Premier champions Drinagh Rangers still the team to beat

HERE we go again! A brand-new season of West Cork League PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier and OBriensWaterServices.com Championship Division soccer kicks off this weekend.

Drinagh Rangers begin the 2023-24 Premier Division campaign as favourites to retain their title. Danny McQueen and Robert O’Regan are Drinagh’s new management team, replacing the long-time multi-trophy winning pairing of Don Hurley and Declan Deasy.

An experienced line-up is bolstered by up-and-comers Jack Payne-Murphy, Tom McQueen, Robbie McQueen, Ciarán O’Regan and Eoin Hurley. A third Premier Division title in a row is an attainable goal for the region’s most consistent side. In short, Drinagh will be the team to beat.

Last season’s runners-up, Dunmanway Town, will be eager to bridge last season’s nine-point gap to the champions. Town made up for the disappointment of missing out on league honours by claiming both the Beamish and Parkway Hotel-Maybury Coaches Cups.

Dunmanway last tasted league glory back in 2019 and, similar to Drinagh, will turn to a mix of young and not-so-young in search of silverware. Expect William Hennigan, Stephen O’Donovan, Mark Buckley and Eoin Buckley to feature prominently in Town’s colours.

Dunmanway Town and Bunratty United both have talent to challenge for WCL Premier Division title this season.

Outside those two favourites, Bunratty United, Clonakilty Soccer Club, Mizen Hob A and Togher Celtic appear best placed to improve on last year’s Premier Division showings.

A newly-promoted Bunratty finished third and reached a Beamish Cup final last season suggesting the Schull club can challenge once again. If available, Shane Bowen, Eoin and Sean Kelleher, Conor Brosnan, Killian O’Brien and James O’Regan are capable of helping their club deliver another positive campaign.

Clonakilty Soccer Club finished well off the pace in fourth and have reserved their best performances for the cup competitions in recent times. The Darrara club’s hopes of challenging rests with Reuben Henry, Shane Buttimer, Chris Collins and Joe Edmead delivering consistent results, week-in and week-out.

Mizen Hob A and Togher Celtic finished in the general safety of mid-table but, whenever their strongest line-ups are available, should be looking to kick on this year. A decent run in the cup competitions appears Mizen and Togher’s best chance of success.

Lyre Rovers and Skibbereen survived the drop following a three-team relegation round-robin play-off that ended with Castletown Celtic being demoted to the Championship. Rovers and Skibb possess two of the finest playing facilities in the province, let alone West Cork. Both clubs will be desperate to avoid another relegation battle making positive starts and a regular supply of goals absolutely paramount this time around.

All eyes will be on promoted newcomers Sullane and Beara United who look well positioned to establish themselves in the top tier. Last year’s Championship winners Sullane are thriving both at adult and underage level.

Adding the WCL Championship Cup to their league title further underlined the Ballyvourney club’s credentials. Sullane will cause a few shocks if the likes of Finley Walker, Daniel Kelly, Michael Desmond and Sean O’Riordan perform to their optimum.

Castletownbere’s picturesque home ground will not be an easy venue to visit as evidenced by Dunmanway Town’s narrow 3-2 Parkway Hotel-Maybury Coaches Cup win recently.

Similar to Sullane, Beara United have been steadily rebuilding their club on and off the pitch in recent years. Playing top-tier West Cork League football will be a welcome boost for a progressive Beara outfit that needs to hit the ground running.

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Predicting the outcome of the OBrienWaterServices.com Championship has always proven a futile experience, such is the unpredictability of the annual wide-open promotion race.

Eleven clubs take part this season including the welcome return of Ardfield and Spartak Mossgrove, two clubs with a rich WCL history. Both sides are capable of re-establishing themselves provided their strongest starting teams are present throughout the majority of the season.

Kilgoban Celtic drop down a division hoping to reenergise the adult section of a club that is performing admirably at schoolboys and schoolgirls’ league level. Castletown Celtic were unfortunate to lose their top-tier status following a three-team relegation play-off and will begin as one of the favourites for promotion.

Clonakilty United’s striking new pink and black home kit will turn a few heads, as they hope will their performances, while Baltimore and Aultagh Celtic have enough experience to improve upon last term’s respective fifth- and sixth-place finishes.

Castlelack hope their superb Brinny playing surface will inspire a positive campaign in both league and cup competitions. Of the Championship’s three B-team entrants, a youthful Drinagh Rangers look best positioned to improve ahead of Aultagh Celtic and Sullane’s second strings.

Add to that, the upcoming WCL Women's 7s league and cups, WCL U18 and U19 competitions plus West Cork representatives in both the FAI Junior and McCarthy Insurance Munster Junior Cups and we are set for another high-octane season. Bring it on.

FIXTURES

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31ST

OBrienWaterServices.com WCL Championship: 6.45pm, Castlelack v Drinagh Rangers B.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND

PremierHiSpecCars.com WCL Premier Division: 6pm, Drinagh Rangers v Mizen Hob A.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD

PremierHiSpecCars.com WCL Premier Division: 11am, Beara United v Togher Celtic; 11am, Bunratty United v Sullane FC A; 11am, Clonakilty Soccer Club v Skibbereen AFC; 2.30pm, Dunmanway Town v Lyre Rovers.

OBrienWaterServices.com WCL Championship: 11am, Aultagh Celtic B v Spartak Mossgrove; 11am, Skibbereen Celtic v Ardfield; 2.30pm, Aultagh Celtic v Sullane B; 2.30pm, Baltimore FC v Kilgoban Celtic.