DRINAGH Rangers U14 schoolgirls and Bay Rovers U13 schoolboys finished off their SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League seasons with cup final victories.
Drinagh Rangers and Sullane met in Saturday’s U14 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup final at Brinny. The top two teams in this season’s U14 Schoolgirls Premier League kicked off with Rangers eager to complete a league and cup double.
There was little to choose between the sides throughout an opening half in which defences dominated. Scoreless at the break, scoring chances increased in the second period before Sullane finally broke the deadlock. Aisling Kelleher found the net to edge the Ballyvourney club ahead.
The prospect of missing out on a U14 schoolgirls’ league and cup double looked ominous as Drinagh entered injury-time still 1-0 in arrears. That was Rosie O’Donovan’s cue to make her presence felt and net a late equaliser to send the cup final to extra-time.
Drinagh’s and Sullane’s defences remained steadfast and penalties were required when neither side could add to their totals. Rangers held their nerve in the resulting shootout, winning 3-1, to put the seal on a marvellous U14 Schoolgirls Premier League and Cup double-winning season. A third consecutive U14 Cup final success at this grade underlines the strength of the Canon Crowley Park club’s youth academy.
Drinagh Rangers: R Curtain, S Scarlett, K McCarthy, K O’Sullivan, E Limerick, E Buttimer (captain), N Kinsella, N Daly, M Campbell, S Buttimer, R O’Donovan.
Subs: L Young, E Fitzpatrick, K McCarthy, M Hodnett, R O’Sullivan, T Reilly, H Collins.
Sullane: C Creedon, E Carey, N Scannell, R White (captain), E Ni Laocha, G Lynch, L Hoare, A Kelleher, S Cronin, K Dineen, K O’Connell.
Subs: E Ni Bhriain, C Mulhern, M McSweeney, S Delahunty, M Lynch, I McCarthy, D O’Donoghue, E Cronin, L Scannell.
Referee: S Doyle.
U14 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup winners Drinagh Rangers' captain Emily Buttimer accepting the trophy from the WCSSL's Tadhg Curtin.
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Lyre hosted a midweek U13 Schoolboys Challenge Cup final between last year’s winners Bay Rovers and Lyre Rovers. Two talented teams delivered an exciting six-goal thriller under floodlights and entertained an appreciative crowd.
The visitors finished second behind champions Dunmanway Town in this season’s SuperValu U13 Schoolboys Premier before knocking Bunratty United, Ardfield and Clonakilty AFC United out of the cup. Lyre’s path to the cup final included wins over Skibbereen Dynamos, Beara United and, most notably, Premier League champions Dunmanway.
Defences were on top for much of the cup final’s early stages before Lyre finally opened the scoring. The award of a penalty provided Barry Connolly with a goal-scoring opportunity that was duly converted.
Chances were at a premium for the remainder of a cup final looking to be going Lyre’s way until a late Bay Rovers intervention. The Kealkill club refused to accept defeat and were rewarded when Cillian O’Sullivan headed in a few seconds before the final whistle shrilled.
A 1-1 draw necessitated extra-time and it was Bay who hit the front during the first period of additional time. Conor O’Leary sent a free-kick into the back of the net from the edge of the box.
2-1 became 3-1 once Calvin O’Brien found the net but, creditably, Lyre struck back with Michael Ryan scoring to set up a nervy closing period.
The next goal would decide the outcome and it was the Kealkill club who grabbed it. Eoin Hickey got his name on the scoresheet to make it 4-2 and Bay Rovers celebrated a second consecutive SuperValu U13 Schoolboys Challenge Cup triumph.
Bay Rovers: B Hegarty, F Wiseman (captain), C O’Leary, L Arundel, C Downey, M Hayden, E McCarthy, S Mullany, K O’Sullivan, C O’Brien, E Hickey.
Subs: N O’Sullivan, L Schultz, S O’Sullivan, C Connolly, J O’Sullivan.
Lyre Rovers: E McAuley, M O’Leary, W Coleman, N Jennings, M Ryan, D Ryan, D Abbott, P O’Leary, D Ryan, I McInerney, B Connolly.
Subs: M Vos, D McCarthy, S Murphy, T Crowley, E Hayes.
Referee: A McDermott.
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Clonakilty AFC’s SFAI U12 National Cup run was ended by Cork Schoolboys League club Mallow AFC at the Clonakilty RC astro pitch on Sunday. Luca O’Donovan found the net for the host club but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 Mallow win.
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A 5-1 victory over South Tipperary sealed the West Cork Academy's U14 schoolboys squad's SFAI National Trophy semi-final berth.
Only one West Cork Academy team was in action this past weekend. The region’s U14 schoolboys squad travelled to the Canon Hayes complex in Tipperary for an SFAI National Trophy quarter-final meeting with hosts, South Tipperary, last Sunday.
Producing a marvellous first-half display, West Cork raced into a 4-0 interval lead courtesy of Jack Allen, Eoin Hickey, Dara Ryan and Cole O’Tuama strikes.
South Tipperary tightened up in the second period and even found the net but an Aidan Wholey effort put the seal on a fantastic 5-1 West Cork victory in which Vitor Coutinho stood out.
The rural academy’s reward is a home SFAI U14 Schoolboys National Trophy semi-final against either South Belfast or Galway.
The West Cork Academy U14 schoolboys squad included Cillian Kingston, Aaron Harrington, Michael Ryan, Eohgan Holland, Fiachra Garrett, Dara Ryan, Cole O’Tuama, Hugh McCarthy, Jack Allen, Rory Ecklof, Vittor Countinho, Aidan Whooley, Eoin Hickey, Calum Craig, Sam Mullany, Michael Collins, Tadhg Farrell, Sean O’Tuama, Patrick O’Leary and Harry Hall.
