*Pike Rovers.
ENNIS DUO, Steven McGann and Colm Walsh O’Loghlen were celebrating as part of the Pike Rovers squad which claimed back to back Premier League titles.
A scoreless draw against Fairview Rangers on Saturday evening in Crossagalla was enough for Pike to retain the Fran Mullally Trophy.
Before a ball was kicked, Pike knew that with their one point advantage at the top of the table that a draw would suffice in their bid to be crowned league champions. It came as no surprise they produced a strong defensive performance with Pat Mullins who last week was named Limerick Player of the Year to the fore alongside Adam Lipper.
Fairview needed a win but Pike reduced them to taking pot shots from long-range with efforts from Conor Coughlan and Wayne Colbert the closest Rangers came to opening the deadlock in the opening half.
Walsh O’Loghlen had an opportunity to getting off the mark on the restart, after an impressive run his shot was blocked by Shane Tracey and the game eventually petered out to a 0-0 draw.
An ankle injury has kept Pike captain McGann out of action for the past three weeks and he will remain sidelined into the pre-season. He scored five goals in his fourteen appearances in the League. In his absence, Pat Mullins accepted the Fran Mullally Trophy from Pat Dillon of the Limerick District League.
League success was greatly aided by the showing of winger Walsh O’Loghlen in their midweek 3-2 win over Munster Junior Cup champions, Regional Utd. He scored two exceptional goals to steer them to victory which ensured that the draw against Fairview was enough to be crowned champions. Colm had the second most league appearances of any Pike player this season, lining out in seventeen games and scoring nine times.
Both of the Ennis men previously lined out for Limerick FC before settling at Pike Rovers where they have won back to back League titles, the first of which was won after an eight year gap.
Completing the Clare involvement with Pike Rovers is Ennis based physical therapist John Earls who is also part of the backroom team with the Newmarket-on-Fergus senior hurlers and the St Breckan’s senior footballers having previously been involved with Clare’s Oscar Traynor winning sides.
