THE opening rounds of the 2025 SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League’s U13 and U14 Schoolboys Challenge Cups delivered plenty of goals and excitement.
Lyre Rovers and Dunmanway Town served up a ten-goal cracker in the first round of the U14 Schoolboys Challenge Cup in Lyre. The home side emerged 6-4 winners after extra-time with Michael Ryan (2), Barry Connolly, Patrick O’Leary, Malcolm Vos and David McCarthy goals sealed Rovers’ win. Darryl O’Donovan (2), Hugh McCarthy, Vittor Coutinho replied for a battling Dunmanway.
In the same round, Castlelack proved too strong for Ardfield. A 5-1 win was attained thanks to Jack Allen’s hat-trick. Jack Buttimer and Tadgh O’Farrell goals weren’t enough to prevent Togher Celtic from suffering a 3-2 cup loss at home to Skibbereen.
Five goals were also scored during an entertaining Bay Rovers and Drinagh Rangers first round clash at Kealkill. Rovers’ Eoghan Hickey opened the scoring. Drinagh struck back through Donnacha Collins and Rory Hurley. Eoin McCarthy responded for Bay but another Hurley effort sealed Rangers’ 3-2 win.
Bunratty United knocked Clonakilty AFC Spurs out thanks to a 3-0 victory in Town Park. Henrikas Dabrys netted twice in Beara United’s 3-1 first round success over Skibbereen Dynamos in Castletownbere.
Elsewhere in the U14 Schoolboys Challenge Cup, Clonakilty AFC United travelled to Kealkill and overcame Bay Rovers. Robert Leahy (2), Daire O’Neill (2), Darragh O’Sullivan, Desmond Barrett, Mason Wycherley and Daniel Keohane scored for the winners. Callum Connolly was Bay’s lone scorer.
Any team that lost an U14 Schoolboys Cup tie has been given a second chance at glory with entry into the 2025 SuperValu U14 Schoolboys Shield.
Entrants for this season's three U14 schoolboys divisions have also been confirmed. Three league titles will be up for grabs over the coming months. The top tier’s U14 Schoolboys Premier League sees Bay Rovers, Castlelack, Drinagh, Lyre and Dunmanway battling it out. Ardfield, Bunratty, Clonakilty United, Skibbereen, Sullane and Togher will contest the U14 Schoolboys Championship. Bay Rovers Celtic, Beara, Clonakilty Spurs, Riverside and Skibbereen Dynamos make up U14 Schoolboys League One.
***
Dunmanway Town and Drinagh Rangers produced a five-goal U13 Schoolboys Cup thriller with Rangers emerging 3-2 winners. Danny Carroll (2) scored for Dunmanway with Charlie Daly, Rory Hurley and Kingsley Crosby Osagie on target for the winners.
In the same competition, Riverside Athletic edged Skibbereen Celtic 4-3. Jake McAdams and Cathal Calnan scored in Clonakilty AFC Reds’ 2-1 win over Ardfield who had Eoin Hayes on the scoresheet.
Clonakilty AFC Greens overcame Castlelack 3-1 in the U13 Schoolgirls Shield. John Smithers scored for the Brinny side with Luke McCarthy, Darragh McKeon and Jack Horgan netting Clon’s goals.
Daniel O’Sullivan and Oskar Ustjanowski were amongst the goals in Bay Rovers’ 3-1 U13 Shield defeat of Lyre Rovers. Eduard Ulianov scored for Lyre.
