Wexford Womens Division Two B Review 2014-15

Can anyone stop Moyne from winning their first league title ?

Although the lowest of the four adult divisions, Division Two B is one of the most competitive in the league and has been for many years. The teams who compete in this division do so for the enjoyment of participating while also being as competitive as possible and this usually leads to some very interesting games

This season is no different but as we go into the Christmas break, Moyne Rangers lead the way and at this stage they look to to be too strong for their closest challengers although Rosslare Strand and Tombrack United will not want to give up until the end

Below we take a look at each team individually and make an effort at predicting where they might finish

Moyne Rangers

With players the calibre of Nicola Davitt, Siobhan Grant Moorehead and April Breen, it is difficult to see anyone stop Moyne Rangers from running away with the division as the scoring form within the squad is just too much. They have had a scare or two but not enough to unduly worry them and the only downfall they might hit is over confidence and take some of the teams for granted, which is easy to do in this division. Goals are no problem and Siobhan has scored several already while their defence has never really been tested yet so all is looking good for the Enniscorthy side at present.

Verdict: Hard to see them being stopped from winning the league and possibly a divisional cup double, just too much strength in depth in the squad

Rosslare Strand

Strand moved second in the table just before Christmas when they travelled to Tombrack and came away 3-0 winners to leapfrog the home side. The girls from Rosslare will not give up the chances of catching Moyne until it is impossible to do so and their ability to take their chances will keep them in the hunt. Shannon O Brien and Karen Koolhoff are scoring goals regularly which ensures that they win the games that they should. They work hard as a team which means they will grind out results and be always difficult to beat

Verdict: At this present moment in time they look favourites to finish runners up but will need to keep their forwards as injury free as possible

Tombrack United

While Strand are strong going forward, Tombrack are very strong defensively and tough to break down and a combination of both sides would probably give Moyne a serious run for their money. The only team to beat Tombrack this season were Rosslare Strand and although they dropped to third, they are still well in the running for at least promotion. As well as some excellent young players in Denise Bolger and Sinead Ryan, they also possess a lot of experience in Ciara Ryan, Mary Martin  and Ashling Kavanagh. Another team who will battle all the way to the end and will be difficult to beat, especially at home

Verdict: Might just miss out on second but could be a good bet for the divisional cup despite working off a relatively small squad

Cushinstown AFC

One of the divisions more consistent sides, always difficult to beat, especially in Cassagh, and are capable of taking points off any of the leading teams when playing well. They have a tendency to concede goals in large numbers when they do get broken down but currently sit mid table with four wins and a draw from their nine games played. Last seasons divisional top scorer, Amie Gaffney, continues to impress and has scored seven twice this season already, a remarkable achievement in any division. The club have now moved into underage with the advent of an under ten this season and seem to have embraced the womens / schoolgirls game so the future looks promising

Verdict: To finish comfortably mid table and possibly a good cup run

Seaview United B

Such were the numbers registered with Seaview this season, the decision was made to enter a second adult team instead of their Under Eighteen side, a decision that proved to be a little worrying at first when they had to concede a walkover but since that Sunday in October, they have got their numbers together and have moved up to mid table. They have some top class young players like Danni Idham, Ciara Nolan and Ali Staats, all who have the ability to score goals when the opportunity arises and will finish comfortably in the top four. The biggest club in the league, they are a club with potentially a big future and would seem to have the structure in place to be successful at the top level in most age groups in the coming years.

Verdict: Comfortable mid table finish and have the ability to take points off some of the teams ahead of them and another club capable of making a serious effort at lifting the divisional cup

Fastnet Rovers
Rovers are a competitive side who would expect to be in a better position as they are a decent side, difficult to beat but don't seem to get the results that they should. Another team working off a small but dedicated squad, they currently sit in the middle three but a couple of wins would bring them into a promotion challenging position. They are strong defensively and don't concede many goals and also have players like Joanne Jordan, Triona Kelly and Rebecca O Connor who are all capable of scoring goals. Their biggest drawback is lack of numbers in their squad which is always going to cause a problem if missing players against some of the bigger teams

Verdict: Will make all their opponents work hard to beat them but need an injection of players into their dedicated squad to make them competitive

St Cormacs
The Boolavogue side have returned to women's soccer after a two year absence but after a shaky start, they have now got found their feet and have begun to edge up the table. A very successful club in the past, they have a number of league titles as well as Gaynor Cup and Michelle Coleman Cup wins as well as several underage titles. However lack of numbers saw the club lose all their teams  and were out of the league until returning with under ten last season. They still have some of their established players lining out for the women most notably Caitriona "Bibi" Roban, Aileen Dempsey and Bernie McCarthy, when she is available. Not going to do much this year in the league but could be strong contenders for the Gaynor Cup and can build on that for next seasons league campaign.

Verdict: Will establish themselves back in women's soccer this season and will show improvement with every game

Rosslare Rangers

After a couple of tough seasons, Rangers did well to field a team this time out and are currently going through a rebuilding process, and unfortunately results are reflecting this. They have  stopped the rot in recent games and are not conceding goals at the rate they were and are now defending better but need to get players into the squad as similar to Fastnet, they are working off a small squad. They have some experienced players in the squad but need more numbers and a small bit of luck and could be a team with ambitions of lifting the Gaynor Cup. They have a strong schoolgirl team at under ten but it will take at least six years for those players to filter through to the senior squad

Verdict: Need to concentrate on keeping the team for this season and then begin a rebuilding process for coming seasons

Ajax Athletic
A new club in Enniscorthy town and have started the slow process of building themselves up to a competitive level in this division with several players who have never played at this level before. After a tough opening fixture where they lost 12-0 in Tombrack, they have showed gradual improvement and are not conceding goals as well as collecting a historic first point when they drew 1-1 with Rosslare Rangers. The main object of the club this season should be to establish themselves in the league, try to cut back on conceding goals and then build for future seasons and with the correct structure in place, this is well within their capabilities

Verdict: Show continued improvement for this season and maybe with a bit of luck they could get to the Gaynor Cup final

A competitive division but hard to see Moyne being stopped and the big battle will be for second place between Rosslare Strand and Tombrack although there will be several interesting results before the season ends

Predicted Final Table
1: Moyne Rangers
2: Rosslare Strand
3: Tombrack United
4: Seaview United B
5: Cushinstown
6: Fastnet Rovers
7: St Cormacs
8: Ajax Athletic
9: Rosslare Rangers

(c) BricBrac Publications 2014