DRINAGH Rangers picked up two SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League trophies on a profitable weekend for the Canon Crowley Park club.
This season’s SuperValu U16 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup final took place in Brinny with double-chasing Drinagh Rangers slight favourites to overcome Lyre Rovers.
The Canon Crowley Park club was looking to add to the U16 Schoolgirls Premier League trophy they annexed earlier in the campaign. Rovers finished third in this year’s Premier League but pushed the champions to the limit in an earlier 3-2 encounter in Lyre.
Against that backdrop, it was the underdogs who got off to the better start with Johanna McCaughey opening the scoring after 16 minutes. Drinagh’s response saw Rosie O’Donovan set up Lucy Hurley to equalise in first-half injury-time.
The second period proved a much more open affair and delivered a plethora of goals. Rosie O’Donovan edged Rangers 2-1 ahead and league champions looked set for victory until Lyre hit back after 65 minutes. Johanna McCaughey’s second of the afternoon made it 2-2 and that’s how the cup final finished, requiring extra-time to determine the outcome.
It was during the two additional periods that Drinagh underlined their quality by scoring three times without reply. Katie Collins made it 3-2 before Sarah Buttimer and Lucy Hurley strikes completed a merited 5-2 victory for the U16 Schoolgirls league and cup champions.
Drinagh Rangers: C Lennon, S Scarlett, K McCarthy, R Morgan, N Daly, E Buttimer, R O’Donovan, L Hurley, M Campbell, K Collins, C Coakley.
Subs: E Limerick, E Curtain, J Coakley, S O’Donovan.
Lyre Rovers: R Buttimer, L McCaughey, E Hodnett, E Collins, D Twomey, A Bishop, L Egan, J McCaughey, R Forristal, E Whelton, R O’Shea.
Subs: I Barry, S Griffin, A McCaughey, R O’Donovan, K Hilliard, C Hayes, S O’Callaghan, A O’Mahony, S O’Donnell.
Referee: M Coakley.
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The second leg of the 2024 SuperValu U16 Schoolboys Bowl final saw Drinagh Rangers and Beara United meet for a second time in Canon Crowley Park last Saturday. Rangers enjoyed a 5-2 aggregate lead following the opening leg played in Castletownbere a week before. Milo Kinsella (2), Joseph McCarthy, Oscar Robinson and Padraic Hegarty netted for the winners in a first leg Jakob Hesse twice replied for United.
It was the visitors who got off to a positive start in the second leg. Luke Steele found the net after 22 minutes. Beara maintained that slender advantage for four minutes before Milo Kinsella scored to make it 1-1. Drinagh copper-fastened their victory thanks to Joe McCarthy and Padraic Hegarty efforts before half-time.
Joe McCarthy’s second goal was the solitary strike of a tight second period but confirmed Drinagh’s 4-1 second-leg victory and deserved U16 Schoolboys Bowl triumph.
Drinagh Rangers: D Hurley, R O’Donovan, C Murphy, O O’Donovan, C Buckley, M Kinsella, P Hegarty, J McCarthy, S Mahone, C Coakley, O Robinson.
Subs: S McCarthy, J O’Donovan, A Murphy, L Grace.
Beara United: F Murphy, O Fasanya, R Martin-Sullivan, S O’Neill, R McAtasney, L Steele, J Healy, J Hesse, O Minihane, R O’Neill, F O’Sullivan.
Subs: S Cronin, R Mulcahy, R Healy, T Harrington, P O’Neill, L Power, A O’Shea, F Hanley.
