KIERAN McCARTHY looks ahead to Sunday’s four Beamish Cup quarter-finals
AND then there were eight. We’re down to the quarter-finals of the Beamish Cup and after a super Sunday, we’ll know who the last four remaining teams are in the hunt for the biggest cup prize in the West Cork League.
We could be in for a repeat of last year’s final when Clonakilty Soccer Club beat Drinagh Rangers, as they have been kept on opposite sides of the draw.
With the semi-finals on March 2nd, and the final in Turner’s Cross on Sunday, March 16th, it promises to be an exciting few weeks in this famous cup competition.
Ardfield v Spartak Mossgrove – This clash in the Showgrounds, Clonakilty on Sunday afternoon (2pm) sees two Championship teams battle for a place in the last four, as surprise packets Ardfield take on last season’s cup semi-finalists Spartak Mossgrove. Ardfield, struggling near the foot of the Championship, have knocked out two Premier Division teams so far, Dunmanway Town (4-3) and Beara United (5-3), scoring nine goals, with Paul Hodnett scoring seven of those. In-form Spartak, in third place in the Championship, have also gone goal crazy in this season’s Beamish Cup as they hammered Skibbereen Celtic 8-0 in round one, with Daniel Twomey scoring five goals. When the teams met in the Championship in early December, Ardfield won 4-1 away to Spartak; it’s one of only two league games they have won so far this season.
Clonakilty Soccer Club v Togher Celtic – With home advantage on Sunday morning (11am), defending Beamish Cup champions Clonakilty Soccer Club will be fancied to overcome the Togher Celtic challenge, but John Leahy’s side has a habit of not making it easy for themselves in this competition. In the first round last month Clon needed a 90th-minute Chris Collins penalty to edge out Championship young guns Bay Rovers, and in last year’s cup-winning run it was a campaign of narrow wins. Togher Celtic turned heads when they dumped last year’s semi-finalists Castletown Celtic out after a 6-1 round-one win, with Paudie Crowley (3), Cathal Daly, Niall Hurley and Robbie Lucey all on target. Togher are involved in the Premier Division relegation scrap, but will ask questions of the champs.
Drinagh Rangers v Skibbereen – Can Skibbereen pull off the shock of the round when they travel to Canon Crowley Park on Sunday afternoon (2pm)? The odds suggest not, but there’s no pressure on the Championship mid-table team as they travel to the current Premier Division leaders and last season’s Beamish Cup beaten finalists. Drinagh made light work of Aultagh Celtic in the last round as goals from Barry O’Driscoll (H), Barry O’Driscoll (T), Robbie McQueen and Mark Grace secured a routine 4-1 win while Skibbereen defeated the Aultagh B team 3-1 with goals from Ronan Collins, Jason Collins and Luke Connolly. The home side is intent on wrestling back the title of the best in the West Cork League after coming up short against Clonakilty Soccer Club in the league and Beamish Cup last season, so Skibbereen will need to pull out a famous giant-killing performance here.
Baltimore v Bunratty United – This Championship (Baltimore) v Premier Division (Bunratty) clash has the makings of a proper cup tie on Sunday morning at Baltimore Road in Skibbereen (11am). Free-scoring Baltimore are pushing for promotion from the Championship and face a Bunratty team second from bottom in the Premier so there could be little to choose between these two. Baltimore are scoring for fun in the Championship, averaging four goals per game in the league, but needed a sole Dan MacEoin goal to beat Drinagh Rangers B in round one of the Beamish Cup. Bunratty have racked up two wins to get to the last eight – Killian O’Brien, Kevin O’Regan and Conor O’Driscoll scored in the 3-1 win against Mizen Hob A while goals from Milan Vearncombe and Conor Brosnan saw Bunratty beat Lyre Rovers 2-1. For context, Lyre and Baltimore are leading the promotion push from the Championship.
