The first Isle of Man Newspapers’ Team of the Week for the 2016-17 Manx football season boasts a host of familiar faces and a plethora of goals.
The opening weekend of the Canada Life Premier League season saw champions St George’s begin the defence of their title with a 13-1 thumping of Ayre, while there were also wins for Peel, Rushen, Corinthians, Union Mills and St Mary’s.
Veteran goalkeeper Christian Cellamare - the reigning Football Writers’ Goalkeeper of the Year - shows no signs of slowing down at all as he helped Union Mills and Neil Akkulugadu get their campaigns off to a winning start thanks to a 1-0 win over newly-promoted Colby.
Also impressing for the Millers in that match was another defensive cohort in the shape of Will Miller who excellent in the heart of the defence to keep a clean sheet and book his place in hypothetical XI.
Joining him in a three-man backline are Eric Kelly and Adam Cregeen who went head-to-head at Mullen-e-Cloie for St John’s and Peel respectively. Cregeen proved to be the match-winner as his early goal ensured last year’s runners-up Peel got three points on the board, just edging his Douglas Road team-mate Daniel Lace out of the Team of the Week.
Kelly was also impressive as the young, talented full-back shone for the Saints as they restricted their western rivals to only one goal.
The two standout results from the first round of fixtures were arguably at Croit Lowey and Ballafletcher where Rushen United thumped Laxey 6-0 and Corinthians eased past DHSOB 3-0 respectively.
Therefore it’s no surprise to see players from both the Spaniards and Whites being called up to TotW, with Rushen’s Liam Cowin excelling in the centre of the park as the southerners ran riot against the Miners while Danny Oram netted twice to put Old Boys to the sword.
Completing the midfield quartet are St Mary’s playmaker Brian Crellin and St George’s Sam Caine. Crellin pulled the strings in midfield for the Saints as the Bowl outfit saw off the challenge of newly-promoted Douglas Athletic 3-1, while Caine was the undoubted star of the show as he helped himself to four goals during the champions’ 13-1 rout of Ayre United.
The three-man attack also boasts plenty of goals, with the potent trio having grabbed no fewer than eight between them in Saturday’s matches, two of them netting hat-tricks.
The two in question are no strangers to Team of the Week, namely Steven Priestnal and Chris Bass Jr who tormented their opponents for the St Mary’s and St George’s respectively.
Completing the line-up is Rushen United ‘s Jack Saxon who grabbed a brace for the Spaniards in their aformentioned 6-0 demolition of Laxey at Croit Lowey.
Just missing out on a place in the latest hypothetical XI were Saxon’s team-mate Alex Maitland, Bass’s fellow attacker Conor Doyle and Corinthians star Josh Ridings.
Claiming the first referee of the week honours for the new season is Matty Shaw who impressed with the whistle in the middle of the clash between Rushen v Laxey.
Team of the Week
Goalkeeper
Christian Cellamare (Union Mills)
Defence
Eric Kelly (St John’s)
Adam Cregeen (Peel)
Will Miller (Union Mills)
Midfield
Brian Crellin (St Mary’s)
Liam Cowin (Rushen)
Danny Oram (Corinthians)
Sam Caine (St George’s)
Attack
Ste Priestnal (St Mary’s)
Jack Saxon (Rushen)
Chris Bass Jr (St George’s)
Referee
Matty Shaw (Rusheb v Laxey)