WHEN Steve Bowden takes a call from The Southern Star to chat all things Bay Rovers on Friday afternoon, he’s just after lining their pitch at Kealkill ahead of their home Championship tie with Baltimore.
‘A nicely-lined pitch, the grass is cut, we’ve the penalty spots down, and life is good,’ he quipped.
For football-mad Bowden, this is a passion, and that enthusiasm rubs off on his Bay Rovers young guns who are enjoying themselves in this season’s Championship. Their 4-0 home loss to high-flying Baltimore dented their promotion push, but with Bay Rovers, fifth in the league, also into the semi-finals of the Championship Cup, there’s a lot to play for in the weeks ahead – and it’s their style that brings a smile to Bowden’s face.
‘We’re playing good football which is really important,’ he says.
‘Get the ball down on the ground, play it out from the goalkeeper when we can, it doesn’t have to be every time.’
The better the pitch, the more it suits this young Bay Rovers team. In recent weeks, the Kealkill-based club won away to Skibbereen Celtic and Skibbereen AFC, and also ran Premier Division champions Clonakilty Soccer Club close in the Beamish Cup, losing to a 90th-minute penalty.
‘Because we play this type of football, the lads enjoy it – they don’t want to be booting it from one end of the pitch to the other,’ Bowden says.
‘We have a brilliant captain in Alex Young who doesn’t let anything slip.
‘I’m loving it, because the lads are enjoying it. I don’t have text lads to play matches or chase fellas to go to training. For myself and Donagh Cronin, it’s been really enjoyable.’
Daniel Andrews is a key player for Bay Rovers.
Given the age profile of this young team, Bowden’s not putting a huge emphasis on winning promotion to the Premier Division. Their let’s-see-what-happens attitude is working so far.
‘A few years in the Championship is ideal for this team. If we happened to get promoted, then great, but another season in the Championship would do us no harm. The standard of football is very high and the players enjoy that. Results help too!’ Bowden says.
After a slow start to their league campaign that saw Bay Rovers lose at home to both Skibbereen teams in September, the fact they’ve beaten both in recent weeks highlights the strides they’ve made. Their recent 8-1 win away to Skibbereen AFC saw Eli Reynolds hit four goals in a game for the second time in two months.
‘Eli has speed, and he’s been fed by the midfielders who know how to pass a ball,’ Bowden says.
‘Look at Peter Ozubko, he had his best game of the season for us that night. It’s great to see the lads playing well and with a smile on their faces.
‘I have coached a lot of these lads since they were kids, and they are 17/18 now and we have some lads in their 30s who are brilliant to have too. It’s important for the club to have a junior team, to make sure a club our size as an adult team so the younger age groups have a level to aspire to.
‘Even at training we have a couple of U15s who come along just to train, so in the next few years they will have the chance to play for us.’
Bowden feels it’s important for this area to have a junior soccer team, with players from Bantry, Durrus and beyond coming together, and the result is positive: a talented young team playing good football and having fun.
He’s learning, too, he insists. Having coached at West Cork Academy level, Bowden is finding his feet at adult level.
‘I’ve probably calmed down too, from last season to this season! I had worked a lot with underage teams so being with an adult team is different because they have other commitments. Myself and Donagh are relaxed, we have a great group here and let’s see what happens,’ he says.
A home league game against bottom club Aultagh Celtic B offers Rovers the opportunity to return to winning ways this Sunday, with lots left to play for in the weeks ahead, in both the Championship and the Championship Cup semi-final.
