This month in SSE Airtricity League land saw the mid-season break, meaning there were only three games for most teams to impress us.
The short break looks to have done nothing to halt the momentum of high-flying Dundalk who are sitting pretty at the top of the table, three points clear of nearest rivals Cork City with a game in hand.
St. Pat’s dominate our XI, with four of the eleven coming from Liam Buckley’s side. That’s thanks to four wins from four in which they scored 12 goals and conceded just two.
Three Shamrock Rovers players make the cut, while table toppers Dundalk provide two men at the back, leaving spots open for a Cork City big man and a solitary Bohs midfielder.
Goalkeeper
Brendan Clarke (St. Pat’s) gets the nod to start between the sticks thanks to a stellar month in which he’s conceded just two goals. He’s been as reliable a player as Liam Buckley has at his disposal. A terrific shot-stopper, he’s been a monster last line of defence, looking much bigger than the 6 ft 1 in figure he cuts.
Defenders
There’s no shortage of experience in the centre of defence as the top two of the table are represented with Brian Gartland (Dundalk) partnering Dan Murray (Cork City). Gartland has played a huge part in Dundalk’s bid to retain their title and although the Lilywhites conceded more goals than Stephen Kenny will deem acceptable, Gartland has seldom been at fault. He’s also not too shabby going forward, getting on the scoresheet twice against Limerick. Murray, meanwhile has had another typically Dan Murray month. Dependable at the back and also a threat going forward, the league simply won’t be the same when he hangs up his boots.
In the full back positions, we’ve opted for Sean Gannon (Dundalk) on the right. He’s never going to be the superstar for Dundalk but the graft he puts in does not go unnoticed. He possesses the skills that every right back ought to have and he played a vital role in the champions’ mid-month victory away to Sligo. On the left, we’ve gone for Ian Bermingham (St. Pat’s) who is noticeably maturing as the months go by. In June, he proved himself to be one of the stars at Richmond Park and his reliability was best summed up in a performance against Derry City that suggests he’s up there among the league’s best left backs.
Midfield
After much deliberation, we’ve decided to give Keith Buckley (Bohs) the spot in central midfield. He’s able to get moves started just as well as he’s qualified to break up attacks and drop deep to take the pressure off his team and did that consistently throughout the month. Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers) the nod. An attacking midfielder by trade, he can also be used as a wide man and his versatility was a big factor in his selection. The former Newcastle trainee has found the net three times in June and is proving a valuable investment for Fenlon.
On the flanks, there was no chance that we were leaving Kieran ‘Marty’ Waters (Shamrock Rovers) out of our XI. The talented playmaker got Pat Fenlon’s men back to winning ways with the winner against Galway last weekend but Waters has actually found the net in all four of Rovers’ games in June so we’d be hard pressed to find a better inclusion.The first name on our teamsheet, Chris Forrester (St. Pat’s) was a no-brainer as he found the net on four occasions in June. But even away from the goalscoring realm, the 22-year-old looked mature beyond his years with his off the ball movement and ability to find space.
Forwards
There were a couple of considerations for us up front but we’ve chosen Christy Fagan (St. Pat’s) to lead the line thanks to a stellar start to the month. Fagan struggled to find his goalscoring boots before netting twice in two games before the break. Supporting the 26-year-old is young Mikey Drennan (Shamrock Rovers) who, like his strike partner, had gotten his month off to a flying start with three goals in two games before being suspended thanks to a red card picked up late on against Derry City. Lucky for him we’re basing our picks for forwards on goalscoring rather than discipline.
