Imokilly set to run four-week U21 football development league
Michael O'Driscoll and Darragh O'Bric shadow Aghada's Diarmuid Byrne during the Mulcahy Steel East Cork U21 A FC final at Cobh. Picture: Denis O'Flynn
Imokilly GAA have added further structure to its push towards a football revival, with confirmation of a full U21 Football Development League programme for the coming weeks.
Split across A, B and C grades, the competitions will begin on Sunday, January 25, and run for four consecutive weeks.
The decision provides meaningful, graded competition at a key stage of player development, with a round-robin format ensuring each team receive at least three games, while the finals are pencilled in for February 15.
Four teams will compete in the A grade; Aghada, Glenville, Midleton and St Colmcille’s.
Midleton will host St Colmcille’s (White’s Cross and Carraig na bhFear amalgamation), in the opening round. Aghada and Glenville – the division’s two highest ranked football teams – will also face off on that same Sunday, in Rostellan.
The B tier will commence with Castlemartyr hosting St Catherine’s, and Youghal travelling to Cloyne where they face St Colman’s.
The A and B grades are comprised of one four-team group, with each team playing one another over three straight Sundays. The top two in both the A and B groups will advance to the final.
The C tier differs slightly, with both Midleton and Glenville opting to enter two teams, they join Fr O’Neill’s, Bride Rovers and Lisgoold, bringing the total number of teams competing to six, split into two groups of three.
The two sies that top Group 1 and Group 2 will advance to the final. The leagues also dovetail neatly with the Imokilly Football Cup semi-finals, which will take place on the weekend of February 7-8.
The U21 development football league comes as a result of the change made by the county CCC as to when the U21 football championships can be played. Championship games taking place in the February window used last season, is no longer permitted, as a result of player commitments to their respective inter-county setups.
Players not involved in inter-county setups now have an opportunity to develop within an U21 setup, something that has become so valuable for clubs in Cork.
Aghada v Glenville at Rostellan
Midleton v St Colmcille’s at Midleton
St Colmcille’s v Aghada at Carraig na bhFear
Glenville v Midleton at Glenville
Aghada v Midleton at Rostellan
Glenville v Carraig na bhFear at Glenville
Final
Castlemartyr v St Catherine’s at Castlemartyr
St Colman’s v Youghal at Cloyne
Youghal v Castlemartyr at Youghal
St Catherine’s v St Colman’s at Ballynoe
St Colman’s v Castlemartyr at Cloyne
Youghal v St Catherine’s at Youghal
Final
Fr O’Neill’s v Bride Rovers at Aghavine
Glenville v Castlelyons at Glenville
Midleton v Lisgoold at Midleton
Castlelyons v Fr O’Neill’s at Castlelyons
Glenville v Lisgoold at Glenville
Bride Rovers v Midleton at Rathcormac
Fr O’Neill’s v Lisgoold at Aghavine
Bride Rovers v Glenville at Rathcormac
Castlelyons v Midleton at Castlelyons
Cobh v Aghada
Glenville v Carraig na bhFear
App?
