THEY’VE DOMINATED IRISH football between them for the last four years so you know all about Cork City and Dundalk by now.
Because they’ve been hogging the limelight, we’ve decided to give recognition to some of the League of Ireland’s other top performers by picking our Alternative Team of the Year for 2017.
Players from Cork City and Dundalk, as well as those who were included in the PFAI Team of the Year, have been excluded from the selection process, something we’re sure they’ll be absolutely devastated about.
Without further ado, here’s the best of the rest (operating in a 3-5-2 formation)…
Goalkeeper
Shane Supple (Bohemians)
Many expected Bohemians to be in a relegation battle this year. Instead they defied the odds by finishing fifth, and Supple’s brilliance between the posts was a key factor.
Only Cork City and Dundalk conceded fewer league goals than the Gypsies in 2017. The former Ireland U21 and Ipswich Town player was also the only goalkeeper to keep more than one clean sheet against City, the eventual champions.
Honourable mentions: Peter Cherrie (Bray Wanderers), Conor O’Malley (St Patrick’s Athletic)
Defenders
Kyle Callan-McFadden (Sligo Rovers)
He took a while to get accustomed to life in the League of Ireland, but Callan-McFadden eventually became a colossus in the Sligo defence in his debut season with the club.
Having committed to the Showgrounds outfit for 2018, the 22-year-old Donegal native will hope to fulfil the potential that saw him win an FA Youth Cup medal with Norwich City before featuring for the Canaries’ first team in 2014.
Lee Grace (Shamrock Rovers & Galway United)
Galway United were unable to avoid relegation to the First Division on the final day of the 2017 season, but if they managed to keep hold of Lee Grace in July it may have made the difference in their bid to beat the drop.
After a very impressive first half of the campaign at the heart of Galway’s defence, the former Wexford defender was snapped up by Shamrock Rovers just before the transfer window closed and he continued his fine form in Tallaght.
Aaron Barry (Derry City)
Barry’s central defensive partnership with Ryan McBride was broken up in March following the untimely death of the Derry City captain, but the former Sheffield United player continued to be a leader at the back during a tough year for the Candystripes.
One of the League of Ireland’s most consistent performers since he returned from the UK in 2014, the 24-year-old Wicklow native will be playing for champions Cork City next year.
Honourable mentions: Derek Pender (Bohemians), Jordi Balk (St Patrick’s Athletic), Conor McDermott (Derry City)
Midfielders
Conan Byrne (St Patrick’s Athletic)
It was a mostly difficult season for St Patrick’s Athletic as their battle to avoid relegation went right down to the wire, but they certainly weren’t let down by Conan Byrne.
The 32-year-old stalwart chipped in with nine league goals, with his effort from inside his own half against Bohemians voted Soccer Republic’s goal of the season.
Ryan Brennan (Bray Wanderers)
The season began brightly for Bray Wanderers before the wheels eventually came off and financial problems compounded their woes. Amid the difficult times at the Carlisle Grounds, however, Ryan Brennan’s performance levels seldom dropped.
An all-round midfielder who combines skill with endeavour, the 26-year-old former Shamrock Rovers man scored seven league goals as the Seagulls secured another top-half finish. He’ll play for St Patrick’s Athletic next season.
Fuad Sule (Bohemians)
The tenacious 20-year-old was one of the finds of the season, having crossed the Liffey last December to join Bohemians from St Patrick’s Athletic.
Sule, who was named SWAI/SSE Airtricity League player of the month for July, has signed on to stay with the Gypsies for 2018 but there has been some interest from England.
Barry McNamee (Derry City)
Another player whose form for Derry City has earned him a move to Cork City for next season, McNamee was the Candystripes’ top scorer in 2017 with 10 league goals.
A creative midfielder with a cultured left foot, the Donegal native has the potential to be a major asset to John Caulfield’s side in their bid to retain the Premier Division title.
Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers)
Miele enjoyed an impressive conclusion to his third year with Rovers. The former Newcastle United and Irish U21 winger scored nine times in the final two months of the season and picked up the SSE Airtricity/SWAI player of the month award for September.
With Rovers keen to improve on 2017′s third-placed finish next year, Miele’s s decision to sign a two-year contract extension last month was a major boost to Stephen Bradley’s side.
Honourable mentions: Keith Ward (Bohemians), Nicky Low (Derry City), Bastien Hery (Limerick)
Forwards
Dinny Corcoran (Bohemians)
Despite missing several games through injury, Corcoran finished the league campaign with 15 goals. Only Cork City’s Sean Maguire and Dundalk’s David McMillan managed more.
Now in his third spell with the club, the 28-year-old striker showed that after over a decade in the League of Ireland, few are better in front of goal than the Donabate man. Thankfully for Bohs, he has opted to stay for at least two more seasons.
Rodrigo Tosi (Limerick)
The experienced 34-year-old quickly became a fan favourite at the Markets Field by grabbing a hat-trick on his league debut against Sligo Rovers.
Limerick’s first season back in the top flight was far from perfect, but they would have struggled without the Brazilian’s 14 league goals, which saw him finish in fifth place in the goalscoring charts.
Honourable mentions: Chiedozie Ogbene (Limerick), Gary Shaw (Shamrock Rovers), Aaron Greene (Bray Wanderers)
Disagree with our selection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…
