Our u19 side saw their 2016 season come to a close last Sunday as they were defeated 3-0 by Munster rivals Limerick in the quarter-final of their Shield Competition. Having missed out on the end-of-season play-offs, the Shield tournament offered a chance of silverware for the Young Rams but it wasn’t to be as the hosts, who were one of the strongest sides not to make the play-offs, ran out three goal winners.

The u19’s started the season under former Cobh u17 boss Len Hackett and retained the majority of the players that had played the previous short, transitional season. Sean Cooke arrived from Waterford United while David O’Gorman made a welcome return to St Colman’s Park from Leeds.

It was a tough start to the season and the side picked up their first win away to Cabinteely in April thanks to goals from Timmy Foley and David Grant O’Sullivan in a 2-0 victory. Following the midway point in the league, Len Hackett and his backroom staff departed the club with a new management team of Damien Rowe, Davin O’Neill, Darragh Burke and Ryan Murphy O’Neill taking charge. Numerous additions had been made to the side in the transfer window and one of these, Matthew Whelan, grabbed a hatrick away to Bray as Cobh started their best run of form all season. Further wins against Waterford and Cabinteely saw the Rams climb up the table but alas, a play-off spot was out-of-reach and Cobh’s u19 side eventually finished in seventh place in the division.

The u19 set up is primarily about producing players for Stephen Henderson’s senior squad and the call-up of many u19 players has seen this goal achieved. Charlie Fleming and Ben O’Riordan are now regulars in the senior starting eleven. Kyle McNamara has gone from strength to strength since stepping up whilst more recently, Scott McCarthy and Matthew Whelan have been involved at the business end of the senior season.

With the majority of this year’s squad still underage for next year’s competition, this season’s experience will stand to them as Cobh look to improve on the seventh place finish and more importantly, continue the strong tradition of youth players progressing to senior level.