beaten by Newcastle West Rovers in the Final.

The side is captained by striker Jamie O’Connor, who was an automatic starter for the Limerick Desmond Youths in the FAI Youths Inter-league Trophy this season. O’Connor has a good turn of pace and a powerful shot, so himself and strike partner, Pa O’Connor, may well prove a handful for Mambouana and company.

Perhaps the most consistent player for the Limerick Desmond Youths this season was Cormac Roche. He will play in the centre of midfield, where he is best-positioned to make use of his vision, creativity and energy. Flanking him will be Paudie Smith and Thomas Sexton, both of whom have regularly turned in top-notch performances for Abbeyfeale this season. Another player who has been very consistent is centre-half Steven Buck, who will have the task of coping with Pakulski.

It should be clear to all at this stage how evenly-matched these two sides are: both well-balanced and with potential match-winners in the centre of midfield (Downes v Roche) and up front (Pakulski v Jamie O’Connor). It will come down to who comes closest to achieving their full potential on the night, which makes offering a prediction an even more fraught task than normal. In a toss-up, I find in favour of Abbeyfeale on the basis that they should have the greater hunger.

Forecast: Abbeyfeale United.

DESMOND CUP

Abbeyfeale Utd B v Granagh Utd

Of the 18 Desmond Cup first round matches down for decision on Sunday, all of them were previewed last week bar two, namely, Abbeyfeale United B v Granagh United and Glin Rovers B v St. Ita’s.

Abbeyfeale United B have already got the better of Granagh United in a Cup competition this season, winning in a penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 draw in the quarter-finals of the Reidy Cup in Granagh in early December. They will have another Cup meeting in Granagh when they clash in the semi-finals of the Richard Hogan Cup and that game has far more significance than Sunday’s encounter for two sides who do not seriously expect to win the Desmond Cup. In what is likely to be a cagey rather than an all-action affair, I give a tentative nod to Granagh to prevail.

Forecast: Granagh United.

Glin Rovers B v St Ita’s

The Desmond Cup won’t be the number one priority either for Glin Rovers B and St. Ita’s, who are seeking to win promotion from Division 3 and Division 1, respectively. St. Ita’s won’t be unduly troubled by playing away and their experience of operating at a higher level should stand to them

Forecast: St Ita’s.