McCarthy is pleased with Cobh’s U17 campaign
U17 SOCCER
Daire Walsh
FOLLOWING their 3-0 win against Cabinteely FC at Stradbrook on Sunday, Cobh Ramblers U17 manager Ethan McCarthy hailed the “fantastic season” that his side have enjoyed in the Airtricity League Southern Elite Division.
An inferior goal difference to Shamrock Rovers means that Ramblers have missed out on a place in the upcoming league play-offs (and will instead contest a shield competition), but despite coming up short in this particular quest, McCarthy now believes that massive strides have been made by his charges.
“It’s been a fantastic season. We’ve been very unlucky, we’re going to lose out on goal difference obviously, the top-four. Overall, we’re very happy with the season. We obviously would love to be in the top-four, but it’s not to be,” McCarthy stated.
“Overall, from where the lads were last season, from the short season there that started in August, from where we are now, there’s huge improvements.”
A Ryan O’Regan opener had helped Cobh to establish a 1-0 advantage at the break, and two goals from substitute Stephen O’Leary sealed all three points for the St Colman’s Park outfit in convincing fashion.
McCarthy felt Ramblers needed to be more clinical in the second-half of the tie, and was pleased that O’Leary was able to add to his seasonal tally.
“Yeah, that’s what we said at half-time. We just need to be a small bit more clinical, and to be fair we brought Stevie O’Leary from the bench there, and he’s that. He gets goals for us every game, and he did that. He came on and got two goals.
“I think once we got the second, I thought we were always going to go on and win the game. It was tight a 1-0, to be fair to Cabinteely. They kept trying to play, good attitude, even right at the end there. Happy enough with it.”
The encouraging performances of this team in 2016 bodes well for the future of Cobh Ramblers, and while a number of players may return to their local clubs, McCarthy expects a number of his squad to progress to the U19 Airtricity League in the next couple of seasons.
“That’s the plan I think for a lot of them. They’re going to try to push up to the U19s. When some of them signed for us, that was the plan we put in place for them.
“Some of them will step up, others might have to go back to their club for a year or two. Maybe for next season, then come back, but some of them will be looking to step up the U19s,” McCarthy added.