THE festive period saw numerous SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League Cup and Shield winners crowned.
Dunmanway Town became 2024 SuperValu U15 Schoolboys Premier League champions following victory over Lyre Rovers in the league play-off final.
Both clubs enjoyed terrific seasons with Town topping U15 Schoolboys Group 1 with five wins from their six outings. Rovers were equally dominant, winning all eight fixtures in a five-team group.
Lyre was the midweek venue for a floodlit U15 Schoolboys Premier League final in which the visitors emerged 4-2 winners. Daniel Vassallo (2), Shane O’Connell and Sean Galvin scored Town’s goals at the conclusion of a cracking contest.
The Dunmanway Town squad includes Luke Holland (captain), Shane O’Connell, Alex Bramoulle, Sean Galvin, Luke Hall, Shaun O’Connell, Paddy O’Brien, Gavin McCarthy, Kalan Murphy, Eanna Hayes, Daniel Vassallo, Eoin O’Connor, Callum O’Driscoll, Calvin O’Donoghue, Cillian O’Leary, Filip Kowalewski and Oisin McCarthy.
Both Dunmanway and Lyre are also involved in the concluding rounds of this season’s SuperValu U15 Schoolboys Challenge Cup.
Bunratty United hosted Dunmanway Town in an eagerly anticipated quarter-final encounter. Dunmanway proved too strong, winning 6-2 in Town Park, Schull. Adam Whelton and Daniel Copithorne found the net for the hosts. Luke Holland, Daniel Vassallo, Shane O’Connell, Max Bramoulle and Eoin O’Connor were amongst the goals for a Dunmanway team that will face Togher Celtic in the last four.
Earlier in the competition, Lyre Rovers made it through to the U15 Schoolboys Challenge Cup decider following a 3-1 triumph at home to Bay Rovers. Con Desmond was on target for the visitors in a tie Santiago Medina Gomez (2) and Daniel McCarthy strikes sent Rovers through.
Togher Celtic edged Clonakilty AFC 2-1 to capture the 2024 SuperValu U15 Schoolboys Bowl. Cillian Harte’s goal pushed Clonakilty 1-0 ahead before Patrick Crowley and Aaron Hurley efforts won it for Celtic.
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Castlelack Celtic edged Dunmanway Town to capture the SuperValu U14 Schoolboys Challenge Cup four days before Christmas at The Farm in Curaheen, Cork. The Brinny side got off to a positive start with Jack Allen finding the net inside the opening five minutes. The same player doubled Celtic’s advantage to send his side in 2-0 up at the break.
Credit to Dunmanway, who halved the deficit courtesy of Oisin O’Regan early in the second half. Donal McSweeney’s header restored Castlelack’s two-goal lead after 51 minutes. The goals kept coming in a thrilling end-to-end encounter with Hugh McCarthy netting Town’s second shortly before the end. Castlelack’s defence stood firm during an intense closing spell and saw out the remaining time to win the Schoolboys U14 Challenge Cup 3-2.
It took a full team effort for Castlelack to get over the line on an afternoon Gearoid O’Keefe, Eoin Murphy, Jack Allen, Donal McSweeney and Harry Chambers shone for the winners.
On the same afternoon, The Farm in Curaheen played host to a second SuperValu WCSSL final as Ardfield and Bay Rovers contested the U15 Schoolboys Shield decider. The Kealkill club came out on top, leading 2-1 at the break and holding on for a narrow 3-2 triumph. Padraig O’Sullivan, Ryhan Harrington and Ronan Kennan.
Lyre Rovers are through to this season’s SuperValu U13 Schoolboys Challenge Cup final. A 2-1 defeat of Dunmanway Town sent Lyre through to the cup decider against Bay Rovers after the latter edged Clonakilty AFC United 3-2 in early December. Second half goals from Dara Ryan and Barry Connolly earned Lyre a cup final appearance.
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The West Cork Academy U16 schoolboys squad that defeated Kerry 7-1 to reach the 2024 SFAI Munster Cup final where they will face the Cork Schoolboys League in January.
A busy new year awaits the West Cork Academy with details of upcoming SFAI provincial knockout rounds announced shortly before Christmas.
The region’s U12 schoolboys squad will complete their Munster group phase away to Clare (Yellows) on January 12th. Irrespective of that result, Shane Hurley’s young side will face Clare (Blues) in the SFAI Munster U12 Trophy semi-finals in Clare on January 26th.
A 4-1 loss away to Limerick completed the U12 Schoolboys’ 2024 fixture-list. Michael O’Sullivan scored for a West Cork team in which Noah Kingston, Max O’Keefe, Josh Quinn and Liam Carey played well.
At U13 schoolboys’ level, West Cork will also be making their way to the Banner County to take on Clare in the last four of the Munster Trophy competition. The winners will face either West Waterford or Limerick County Whites in the decider.
A fortnight before Christmas, the West Cork Academy U15 schoolboys defeated Waterford 4-2 in their concluding group match. Goals from Conor Murphy (2), Luke O’Neill and Vitor Coutinho saw the rural region wrap up their initial round-robin phase in the best possible fashion.
As a result, yet another encounter against their Clare Schoolboys League equivalents sees the West Cork Academy U15 Schoolboys hosting the former in an SFAI Munster Trophy semi-final on January 12th. The winners will progress to face either Waterford or Limerick County for the provincial trophy.
The West Cork Academy will take on the Cork Schoolboys League in this season’s SFAI Munster U16 Cup final. That encounter is currently pencilled in for January 26th but clashes with a possible SFAI National Bowl U16 Schoolboys semi-final game at home to either Mayo or Clare.
The U16 schoolboys concluded their opening Munster phase with a superb 7-1 defeat of Kerry shortly before Christmas. Luke Holland netted a hat-trick with Alex Bramoulle, Daniel Vassallo, Liam Ryan and Sean Platt also getting their names on the winners’ scoresheet. Details of remaining SFAI National competition knockout phase ties involving the West Cork Academy have not yet been publicised.
