CRESCENT ATHLETIC NOV 99

CRESCENT ATHLETIC




Not too many clubs can match the record of Crescent Athletic in AUL league football. The small northside club have won championships at third, second, first, and Premier. They won 3A in 1984, 2A a year later, One A in 1991, and the Premier in 1993.



They haven't had the same luck in cup competitions. They have reached four finals but on each occasion left empty handed. In the 1984, they reached the decider of the President's Cup, two years later it was the St Michael's, in 1991 they lost the City Challenge Cup final before their biggest disappointment year later when they went down to Bandon in the AOH.



The club, from the Gurranabraher area, were founded in 1982 and remarkably two of the original players, John O'Donovan and Dominic Dineen, are still playing.



November has been a pretty bad month for Crescent; they had one game called off because of a frozen ground, another because of a waterlogged pitch. They are hoping to get into action next Sunday morning when they are scheduled to take on Grangevale in the Examiner Munster Junior Cup. This is also the Murphy's Stout Match of the Week and kick off in Monard is 10.45. Crescent are pretty experienced campaigners in this competition and have reached the last 16 twice.



October was a pretty good month with four wins from five games. They had away cup wins over Skibbereen, Crosshaven, and Fairview and a home victory against Togher. They currently share a ground with Blarney Utd at Monard and their main aim for the season is to gain promotion back to the Premier Division.



The current committee consists of Joe Dineen, Brian Marshall, Neilus Dineen, and Jim McCarthy and they are delighted with the support they get from the Glenryan Bar, APOC Builders, and Tom's Doors.



The panel is: Tom O'Connell, Tony Dunlea, Adrian O'Connell (captain and player of the year), John O'Donovan, John Chisholm, Pat Lynch, David Constant, Dominic Dineen, Eric Buckley, Paul O'Reilly, Gary Sheehan (leading scorer), Niall O'Regan, Joe O'Sullivan, and William Wyse.



Crescent flashback

One of the major ingredients in Crescent Athletic's successful title campaign in League 2A (in 1984/5) was the well attended pre-season training sessions under player-manager George Cummins. They won their first eight games and confidence grew. They got stronger and won the title by a massive nine points. They were unbeaten in the league and, unusually, didn't concede a goal at home.



They went through the entire season with just 14 players, the same fourteen that won the third division title for them in 1983/84. Needless to say, all 14 were signed up again.



One of the leading players was centre half Neilus Dineen, a founder member and, at their annual function, he received the Player of the Year Award from Lord Mayor Liam Burke. Anthony O'Connell (now one of their sponsors) won the award in the previous season and in their very first season there was a tie between John O'Donovan and Dominic Dineen (the same two who line out in Crescent's colours today).