Castlewellan favourites to clinch Harry Clarke Cup

1 April 2015

CASTLEWELLAN go into Easter Monday’s ClubSport NI Harry Clarke Cup as red hot favourites when they take on Newcastle seconds at Meadowvale, Drumaness.

Not only are the Town the Newcastle League’s undisputed cup kings, but they also harbour ambitions of adding the Junior Shield to their trophy cabinet as well and they take on Tullycarnet next Thursday night in the semi-finals.

The Town’s league form has been a bit hit and miss of late, but cup finals are a different matter and I expect them to be firing on all cylinders come Easter Monday.

They warmed up nicely with a 4-1 demolition of Tollymore in the league on Saturday. However, they head for Meadowvale with question marks over the fitness of several key players.

Conor Stratton, a highly rated centre half, is struggling with a hamstring injury picked up in the Bobby Dalzell Cup final at Christmas.

Conail Corrigan and Aidy Burns are also major doubts with muscle tears and to make matters worse Luke Toner is out for the rest of the year after suffering a bad leg break in the game against Ardoyne.

The Castlewellan management team of John Burns, Aidy Kelly and Charlie Trainor have had to pick and mix in recent weeks, but they still have enough talent at their disposal to get the better of Newcastle.

Rory Burns will start in goal now that his involvement with the Down U-21 Gaelic footballers is at end. There are few better custodians in local football in either code and just like his dad Mickey before him, he is as safe as houses.

Burns will be fronted by a combination of Barry Travers, Conal Burns, John Clarke — a revelation since joining the Town — Conor Stratton Conail Corrigan, if fit, Aidy Kelly and Donal McKibben.

Travers, Clarke, Stratton and McKibben would walk into any local Amateur League team. McKibben can play in the middle of the park or even as a left winger.

Nial Toner, Stevie Tierney, Davy Gilmore, Sean Russell, Donagh Steele and Lee Ward are all in contention for starting places in the engine room with Toner, Tierney, Russell and Steele likely to get the nod.

They are four combative players who can all sit and hold or push forward to support their strikers. They can handle the physical side of the game and are in the large part disciplined when on the receiving end, something the club drills into its players.

All four are also regular goal scorers and their work ethic is admired and respected by all opponents.

The Town will rely on Stevie Trainor, Daniel Morgan and Karol Jarosinski for goals. Trainor has been the club’s talisman for many years and is still a major threat in and out of the box.

He makes scoring goals look easy and his battle with Newcastle’s Declan Allister will be one of the game’s highlights.

Morgan is another player the Town go to for goals. He is an out and out predator and will thrive on the open spaces at Meadowvale. He has formed a lethal partnership with Trainor and Newcastle must keep this pair quiet if they want to lift the cup.

If any of the aforementioned midfielders or strikers miss out for some reason, Karol Jarosinski will slot in to where ever he is needed. The man of the match in the semi-final win over Ardglass Swifts is a silkly-skilled player and a treat to watch.

Standing in Castlewellan’s way are a Newcastle side who are packed with experience and desire.

Player/manager Paddy Baker, who starred in the first team for years, will play in goal and he will have Stevie McKibben, Pearse McCarthy, Allister and Jamie Kelly in front of him.

McCarthy, a son of former Downpatrick Celtic, Kilmore Rec, Ballyvange and Downshire Hospital striker Terry McCarthy, who once scored four goals in a Harry Clarke Cup final against Annalong, is a steady central defender and has dovetailed perfectly with Declan Allister, who poses the biggest threat to Castlewellan.

This duo simply ooze class. They are confident on the ball and diligent at closing down any predators. However, they will have their work cut out keeping Trainor and Morgan quiet.

Allister, who has enjoyed spells at Rathfriland, Orchard City and, of course, the Newcastle first team, has all the attributes to be the star of the show and Castlewellan must watch him like a hawk in set pieces.

Newcastle will also rely on the diligence of Neil Corr, who played for Castlewellan in the Downpatrick Youth Football League, in the middle of the park alongside the talented and evergreen Felix Valentine.

This pair of grafters will ensure that Donal Acton, Gavin Moore, Conor Hayes and Chris Maginn see plenty of the ball and young Moore is one to watch if he gets in behind the Town defence.

Baker can also call upon former Town players Brian McCombe and Matthew Stratton, as well as squad players Stevie Wallace, Conor Pimm, Bryan Ward and David McKenna.

If Castlewellan get anywhere near a full team out then I fear for Newcastle, but cup finals are notorious for upsets.

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