WEST Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League side Bay Rovers head to Dublin for a high-profile SFAI National Trophy U16 Schoolboys clash with St Kevin’s on Sunday.
The Kealkill club has the distinction of being the last West Cork club left standing in this season’s SFAI National competitions.
Reaching the last 16 of an SFAI tournament is a major achievement and something the entire Bay Rovers FC club and surrounding areas are proud of. Rovers’ reward is a glamour tie with one of the most famous names in Irish schoolboys football, St Kevin’s, in Dublin on Sunday (2pm kick-off).
Based in Dublin, St Kevin’s was founded in 1959 and has grown into one of the biggest and most famous schoolboys clubs in the country. This season, St Kevin’s fielded 48 teams with over 800 players and 105 managers and coaches. Some of the most famous names to graduate from St Kevin’s include former Republic of Ireland senior internationals Liam Brady, Damian Duff, Ian Harte, Stephen Carr and Robbie Brady.
There is little doubt that this will be the toughest game of the Bay Rovers U15 player’s fledgling careers. Yet, Bay have earned the right to travel to the capital following a successful run in the SFAI U16 National Trophy.
Having lost 3-1 to Pearse Celtic in the opening round of the SFAI U15 National Cup, Bay Rovers were automatically entered into the SFAI U16 National Trophy competition. On November 10th, the Kealkill club overcame Carrigaline United A 2-0 to progress to the second round. Dominik Placzek and Shane O’Brien were on target and repeated their goalscoring feats in Bay’s next outing. O’Brien (2) and Placzek strikes cemented a terrific 3-0 victory away to Lakewood A.
That set up a last-32 clash at home to Cork schoolboys league side Macroom on February 8th. A marvellous encounter produced seven goals with Rovers winning 4-3. Shane O’Brien continued his scoring streak with two goals. Ruairi O’Brien and Ronan Kennan's efforts completed Bay’s total.
Colin Wiseman, Kieran Kennan and Ger O’Brien are in charge of Bay Rovers and excited about the prospect of taking on St Kevin’s.
‘The lads are up the walls in excitement at the thought of travelling to Dublin to take on St Kevin’s,’ Colin Wiseman told The Southern Star.
‘The last round, once we were out of the Cork section, we could have drawn anyone in the country but ended up playing Macroom at home.
‘Now we are going to Dublin to play a famous club like St Kevin’s that has won plenty of SFAI National trophies. Our lads have nothing to lose. Once they enjoy the day and the experience, I think that will be the main thing they can take from this fantastic run.’
The Bay Rovers squad includes Conor Hourihane, Christiaan Steyn, Kevin Nash, Jack O’Brien, Seán Wiseman, Con Desmond (captain), Ruairi O’Brien, Ronan Kennan, Dominik Placzek, Shane O’Brien, Padraig O’Sullivan, Ryhan Harrington, Andrew Ring, Liam Farrelly, Ben Daly, Joe O’Kane, Liliano Castell and Ronan Barrett.
