New Cork boss Farrell focuses on long term development

NEW Cork Women’s FC manager Maurice Farrell regards the challenge of getting the club to the top of the Bus Éireann FAI Women’s National League as a ‘long-term project’.

Cork ended last season in third position 16 points adrift of champions Peamount United and Farrell, also known outside of his extensive soccer coaching exploits on Leeside for winning three Cork County SHC titles, three Munster Club SHC titles and one All-Ireland Club SHC (2004) with Newtown, wants to build incrementally on Cork’s first season in the national league with an emphasis on player development.

He said: “Our main aim is to develop the players because bridging that gap between ourselves and those Dublin clubs that would be five or six years ahead of us in terms of development is a long-term project.

“We need to work together with the local clubs in developing players here to make them bigger and stronger so they can actually fight for league honours in the near future.

“Winning the league this season would be a huge bonus but consolidating our place as the third best team in the league would do us for our first year in terms of how we want to develop the whole squad.”

Farrell has been working with the squad for over two weeks now in their pre-season preparations and the Charleville-based gym instructor is extremely pleased by what he has seen thus far on the training ground and in pre-season friendlies.

“The commitment from the players has been phenomenal so far and I can appreciate that giving commitment can be difficult at times as people have work and other things to concentrate on but every one of the players are excellent.

“The trials for the final squad are ongoing but I couldn’t be happier with how they are going.

“The players are listening to what we have to say and they’re taking it all on board. The next key thing for us to work on now is building a team ethos because this is only the second season these players will be together and of course there will be some new additions from last season to integrate too,” he explained.

As well as his own extensive knowledge of physical fitness and individual and team preparation, Farrell plans to take facets from everything he has learned over the years including his time spent playing with Newtown while revered physical trainer Cian O’Neill presided over the team, to prepare Cork for the challenges in front of them but he has urged the Leeside public to rally behind the team too.

“We’re the only team in the league from Munster and we’re representing Cork so it would be a massive fillip for the team if the sporting public here really feeds into what we are trying to achieve,” Farrell added.

For any other players interested in going on trial with the Cork’s Women’s FC team please contact club chairman Chris O’Mahony on 087-6750873 or manager Maurice Farrell on 087-6540500.