‘West Cork has moved up a level’

THE West Cork Academy’s historic, best-ever third-place finish in the 2023 SFAI Kennedy Cup was richly deserved.

It is over 20 years since – under the tutelage of John Caulfield, Pa Curran and Conor Uhl – West Cork achieved a fourth overall placing in the SFAI’s most prestigious schoolboys tournament.

Many talented teams have represented the region during the intervening period. Yet, the 2023 squad – under Steve Bowden, Don Hurley and JJ Hurley’s guidance with backing from West Cork Academy coaches and head co-ordinator DJ Curtin – went one better at the University of Limerick.

‘It has been an amazing week,’ head coach Steve Bowden said.

‘The players got over the disappointment of losing our semi-final to the Midlands by reading all the text messages, the hundreds of messages we got across social media and the huge number of supporters present to see us beat Wexford and clinch third place.

‘It was only then that we realised just how many people were behind us. That’s when everyone understood what finishing third, West Cork’s best-ever Kennedy Cup result, meant to so many other people. That’s when you realised just how important this tournament is to West Cork.

Taking on Wexford in a third and fourth place play-off on Friday afternoon, the West Cork Academy was eager to end their campaign on a high note and move on from a narrow semi-final loss to the Midlands the previous day. The game finished 1-1, Tom Whooley on target, and West Cork won 4-3 on penalties.

‘We had a brilliant team meeting an hour before facing Wexford and just went for it,’ Bowden added.

‘The experience of beating Donegal 4-3 on penalties in the quarter-finals proved crucial when our play-off went to spot kicks. It was key really and our goalkeeper Daire Hurley made two more great saves thanks to the confidence he gained in the Donegal match.

‘This achievement might take a bit of time to actually sink in with the players to be honest. We had a chance to make our own bit of history this past week and did it.’

Christos Delis in action for West Cork.

Having won all three group matches and topped the table, West Cork advanced to a Kennedy Cup quarter-final against Donegal on day three of the tournament. Alex Bramoulle and Tom Whooley were on target in a 2-2 draw before West Cork emerged 4-3 winners on penalties thanks to two Daire Hurley saves.

A semi-final against the Midlands took place on day four. Roared on by a huge travelling band of supporters, the West Cork Academy were the better team but failed to find the net for the first time.

Heartbreakingly, Bobby Linehan’s marvellous 25-yard effort edged it 1-0 for the Midlands and West Cork’s Kennedy Cup dreams were shattered.

Dusting themselves down, the rural academy took on Wexford in a third and fourth place play-off on the final day of the tournament. Having coped admirably with hot, humid and thundery conditions all week, wind and rain made life difficult for both teams.

Tom Whooley scored his sixth goal of the tournament to make it 1-0 after 17 minutes. Wexford levelled through Richard Levingston ten minutes later however, and penalties were required to decide the outcome.

Matthew Buttimer, Luke Holland and Chritos Delis all scored with Daire Hurley repeating his Donegal quarter-final heroics and brilliantly saving two penalties. It was fitting that Tom Whooley got to convert the match-winning spot kick and cement a third place Kennedy Cup finish.

Joe O’Donovan, Nathan O’Sullivan, Luke Holland and Matthew Buttimer celebrate West Cork's Kennedy Cup quarter-final win.

‘To finish third is an extraordinary achievement,’ assistant coach Don Hurley commented.

‘Every single member of the squad contributed during the week in Limerick and I think that was the key thing. All week, our two centre-backs, Matthew Buttimer and Luke Holland, held things together with Joe O’Donovan scrapping for every ball in front of them. There were plenty of others doing the same and, again, the squad effort is what got us third place.

‘We played some great football but dug in when we had to as well. Having a centre-forward as good as Tom Whooley (who finished with six goals) was crucial and it is fair to say that Tom had a great week!

‘I have to mention the amount of work that DJ Curtin, David Hall and all the West Cork Academy do, first in preparation and then during Kennedy Cup week itself, is nothing short of phenomenal.

‘Having access to a physio and the use of recovery boots during the entire week made a massive difference. Things were so professionally run that it allowed us, the coaches, to concentrate on just coaching and the players to concentrate on playing.

‘We were fortunate to have such talented players but the West Cork Academy really has moved up a level.’

Trying to put this young squad’s achievement into perspective is difficult for those outside of West Cork soccer circles.

For such a small, rural league to finish third in a 30-team tournament including large city representative squads with access to their own training facilities, is nothing short of remarkable.

The West Cork Academy class will go down in history as the region’s biggest Kennedy Cup achievers in 2023.

West Cork Academy Kennedy Cup squad: Stephen McCarthy, Aodán Murphy, Joe O’Donovan (captain), Daire Hurley, Emma Hurley, Milo Kinsella (all Drinagh Rangers), Nathan O’Sullivan, Christos Delis, Kevin Duffy, Tom Whooley (all Ardfield), Conrad Murphy, Ethan O’Donovan (both Clonakilty AFC), Alex Bramoulle, Luke Holland (both Dunmanway Town), Art O’Leary, Padraig O’Sullivan (both Kilgoban Celtic), Liam Ryan, Matthew Buttimer (both Lyre Rovers), Sean Platt (Castlelack FC). Head coach: Steve Bowden (Kilgoban Celtic), Assistant coaches: Don Hurley and JJ Hurley (both Drinagh Rangers).