Womens Division One Review 2014-15

Coolgreaney are the team to beat in Division One

As we head into our break, Coolgreaney look set to make a quick return to the Premier Division and below we take a look at all the teams and how they have fared and their prospects for the rest of the season. This without doubt has been the best division one in many years with all clubs worthy of their place in the division and only Coolgreaney and New Ross Town have recorded high margin victories.
It is difficult to be critical of any of the teams in this division this season as it is so competitive and all seven have contributed to the excitement and hopefully this will continue in the new year.

Coolgreaney Celtic

Current leaders Coolgreaney Celtic are looking very impressive and are probably playing some of their best football for years as they lead the table with six wins and two draws from their eight games played. Ironically, the team were probably only a few days away from folding during the summer but thankfully some of the more experienced players and manager Patsy McDonald pulled a team together and now they are getting their reward. Ironically this has been one of the most competitive divisions in years, with all seven teams capable of picking up points from each other however it is Celtic who are shown the most consistency. Their results away from home have always proved to be their undoing but this season they have turned that around and are picking up as many points away from home as in Coolgreaney. They are scoring at will with experienced players Karen Morris and Jackie Kinch finding the net regularly with club stalwart Sarah Merrigan playing in a variety of positions, even goal, to keep their opponents at bay. At this stage of the season, they are five points clear with four games remaining and it is very difficult to see anyone catch them and an immediate return to the premier division is on the cards

Verdict: Will win the league and could also get a good cup run but as with Ferns in the Premier division, long term future is limited due to lack of underage structure

Taghmon United
With Tramore and Shilelagh United both folding during the Summer, Taghmon, who finished third in last seasons Division Two found themselves promoted to Division One. It was a big step for the team but it was one they took on with confidence and enthusiasm and apart from a poor result at home to Coolgreaney, they have enjoyed an excellent season and currently sit second and are well capable of staying there. They are scoring goals, and apart from the disaster at home to the league leaders, are also defending quite well and not conceding many goals which at this level and in this division, that is always a positive. Lisa Marie Doyle is well capable of scoring goals when the opportunity presents itself while Aoife Morrissey and Becky Doyle are also finding the net in vital games. They have to play New Ross Town twice and the results of those games will go a long way in deciding runners up spot and an away trip to Coolgreaney could prove difficult. However they have it all in their own hands and will definitely finish in the top half of the table and I have a sneaky feeling they could creep in to steal second.

Verdict: Its been a good season so far and I see no reason for it to end now so tip them to sneak into second, possibly after a play off

New Ross Town
Town have enjoyed a meteoric rise through the divisions in recent years and they look set to continue that push as they strive for the runners up spot this season. They only suffered their first defeat in the final game before the break when beaten 4-0 in Coolgreaney but up to that they have been very impressive and currently sit third with a game in hand. They have been hit by injuries and manager Mick Butler has struggled to pick on a constant starting eleven every Sunday but this has not seen them suffer too much and as we head towards the run in, they are still in the running for at least promotion. Sinead Ryan is their chief goalscorer and can be very clinical when given the opportunity and double hat tricks are not beyond her capabilities while Ann Carroll and Lina Smitate are also very sharp in front of goal. The club have a strong underage section in place and some very talented young players coming through the ranks so whatever happens this season, the future looks very bright for New Ross Town. The two games with Taghmon will go a long way in deciding where the finish but without any doubt it will be top half of the table

Verdict: Will battle strongly for runner up and wont be far away and could be a team capable of a good Wexford Cup run if they get some of the bigger teams in Good Counsel College

Castledockrell United
Castledockrell arrived in this division on the back of two perfect seasons when they won Division Two B and then Division Two A, unbeaten. This was always going to be a difficult run to continue, especially in a highly competitive division such as this one but  despite only picking up a point from their last two games, they are still well in contention for promotion. They possess a mixture of youth and experience and their rise through the ranks has helped some of the younger one mature as players and seem well capable of handling themselves in this division. The team were strengthened recently by the signing of the experienced Celine Slye and Karen Jones from Bunclody and although they have hit a rocky patch in recent games, they can still obtain sufficient points to gain promotion to the top division. Players of the calibre of Ellen Kelly, Cait Doyle and Caitriona Murray have brought the team to this level and although they might struggle to get promoted this season, the step to the premier division will happen sooner rather than later.

Verdict: Not to get promoted this season but are a team who can become a top club in coming years if they can keep the squad together

Kilmore United
Kilmore have been involved in three very high scoring encounters this season, losing 4-5 to Castledockrell twice and then overcoming St Josephs 6-5. This would lead us to believe that they are a very attacked minded side who get caught on the attack quite often but they also are a team who are probably too good to be in the bottom three and would be expected to be challenging for promotion. The current squad is a mixture of some of their more experienced members and an influx of younger players but seem to be finding it difficult to get vital results and find themselves just above the relegation zone going into 2015. The availability of Camogie All Star Katrina Parrock is vital to the team scores regularly although Chloe Bates and Chloe Troy have both prove themselves to be clinical in front of goal. Despite having a disappointing season, Kilmore are very strong at underage level so this season battling relegation in what is a particularly competitive division will probably be a rare event. Their two games against fellow strugglers, away to Cloughbawn and home to St Josephs, will be crucial games in their battle against the drop but as in true tradition of the club, if they do get relegated, they wont go down without a fight

Verdict: Could need a play off to avoid the drop but will definitely fight all the way to the end

St Josephs
A 5-3 win over a depleted Castledockrell side just before the break gave St Josephs a lift that might give them impetus to pull away from the bottom two. However they have a couple of tough games ahead away to both Coolgreaney and Kilmore and home to Kilmore and they will need to get a win and a draw to give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding relegation. They are another club with a good underage structure which will be a help in the years ahead, irrelevant of what happens this season, and to be honest it will be difficult to see them not finish in the bottom two. They are a young side competing in the strongest division one in years so it was always going to be a difficult task to survive in such exalted company. However, they have some very skilful players who have loads of experience way beyond their years such as Laura Dunne, Laura Warren and Georgia Warren, all players who are committed to St Josephs. Even though they are likely to get relegated this year, they are unlikely to be in the lower division for long and are a squad that once things start happening for them, they could ultimately be a very successful side

Verdict: Will find it difficult to avoid relegation this season but will end the season with either a divisional cup or shield

Cloughbawn AFC
Relegated from the Premier division last season, Cloughbawn would not have expected to find themselves at the bottom of division one at the end of 2014. The loss of some key players pre season, as well as injuries saw them field a very young squad in several of their games and with the division being so strong it was always going to be a difficult prospect. They have been unlucky to have been on the wrong side of several one goal defeats and only suffered one heavy defeat when beaten 8-0 in Coolgreaney. However their fate is still in their own hands as they host fellow relegation threatened Kilmore and travel to St Josephs so wins in both those games would be sufficient to get them out of trouble. The return of Emma Cullen from injury will add a bit of bite to such a young side who have been carried by players such as Aideen Byrne and Aoife Devereux up to this and avoiding relegation is still a realistic possibility. Cloughbawn are another side with a strong underage structure which could benefit them in the future, however at present, they are struggling to get their underage success into the adult teams.

Verdict: Will avoid relegation after a play off and can potentially do well in the divisional cup

All of the above is just an opinion and its up to the players and managers to prove me wrong !!!

Predicted Final Table  (lets see how this works out)

1: Coolgreaney Celtic
2:Taghmon United
3: New Ross Town
4: Castledockrell United
5: Cloughbawn AFC
6: Kilmore United
7: St Josephs

Division Two A next to come !!!

(c) 2014.  BricBrac Publications