Clodiagh Rangers FC are Kings of Spain after big Euro Pub League title win

EPL Report by Reporter Pat Treacy in Valencia, Spain

Following Clodiagh Rangers maiden success in the Euro Pub League last year in Nice, France they set about gathering a strong squad together and headed for sunny Spain on the weekend of June 8th and 9th th to defend their title in the host city of Valencia.

An advanced party of Clodiagh members arrived several days earlier and got to work on final arrangements including sussing out the tournament venue as well as quite a few local hostelries.

The bulk of the squad flew out from Cork airport late on Thursday evening and over the next 36 hours or so managed to get in some light training and fine tuning before showing up fresh and raring to go at midday on Saturday at the excellent sports grounds of Valencia University.

This year’s competition included EuroPub stalwarts Scholars of Rome (with Holycross man James King a key player in their midfield), Spartak Gent of Belgium, the Austrian/German combo of Dynamo/Inter, the always entertaining Cork Eagles made up of Polish ex-pats domiciled in the Rebel city and the holders Clodiagh Rangers FC.

The host city provided the sixth team for the tournament known as Valencia TF. It soon became apparent what TF stood for when the home side put Clodiagh to the sword in the first match winning 3-1.

Talented and ultra confident they were with the only bright spark being young Huey Purcell’s net-buster for Clodiagh to put a better complexion on it.

As the competition progressed the teams fought out the 15 minute matches in searing 29 degrees of heat with Clodiagh struggling to get into their stride. They faced Dynamo/Inter next and while they totally dominated the game they could not find a way past their excellent goalkeeper.

To make a bad situation worse they were sucker punched with a counter attack in the dying minutes, but luckily John Ryan Casey responded quickly with a quick-fire equaliser to salvage a point that would prove crucial come the end of the round robin phase.

Clodiagh finally began to get flowing in their next match when they overcame Cork Eagles 3-1 with goals from John Ryan Casey, Johnny Carew and Oisín Treacy. Eagles incidentally fielded a defender who looked suspiciously like one of the Clodiagh entourage from the Lacken area of Upperchurch!

With Clodiagh feeling better about things following their first win they were soon left reeling when Scholars scored the only goal of their contest with the last kick of the game to leave the holders teetering perilously close to an early exit from the competition.

Clodiagh simply had to get something from their last group match against Gent of Belgium and they dug deep to force a 2-2 draw with goals from Big Tom Purcell and Little Johnny Carew!

And so on to the knockout stages with Clodiagh drawn to face Valencia TF once again. Since their first encounter Valencia had proceeded to notch up three further wins and were seemingly looking like everyone’s favourites to claim the silverware.

By now though Clodiagh had managed to shake off the cobwebs at this stage and were now playing the type of football that could trouble anyone!

Team management were making astute changes at the right time now and with fatigue becoming more of a factor for the remaining teams, the youthful members of the Drombane side were becoming more prominent as Leo Ryan, Shane Davern and Huey Purcell were still full of running after over two hours of tournament football.

The semi-final contest ended in stalemate with both defences dominating and Clodiagh keeper Sean Purcell defying gravity with a couple of world class saves to keep his side in the hunt.

Several timely interventions from the impressive Sean Stakelum also helped keep the home side at bay. A dramatic penalty shootout was needed to decide who progressed to the final.

Valencia saw their fourth effort drift outside the post and with Huey Purcell, Oisín Treacy, Johnny Carew and Tom Purcell converting, it was left to young Rían Treacy to calmly slot home the winner and send the Clodiagh contigent into raptures!

The only downside for Clodiagh was the sight of veteran defender Rob Doran having to be helped from the pitch a few minutes from the end of normal time with a nasty calf strain which would rule him out of the rest of the tournament (but thankfully not the post tournament celebrations!)

In the final Clodiagh faced Spartak Gent once more. Following the earlier draw between the sides it was felt another close contest was in prospect.

However Clodiagh rose to the occasion and with Johnny Carew still full of energy up front the Rossmore lad proved to be the difference with two well taken goals having being put through each time with slide rule passes from Rían Treacy who had grown in confidence with every game.

Yet again a strong defensive display made sure Gent were unable to respond and the final whistle was greeted with great joy and excitement from the merry band of travelling supporters.

The presentations took place later that evening in Finnegan’s Irish lounge where the winning panel were presented with their medals and the Euro Pub Cup. Johnny Carew capped a fine day for him personally by receiving the joint top scorer award for his five goals.

A great night, a great trip and a great result for the Drombane club retaining their title. Thoughts are already turning to Glasgow next year where Clodiagh will attempt to make more history by winning three-in-a-row!

Clodiagh playing squad: Mikey Browne, Sean Purcell, Shane Davern, Leo Ryan, Huey Purcell, Rían Treacy, Sean Stakelum, Tom Purcell, Kev Smith, John Ryan Casey, Rob Doran, Oisín Treacy, Johnny Carew, Pat Phelan and Jack Smith.
Back Room team: Thomas Fogarty (Security), Billy Clancy (Stats), Frankie Shortt (Historian), Pat Treacy (Maor Uisce), Fleadh Davern (Dietician), Patrick Purcell (Kitman) and Callum Murray (Performance Coach).