Willow the team to beat as season gets set for kick off

WILLOW Park are once again the team to beat as the 2011/12 Combined Counties League Senior Division kicks off this weekend. Tony O'Sullivan's side are bidding for a fifth consecutive league title, and with changes aplenty at their nearest rivals St Peter's, the odds of capturing a fifth straight title are firmly stacked in Willow's favour. Monksland Utd, who like St Peter's are under new management, are the other Athlone team in the top division, while Melville Utd and Willow Park B (the reigning second tier champions) also begin their Premier Division (second tier) campaigns this weekend. With St Peter's having a difficult off-season, during which five key players left for Airtricity League football with Athlone Town, and newly appointed manager Gerry Lennon departing after only a couple of weeks in charge (it appears over a poor turn-out of players for training), perhaps Mullingar Athletic could emerge as the biggest challenger to Willow's local dominance. Mullingar, who beat Willow 3-2 in last season's Combined Counties Cup final, have recruited former Longford Town stalwarts Leo Devlin and Sean Prunty as their new managerial team, and have big ambitions to compete at the top end of the table. However, Willow will still be extremely difficult to overhaul, with the champions having further boosted their squad during pre-season. Prolific goalscorer Brian Caldwell has been signed from St Peter's, as has Polish goalkeeper Lukas Goraus, while another netminder, former Westmeath Gaelic football star Paul Bannon, has also joined. Both Gary Devine and Graham Whittaker are unavailable for the opening few months of the season (both are overseas with the Defence Forces), but Willow will surely have enough to open the campaign with two wins over the next week. Firstly, they open the season at Birr Town on Sunday (Frank O'Connell Park, 2pm), before entertaining Killavilla Utd next Wednesday (7.30pm). Player-coach Brian Frawley, whose older brother Conor assists Tony O'Sullivan this season, also confirmed Colm Hyland misses the opening three fixtures (due to holidays), and that fellow attacker Benny Magennis, currently working in England, will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. "We still have the bulk of last season's squad in place, and we're looking forward to trying to make it five league titles in a row. That would be a great achievement for the club. We've managed to get a couple of new players on board, and the squad is looking good for the season ahead," said Brian Frawley. He also concurred that Mullingar are the team to watch. "They've been progressing well and we know they've some very good players. It's difficult to know what you're dealing with until the season begins, but I'd imagine Leo Devlin and Sean Prunty will attract a few good players to further improve Mullingar. But we're confident of retaining the league, and hopefully getting good runs in the FAI and Leinster Junior Cups," he said. St Peter's, who stayed neck and neck with Willow for much of last season, before eventually tailing off in disappointing fashion towards its end, have had a dismal pre-season. Gerry Lennon's spell in charge didn't last very long, and only last week did the club confirm Derek Moran as manager. Veteran defender Tom Silke will work alongside Moran, but feels St Peter's expectations have dropped massively for the season ahead. "I think the most important thing was simply to keep senior football going at the club," said Silke. "There's going to be no pressure on St Peter's this season and we'll take it one game at a time. Derek (Moran) has agreed to come in and keep things going, and we should be grateful for that, and I'm sure he'll do a very good job. We're still trying to get our squad together, and I think many of last year's B team will be asked to step-up. Obviously, losing so many players has had a big impact on the squad, but it gives opportunities to others. We'll try to be well organised and hard to beat, and take it from there," added the former Athlone Town, Galway Utd and Longford Town defender. Among the key players to leave St Peter's are Noel McGee, Damien Rushe, Mark Sherlock and Brian Caldwell, while Silke is currently unsure whether Ian Coffey will be available this season. The Connaught-side club hope to make a couple of new additions before the seasons starts, but Silke said "they won't be high-profile players". Players like Kevin Boland, Sean Kenny, Robbie Moroney and John McGowan could be asked to plug the substantial gaps left by the recent player exodus, while much of the onus will also fall on the likes of Pascal Dillon, Dave Donohoe and Aidan Warde. St Peter's start the season with a tricky away game at Mountmellick Utd on Sunday, before hosting neighbours Monksland Utd at McCarthy Park next Wednesday (6.45pm). And while there's also been managerial change at Monksland, the transition has been much smoother at Cushla Park. Long-serving manager Philip Marshall had always intended to step down at the end of last season, after helping Monksland consolidate top flight status following promotion to the Senior Division. Peter Sherlock, who has a long association with soccer in Monksland, has taken the reins, and managed the club's B team last season. He managed to keep hold of the majority of last season's squad, and to add Kevin Gaylard from Ballinahown. Former defender Jack Burke also returns to the club after work commitments curtailed his involvement over the past couple of seasons. "Pre-season has gone very well, and Philip Marshall deserves a lot of credit for the squad I inherit," said Sherlock, an uncle of Athlone Town striker Mark Sherlock. "I've the height of confidence in the players, and there's huge potential in the squad. Hopefully, we can get off to a good start against newly promoted Arlington on Sunday (Cushla Park, 2pm), and then look forward to the St Peter's game. No matter what players left St Peter's, they're still be a force to be reckoned with. St Peter's have lots more experience than us at this level, and we'll certainly be underdogs any time we play St Peter's," he added. Willow Park B, who won the second tier last season but could not be promoted due to league rules, begin their defence of the Premier Division title against CK Utd on Sunday (Willow Park, 2pm). Melville Utd are at home to Derry Rovers in Sarsfield Park (2pm). The remainder of the CCFL leagues will begin over the coming weeks.