Cork City still waiting for underage success to filter up to senior level

Our talent coming through has been disappointing,” comments from Cork City boss John Caulfield. “Numbers coming through have been very very little.

 

Less than 24 hours earlier Alec Byrne had netted Cork City’s fourth of the night as the Rebel Army captured their first Munster Senior Cup title since 2008.

 

Last October Cork City’s under-19 side beat HJK Helsinki 1-0 in the UEFA Youth League only weeks after an unbeaten league campaign in the Southern Elite Division and capturing the Enda McGuill Cup for the third time in six seasons.

 

In 2011 and 2012, Cork City’s underage dreamed big with double-double season claiming the Enda McGuill Cup and the Dr Tony O’Neil Cup. Yet; for a side so synomous with success, what has come of the successes?

 

An old proverb in sport, that 'success breeds success,' has been an underlying phrase in League of Ireland of late through Dundalk’s EA Sports Cup win 2014 acting as a springboard for their title successes, as well as the 2015 FAI Cup win and European exploits.

 



The same has been said for John Caulfield, who used the 2016 President’s Cup to break down the Dundalk hoodoo and spur his team on to the 2016 FAI Cup and a 2017 league title onslaught.

 

City’s last underage cup success in 2013 was the spine for John Caulfield’s early years. Jason Forde, Rob Lehane, Danny Morrissey, Garry Buckley and John Kavanagh all lined out in Stuart Ashton’s side which defeated Shelbourne in the final at Turners Cross.

 

As of 2017, Forde lines out for Ringmahon Rangers in the Munster Senior League. Lehane has returned to Munster Senior League following a brief loan spell at Sligo Rovers and a year at Cobh Ramblers.

 



Morrissey, following trials at West Ham, never fully established himself under Caulfield. After battling through injury in 2014 to make seven substitute appearances increasing to 34 across 2015/16 scoring five times before before signing for Finn Harps in January 2017.

 

Buckley and Kavanagh, however, have managed what Caulfield has labelled as making the 'breakthrough' and have been crucial in Caulfield’s rise. Buckley has made 102 appearances between them since making the step up in 2013 and scored 11 goals.

 

Kavanagh has flirted with City’s first team since being used as an unused substitute against Monaghan United in 2011 before making his full debut against Rockmount in the Munster Senior Cup in 2012.

 

Under Caulfield; Kavanagh became an assured starter in 2014, making 18 appearances. 16 appearances in 2015, including a match changing substitution against St. Patrick’s Athletic in the FAI Cup, added to a growing tally but injury concerns dampened his 2016 season and he would go on to make three appearances.

 

Most recently, highly-rated winger Chiedozie Ogbene stepped up to the senior team in a 1-0 win away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park in 2015 before making 9 appearances in 2016 including a substitute appearance in City’s FAI Cup victory over Dundalk.

 

However a lack of playing time left the young winger frustrated and he signed for Limerick in the close-season at the end of 2016.

 

Other members of the 2016 Enda McGuill Cup champions, such as Conor McCarthy, Garan Manley and Byrne, were handed professional contracts in the off-season and continue to train with John Caulfield’s first team.

 

“A lot of our players are playing with Cobh who haven’t made the breakthrough,” Caulfield said, referrring to Cian Coleman, Conor Lehane and Craig Donnellan, who joined the First Division side from City.

 

Steps are being put in place to further build upon the underage success, as Caulfield commented:

 

“We’ve done a lot of work on our underage but they need more training, more specific stuff” with positive steps such as the introduction of an under-15 National League and the Centre of Excellence in Glanmire hoping to further aid player development.”