An Ode to Gabe Kircough

To misquote Kirsty MacColl, there’s a guy playing for Penybont you’d swear was the next Harrison Burke.

And having kept a close eye on Burke’s development during his time in the National League North at Chester as a possible England C cap, I consider myself fairly well-placed to offer such lofty comparisons given that Burke is now deservedly progressing his career with standout performances in League Two for Walsall - to the shock of absolutely nobody who witnessed his earlier performances. 

Burke’s eleven-goal haul for Chester in their 24/25 National League North campaign certainly attracted the attention of those who hadn't seen his potential as early as we had, as a central defender more than capable in and out of possession; of breaking lines in possession through well-chosen passes or the occasional dribble; of being more than robust for the rigours of the National League North and beyond. The following visualisation made as part of the 23/24 England C selection process for games against Wales C and Nepal that year:  

At around the same time Burke’s consistently strong performances for Chester were catching our eye for possible England C selection, another player was beginning to put the technical and tactical building blocks together some 150 miles away in South Wales…

Gabe Kircough’s performances as a central midfielder in 23/24 were pleasing enough for such a young player making the transitional steps from life in the Cymru South and demonstrated a keen eye for the progressive pass (no mean feat in the hustle and bustle of the notoriously busy middle-third of the Cymru Premier) with five assists and four goals across 31 performances. 

But it would be 24/25 where things would become pivotal for Kircough’s career. Switched to central defence for a game against Connah’s Quay in mid-September 2024, Kircough was able to combine the on-ball finesse he’d begun to master in midfield with composed and intelligent tactical awareness. And if that failed, his impressive frame and quick recovery runs ensured that he was a key figure in bolstering Penybont’s progress to a second place finish in the Cymru Premier while chipping in with three goals and three assists from his newly-found role (outcomes not too dissimilar to Burke’s 23/24 NLN output the year before).         

It was during the 24/25 season that my interest in Kircough was secured - a rare example of a player who could fit both a back three or back four system effectively and therefore making him an attractive proposition for a wide-range of clubs. So often you see players with potential who are limited to playing in a specific shape due to limitations in their game but Kircough, possibly thanks to the versatility in his earlier career, is able to satisfy the long list of requirements clubs look for if they are going to financially commit. 

If any questions did remain about Kircough’s capabilities as a combative but composed CB, his selection in the 24/25 JD Cymru Premier ‘Team of the Season’ (alongside long-time AnalystsBar favourite Louis Lloyd before his progressive move to St Johnstone) and nomination for Young Player of the Season should have underlined the talent I’d seen regularly on Sgorio.

Just last week, I was able to catch up with Kircough again via the Sgorio live stream to see him add to his growing assist tally against Caernarfon in a 2:1 victory with him, once again, underlining his undoubted potential. As early as the 8th minute, on a rain-sodden artificial surface, Kircough’s ability to deftly recover a driven Caernarfon clearance via a neat Cruyff turn in the middle third to evade the aggressive press set the tone.

This composure under pressure simply foreshadowed the move that would ultimately decide the match, with Kircough finding himself on the edge of the opposition box and providing a backheel inside to the on-rushing forward to drive Penybont into a two-goal advantage. Yet it wasn’t all glamorous. As the rain slowed to torrential, Kircough’s defensive decisions needed to be more and more deliberate - but with a wealth of defensive experience behind him he instinctively knew when to hold his defensive line or when to break shape and press.

The duels he went in for were well-chosen, not only winning them but was careful in choosing how best to recover the ball for Penybont.

How long Penybont will be able to rely on Kircough’s defensive qualities remains to be seen. But if I was a club after a younger Harrison Burke, I wouldn’t look much further. 

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Written by Colin Sisson | @colin_sisson

Editor: Richard Ogando | @notts_stats

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