Players of the year are unveiled

THE 2018 Southern Star West Cork Schoolboys League Player of the Year award winners have been announced ahead of the annual ceremony being held in conjunction with the FAI at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery.

Twelve winners chosen from each of this past season’s SuperValu WCSL Leagues, six WCSL Cup final Player of the Match recipients plus the WCSL Club of the Year will be honoured at the Celtic Ross Hotel on Friday, August 10th. 

The most prestigious accolade of the evening will be announced on the night itself with one of the 12 league winners being chosen as the second ever (overall) WCSL Player of the Year. 

Bantry Bay Rovers U12’s Dan Andrews had the distinction of being awarded the overall prize 12 months ago and this year’s winner will emerge from a crop of exceptionally
talented footballers.

Clonakilty AFC’s Prince Iyalla is this year’s U12 Premier League winner having starred for both his club and the West Cork U12 Inter-League squad during 2017 and 2018. A versatile player who was deployed in different positions throughout the previous campaign, Iyalla beat off stiff competition to claim the trophy.

The U12 Division 1A award is going to Dunmanway Town Cadets’ Keith McCarthy following the youngster’s consistent performances in helping his side claim the league title. McCarthy was man of the match for Dunmanway on nine occasions this past season and a player to watch out for in the future.

U12 Division 1B’s Player of the Year is Ciarán Foley of Kilmichael Rovers. Foley was part of a Kilmichael team that finished runners up to Togher Celtic but managed to score 46 goals in all competitions with the young attacking midfielder weighing in with 20. 

Neither the 2018 U13 Premier League nor U13 Division 1 winners will be in attendance on Friday, August 10th as both Tom McQueen (Drinagh Rangers) and Conor O’Sullivan (Lyre Rovers) are scheduled to travel with the WCSL U13 Inter-League squad to Galway for this year’s Galway Cup. McQueen and O’Sullivan produced their best seasons in their respective club’s jerseys over the past nine months and are each capable of making an impact in Galway.

Eoghan O’Sullivan of Bantry Bay Rovers is taking home the SuperValu U14 Premier League award following a stellar individual campaign. O’Sullivan found the net 18 times in his side’s title-winning campaign and rounded off his season in style by lining out for West Cork in the SFAI Kennedy Cup at the University of Limerick.

Riverside Athletic won the 2018 U14 Division 1 League following a play-off victory over Dunmanway Town with Conor O’Sullivan proving the Castletownkenneigh-based club’s standout individual and deserving recipient of this division’s Player of the Year.

The 2018 U15 Premier League award goes to Ardfield’s Peadar O’Rourke who produced another set of terrific displays in the middle of the park for his club. O’Rourke played an integral role in delivering U15 league and cup honours to the Inchydoney-based club.

U15 Division 1winner Conor Lucey was enjoying a standout campaign until an unfortunate injury ended the Sullane star’s season. Lucey was one of the Coolea club’s most influential players and helped Sullane win the league trophy.

James Lynam netted a hat-trick in Lyre Rovers’ 3-1 U16 Cup final win over Togher Celtic and helped his side secure the runners-up berth in the U16 Premier behind champions Ardfield. Robbie Lucey was equally influential in Togher Celtic’s unblemished U16 Division 1 title-winning campaign and the age-grade’s standout midfielders. Both Lynam and Lucey are worthy U16 Players of the Year for their respective divisions. 

U17 Player of the Year Alan Crowley topped the scoring charts for Dunmanway Town in a newly introduced age-grade, a goal scorer with a bright future ahead of him.

Castlelack are being presented with the Paddy McCarthy Perpetual Shield as the 2018 WCSL Club of the Year. A club with a rich West Cork League and Schoolboys League history, Castlelack are currently in the process of moving to a permanent home ground.  The off-field efforts of a dedicated group of people to keep their rural club going despite no official home ground plus an emerging underage section are just some of the reasons Castlelack will be honoured on Friday, August 10th at the Celtic Ross Hotel.