AFTER three relegations in four years, Ilen Rovers will hope to find some stability this season.
In 2021, Ilen lined out in the premier senior football championship. Now, they find themselves in the intermediate A grade – the fourth tier of Cork football.
It’s been a challenging spell, but signs of progress emerged in this year’s county league. Ilen finished fourth in Division 5 with five wins, one draw and three defeats.
Considering Ilen have won just one championship game out of 15 in the last four years, the hope is that five league wins can act as a springboard heading into the championship. They face Boherbue in Inchigeela this Saturday evening (5.30pm).
‘We got great buy-in from the players,’ said Ilen manager Flor O’Driscoll. ‘They’ve worked really hard this year. We are as ready as we can be, and we’re in a good place.
‘You want to win every game. We’re disappointed with some of the results, but we still won five out of nine. Even in the games we lost, we were very competitive.
‘Overall, it was positive – though obviously, our goal was to get promoted. Still, we’ll take it as good preparation on the road to the championship.’
Ilen find themselves in a tough group alongside 2024 IAFC finalists Boherbue, Munster junior champions Kilmurry, and St Vincent’s. It has to be one game at a time, insists the Ilen boss.
‘The format of the championship means there’s very little between qualifying for the play-offs or being dragged into a relegation play-off. It could come down to score difference – one point in a game could make all the difference,’ O’Driscoll said.
‘You have to take it one game at a time. Our full focus is on Boherbue. Once that’s behind us, we’ll look to the next game. The long-term goal is to win the championship.’
Dan MacEoin is not available for the opener against Boherbue.
Injuries, however, are a growing concern. Key forward Dan MacEoin didn’t feature in the league and won’t be fit for the start of the championship. Shane Carey hasn’t kicked a ball this season. Peter O’Driscoll suffered a cruciate ligament injury in Ilen's league loss to Gabriel Rangers in early June and is ruled out for the season. Kevin O’Driscoll is also sidelined.
‘Our focus is on the players we have,’ said O’Driscoll. ‘It doesn’t put us at a disadvantage – every team has their own injuries and challenges. We’ll just have to move on. Hopefully, we’ll have enough players and strong performances to get us through the first game.
‘It’s an opportunity for everyone available on the panel. We have young players coming through, and others at different stages of their careers who can contribute. It’s a chance for all of them to step up and get game time.’
Could we see the return of talented forward Stephen Leonard?
‘Stephen is just back from Australia – he’s been out there for a number of years. He hasn’t rejoined the panel yet,’ O’Driscoll confirmed, as the focus shifts to Boherbue – a side who came within a kick of promotion last year, losing the county final 2-10 to 0-15 against Glanmire.
‘Boherbue were very impressive last year. They have some excellent players. We know we’ll have to play extremely well – and have a few things go our way – to beat them,’ O’Driscoll said.
Getting off to a fast start in the group format is crucial. O’Driscoll knows it. The players know it. Win, and the pressure eases. Lose, and it ramps up.
‘This format has shown that if you don’t win your first game, it can become very difficult. You have to be perfect from there on – your margins are really small. Winning that first game puts you in a very strong position,’ O’Driscoll agreed.
‘Whoever wins their first game in the championship is at a big advantage,’ he added, hoping Ilen can carry their league form into the championship.
