JOHN Leahy had one main goal at the start of the season. He wanted Clonakilty Soccer Club to retain the Premier Division title they won for the first time last season. Mission accomplished, and then some.
They have now won back-to-back Premier Division and Beamish Cup doubles, as well as a quadruple this season. Incredible. They also went the league season unbeaten.
‘We said at the start of the year, a good team wins a league, a great team retains the league,’ Clon manager Leahy explained.
‘We lost five big players from last year’s squad. A few young lads came in this year to improve the squad. Jack O’Crowley scored (against Drinagh). James Calnan scored. Cal O’Mahony and Ben McCarthy Shields. Brilliant.’
Clonakilty Soccer Club's Chris Collins celebrates with Ethan Draper.
Clonakilty also played Drinagh Rangers in a title-decider last season and drew 2-2 on that occasion in Darrara to win the league. Jonathon Leahy scored the two goals that day, but wasn’t in the matchday squad in this season’s title clincher. In addition, Conor McKahey, George Cannon, Alan Murphy, Shane Buttimer and Charlie McShane all started the game last season but weren’t in the squad this time around.
Only four players started in both title-clinching bouts – Iain O’Driscoll, Chris Collins, Ethan Draper and Rueben Henry – while Mark Shorten was among the subs this year. It emphasises their strength and depth in the squad.
‘What a squad of players,’ Leahy agreed.
‘I have to thank everyone behind the scenes. Lorne (Edmead) again, what he has done as coach for the club since we brought him in is just brilliant. We have to keep going.’
Winning four trophies in one season is a remarkable achievement. It comes down to the effort of the whole club all year round.
Head coach John Leahy (right) celebrates with his assistant Lorne Edmead.
‘It is an unbelievable achievement,’ Leahy said.
‘Drinagh have done the five, fair play to them; that was a class side. Doing four is crazy. The commitment of the lads all year, two nights of training (a week). On a Sunday if we don’t have a game, we’ll try our best to go training as well.’
Behind every success comes a story. Not only was Sunday a great day for the team as they won the league but it was an emotional day for Leahy as he remembered his friend Michael ‘Milo’ Hurley who passed away in late 2020. The club remembers him at the front of their kit.
‘What is great today, if you look at our jerseys, Milo is written on them, one of my best friends who died. He was a big man for the club and it was his birthday today,’ Leahy explained.
It’s been a remarkable season overall for Clon who will be the team to beat in next campaign’s edition. They are the standard bearers in West Cork soccer right now.
‘I’d like to thank The Southern Star. Only for them and their reporting, there would be no soccer shown in West Cork. Our club appreciates it 100 percent,’ Leahy concluded.
