Huge test for Avenue

“A HUGE day for Clare soccer, not just Avenue United” is how Avenue secretary Alfonso D’Auria described this Sunday’s Munster youths final in which the Ennis club will take on Waterford Bohemian’s at Ozier Park inWaterford at 3pm.
It is Avenue’s first time contesting the final of this competition. Having reached the quarter-finals of the FAI Youths Cup and the semi-final of the FAI U-17 cup recently, they will travel to Waterford with high hopes of making history by becoming the first Clare club to win the title.
“We are not going down to make up the numbers but we understand that Waterford will be favourites. They backbone the Waterford youths team, which is into the FAI Youths semi-final. They were in the final of this competition last year, where they lost out to Killarney Celtic, who had beaten us in the semi-final. They are a strong outfit,” according to D’Auria, joint manager of the Ennis outfit with Davy Kerins.
“They have conceded just one goal on their way to this final,” the Ennis official added. “They beat Charleville 2-0 in the semi-final. We met Charleville in the FAI and while we won, we needed a penalty shoot-out to get through.”
D’Auria believes being involved in the latterstage of competitions like this “shows that young guys don’t have to go to Limerick or Galway to be spotted or get on the big stage”.
Because of his commitment to Leicester, Dylan Casey will not be available to Avenue.
Apart from “a few knocks”, everyone is injury free but there are six of the squad involved with the Clare minor footballers in the Munster Championship first round on Saturday evening, including Dean D’Auria, Sean Corry, Cian Burke and Paddy O’Malley. The Banner will play Waterford in that tie at Cusack Park.
Nathan Murray is set to fill the goalkeeping position, while others expected to be in the starting line-up are Kaylan O’Loughlin, Nicky Twumasai, Segun Junaid, Paddy O’Malley, Dean D’Auria and Darragh Kerins. The team has joint captains in D’Auria and Kerins.
Avenue have been knocking at the door for major honours in recent seasons and particularly this year. The experience they have gained will, team mentor D’Auria believes, stand to them in Sunday’s final at which he is hoping there will be a big Clare following.
Avenue are just the second Clare club to reach the final of this prestigious competition. In 1993, Turnpike Rovers, managed by Ronnie Pyne, lost out to Old Bridge from Clonmel in the final.
Avenue, no doubt, will be hoping to go one step further.