Dominant Drinagh are on the crest of a wave

THESE are exciting times for Drinagh Rangers.

With the club’s first team having won the West Cork League PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division, their U19 side has now made it a double.

Drinagh U19 coach Robert O’Regan is delighted with the club's development.

‘It’s all looking good at the moment,’ he said, ‘from U7s all the way up to the junior team. It’s all looking healthy.

‘That’s what keeps lads coming back. Winning cups and titles and making sure they enjoy their time playing with the club and making sure all the facilities are good. There’s a lot to attract people to the club.’

The way Rangers won the U19 league was strange but rewarding for the club’s underage side – due to other sides bowing out, it all came down to a play-off against Dunmanway Town. Goals from Eoin Hurley, Paddy Taylor and Ronan White secured a 3-0 win – and the league title.

‘It definitely finished up differently,’ O’Regan said.

‘It originally started out with five or six teams in the league and then there was one or two teams that either removed themselves or got removed and then there were only three teams left.

‘Us and Dunmanway Town were competing for the title. We didn’t think it would go to a play-off at the start of the year and it did. The lads weren’t too disappointed, it was a good day out, especially after winning. It was a good way to win a league as well.’

The U19 manager is currently in a challenging situation in a way. He’s involved with the side’s B team too, which is like the middle ground between U19 and junior soccer.

‘We know ourselves what games are coming up, what guys are needed,’ he said.

‘They play at their own age first, so those games are given priority.’

The B side is a massive help to both U19s and juniors. Three players – U19 player of the year Tom McQueen, Ciarán O’Regan and Eoin Hurley – started in their win over Bunratty United in the West Cork League and lined out for the U19s the next day.

‘A good few others from the U19 panel are playing with the B team too,’ said junior co-manager Don Hurley.

‘The B team is a great way to introduce players to playing junior football. It keeps them going, keeps them interested and it keeps them together.’

Other U19 players were called up for the B team during the course of the season, including Matthew Murnane, Paddy Taylor, Damien Fernandes and Owen Tobin.

‘Outside of the three there, we were able to bring in a couple and give them experience of playing,’ said Hurley. ‘When you're playing a season with 25 to 30 games, you need extra depth when you’re down a few.

Playing U19 and junior soccer can be a challenge but the Drinagh players that are called to do both relish it.

‘They’re 18- and 19-year-olds, so they should be playing as much as they possibly can,’ O’Regan added.

‘Most of these lads are playing GAA as well so it’s probably the best thing for them to get them out.

‘As long as they can stay injury-free, there’s absolutely no issue whatsoever with it.’

Overall, the club is in a good place.

‘This is the third year in a row that we won the U19 league and you can see the fruits of that in the junior team now,’ O’Regan said.

‘As a club, we aim to keep that going. The U19 team we had against Dunmanway, there’s a good few of those lads would have been playing in the U16 West Cork Schoolboys League.

‘There are a good few that will be there again next season. Whether it’d be U17 or U19, those lads would get great experience again. As long as we keep the communication between each team good, we should be able to get through the season well again.’

Drinagh Rangers U19 squad: Paddy McCarthy, Gavin McCarthy, Evan Fitzpatrick, Matthew Murnane, Stuart Fuller (captain), Liam McCarthy, Ryan Kelly, Caolán O’Driscoll, Ciarán O’Regan, Tom McQueen, Paddy Taylor, Damien Fernandes, Cormac O’Shannahan, Owen Tobin, Eoin Hurley, Ronan White, Ben Coughlan, Adam Lordan, Darragh Twomey, Kenny Kingston, Ryan O’Donovan.