BY GER McCARTHY
CASTLELACK and Dunmanway Town will contest the U13 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup decider following hard-earned semi-final victories.
Riverside Athletic and Castlelack couldn’t be separated at the end of normal time in their U13 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup semi-final under floodlights in Castletownkenneigh.
Both defences were on top form, underlined by the fact the score remained 0-0 at the conclusion of extra-time. It was Castlelack who emerged 3-0 winners on spot-kicks and booked their place in the cup final.
There, the Brinny club will face in-form Dunmanway Town who proved too strong for Beara United at the Meadows. Keelin Sulivan (2) and Ellie Dickinson found the net for the visitors. Dunmanway deservedly rubber-stamped their challenge cup final appearance thanks to a Keira Kelly and Lucy McCarthy hat-tricks plus additional Lauren Mawe Downey (2), Niamh Sweetnam, Theresa Crowley and Cadhla McCarthy efforts.
This season’s U12 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup final will be contested by Inter Clonakilty and Lyre Rovers. Inter hosted Drinagh Rangers in Monday’s semi-final and won 1-0 thanks to Eirinn Coppinger’s winner. On the same evening, Sarah Walsh, Alice O’Sullivan and Laoise Hurley netted Lyre Rovers’ goals in a 3-1 defeat of Dunmanway Town in the other last four encounter. Nicola Hurley was Town’s lone scorer.
In the U14 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup, Sullane or Lyre Rovers will be Drinagh Rangers’ opponents in this year’s decider. Last Sunday’s semi-final between the Ballyvourney club and Rovers had to be postponed. Drinagh knocked Bay Rovers out in the penultimate round thanks to a recent 3-0 win. Nell Kinsella was the Canon Crowley Park side’s hero, scoring a hat-trick to send her team into this season’s final. The aforementioned clubs were also due to be involved in last Saturday’s U16 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup semi-final in Drinagh. Poor weather conditions caused the postponement of the entire Saturday fixture-list so Bay and Drinagh will have to face one another at a later date.
A challenge cup final appearance against Lyre Rovers will be Rangers’ or Rovers’ reward. The former overcame Castlelack 4-0 in last Monday night’s semi-final. Jo McCaughey and Ide Barry each netted twice to send Lyre through to the decider.
