Munster Senior League giants Avondale's top-flight status on the line

Naythan Coleman chases possession for Avondale United. Pic: Larry Cummins

Avondale United's top-flight status in the Munster Senior League Premier Division will be on the line this Saturday when the club faces Blarney United in a promotion/relegation play-off at Ringmahon Park, kick-off 3pm.

The club are in this position after finishing 7th in the table and losing a play-off to Midleton on Wednesday at the home of Mayfield United.

The 2024 and 2025 Premier Division champions ensured their status at the top table with a Killian Murphy goal, with Kevin Murray back in charge at Knockgriffin Park after the departure of Graham Cummins.

Avondale United are now going up against Blarney United in a one-off game, with the First Division side making the journey to Mahon on the back of a season that saw a third-place finish behind Douglas Hall and Castleview.

Avondale will be out to secure their Premier Division status for another season after a campaign that produced just four league wins.

The Dale also struggled in local competitions with the club going out in the early rounds of the Donie Forde Trophy, O'Connell Cup, and Munster Senior Cup.

This was done with a squad featuring several League of Ireland veterans. 

Sean Barron once lined out for Cobh Ramblers, Matthew McKevitt also wore the claret and blue jersey in addition to red and white at Treaty United, Naythan Coleman had a brief stint at St. Colman's Park, and David O'Leary represented a number of clubs, including Cork City, during the 2014 season.

Eoghan Lougheed is also in the squad, a veteran of the Avondale squads that dominated local and national football during the late 2000s and 2010s.

The club were untouchable under the guidance of John Caulfield and later John Cotter, with the springboard for their success being promotion to the Premier Division in 2003.

The Dale claimed seven FAI Intermediate Cups between 2006 and 2019, in addition to a run to the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup proper in 2014 with victories over Collinstown, Carrigaline United and St. Michael’s AFC.

The club were downed by Finn Harps in a replay in Donegal, after playing out a 1-1 draw in Cork.

The high point for Avondale was the 2012-13 season as the club claimed with five different pieces of silverware, a haul that included their third consecutive victory in the FAI Intermediate Cup.

There was also a victory over Cork City in the semi-finals of the Munster Senior Cup and a defeat to Waterford in the final at Turner’s Cross.

Avondale’s success tailed off in the 2020s with the rise of Rockmount and Ringmahon Rangers at local level.

Now it is about avoiding relegation after what seemed like an eternal period of success in Ballintemple.

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