Setting out my pre-season predictions, I thought it was impossible to look beyond the big two of Pembroke and Glenanne. Rovers threw a Club Championship spot in 2006/07 to Monkstown and while the squad was strengthened, it was inconceivable that Pembroke’s international-laden team would be overcome.So much of Rovers season was intertwined with Pembroke – who managed a quadruple of runners-up spots, missing out to Rovers on three occasions. Wanderers looked invincible back in late October, winning 4-1 in Grange Road. But their seemingly massive squad lost key members at key times, Conor Harte busting his shoulder in the Mills semi, Colin Kelly and Justin Sherriff before the Club Champs and missing their Irish contingent for a couple of months.
But a quadruple of titles speaks for itself and when it came to the deciding matche
s, Rovers found ways to get results in the league and Club Championships. The squad’s main difference proved the added grit brought in by Andy McConnell and Neil Lyons transforming a flaky side into one with a never-say-die attitude. Peter Blakeney’s emigration was easily subsumed by Maarten Sier’s drag-flicks and the arrival of Mitch Darling as an international quality striker.Winner: Three Rock Rovers
4 comments:
I think a major turning point for Pembroke was making a balls of the EHL. They had trained and played so well up to it and must ahve been devastated when they were knocked out in the last few minutes. Moral seemed low along with team unity for the rest of the season and they never seemed to get back on track and produce any real quality performances of the standard seen prior to the EHL knock out. There is no doubt they play with the greatest intensity of all the Irish teams however they only do this for 20 to 30mins of a game and have some real lapses in concentration which has caused them 4 out of 5 titles.
One must not forget injuries to key players-Conor Harte, Colin Kelly, Ronan Flannery, Justin Sheriff and internationals-Ronan Gormley, Tim Lewis, Davy and Conor Harte.
So it'll be interesting to see how 3 Rock handle the EHL will they learn from Pembroke's mistakes and will they be capable of defending their titles...I don't think so (and I'm not from Pembroke)
Certainly agree that the Pembroke pre-EHL seemed invincible but this probably has a lot to do with periodisation and the fact that they needed to be peaking in October when everyone else was just getting up a head of .
I imagine Rovers will look to peak at the same time, so the challenge will be how to handle the downturn after EHL and ensure another peak for the second half of the season.
All teams suffer from injuries and unavailability and it could be argued that out of everyone Pembroke actually have the greatest strength in depth... just look at their 2nd XI performances... so should be less affected by this than other clubs!!
Steve I think you neglected to mention in my view the most important member of the new recruits that went to trr this year. Charlie Henderson. The guy seemed to be doing a lot to keep trr a float in their decisive end of season games.
Yes there certainly do have a great seconds team, and there is a lot of depth. But its very rare to find someone that could replace players like Justin Sheriff, Conor Harte or the phsyical prescence of Flannery (replaced by two under 18 players) or the experience of Colin Kelly which is badly needed with a young back line around him! So I don't think squad depth counts for much when your missing international quality. Justin is certainly worth a goal a game!!
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