High achievers. The NERL squad that will take on Cork's CWWSL in the u-14 SFAI Girls Inter-League final at the University of Limerick. Also included are coaches Paddy Allen (right) and Morgan Hughes.

NERL young guns aim for the big time

Jimmy Geoghegan

Published: Sat 2 Mar 2024, 10:28 AM

Last updated: Sat 2 Mar 2024, 11:56 AM

Going for glory. On Saturday, 9th March the players involved with the North East Regional League (formerly the NECSL) will take on their Cork counterparts in the u-14 SFAI Girls Inter-League final at the University of Limerick, 11.10.

Under experienced and accomplished head coaches Paddy Allen and Morgan Hughes the team negotiated a path through to difficult qualifying campaign that included victories over Kildare (6-0), Louth (7-2), and Dublin league MGL (5-0).

It was onto the quarter-finals where they defeated North Tipperary (2-1). Then in the last four Sligo-Leitrim were overcome 4-3.

Getting to the final is a major achievement in itself; a major feat and magnitude of which is fully appreciated by Shane Barrett the Director of the Emerging Talent Progrom with the North East Regional League.

"Over the past three years we have had eight teams (boys and girls) represent the league in the semi-final of the SFAI top tier cup competition.

"However, the 2010 Girls are the first team ever from the League (NECSL/NERL) boys and girls sectors to progress to an Interleague Cup final (national final for u-14s)."

Shane Barrett enjoyed an eventful career as a soccer player himself of course so he knows what he's talking about.

Signed by Wolves in 1997 his involvement in the club was terminated four years later, not by Wolves, by himself. He just felt he wasn't making the progress he hoped. He had left school at 15 to try his hand across in big time soccer across the Irish Sea. By 19 the dream was over.

He returned home, drifted for a time before resurrecting his career. He was signed by Longford Town and played in two FAI Cup finals with the midlanders, winning both of them in 2003 and 2000. Not only that he scored in the win over St Patrick's Athletic in the '03 decider.

He signed for Drogheda United when that club experienced some prosperous times. However, he was sidelined by a cruciate injury when the Drogs won the league title in 2007. It was one of many injuries that hampered Barrett's career.

These days he works as a counsellor with Kildare and Wicklow Adult Education & Training Board. In the evening's he's the director of the Emerging Talent Program with the NERL.

The league and the NERL Academy have, he will point out, made great strides in the past five years. That fact has been highlighted in the large number of teams going close to winning national competitions such as that superb girls team that will play in the final at the University of Limerick next Saturday.

He points out that there is now a steady flow of talented young players graduating from the NERL Academy and moving on to a new level.

"On top of this, we have broken all previous metrics on the number of players progressing from the academy into the FAI-Regional Centre of Excellence (Meath, Louth, Cavan, Monaghan) as well as the FAI national squads," he adds.

"We recently expanded our academy to join forces with the Drogheda Academy, and we now have 10 squads, ranging from u-11 to u-15 (boys and girls). We currently have over 200 players within our Development Program, providing high-level coaching for high potential players from within the NERL league.

"We currently have five UEFA B/A coaches providing development within the NERL Academy.

There are also ambitious plans to expand further so that young players can start to fulfil their potential from a very early age. That everyone gets a chance.

"We are hoping to expand the NERL Academy further in 2024, operating a Pre-Academy for the league. This will focus on players aged both nine and 10 (boys and girls).

The Pre-Academy aims to improve the technical and creative aspects of high-potential players in the game, and in turn better prepare them for future involvement within the Academy once they enter the u-11 age group, by providing more contact hours to high level coaches at a younger age.

Barrett also outlined how challenges facing the NERL are generally centred around access to resources, as well as the weekly operation and management of such a large number of players and coaches.

The u-14 NERL squad to travel for the SFAI Inter League final is:

1. Alicja Lakomska

2. Andrea O’ Reilly

3. Aoife O Connell

4. Charley Coogan

5. Chloe Callaghan

6. Ciara Clarke

7. Emer Dullaghan

8. Emer Martin

9. Faith Joseph

10. Hailey Twomey (In with the

FAI national girls squad - u-15s)