BY GER McCARTHY
THE West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League’s U12, U13, U14 and U16 schoolgirls’ age-grades are flourishing.
Four age-grades, five divisions and 24 teams are participating in the schoolgirls’ league, cup and shield competitions this year. An increase in the number of participating teams and players means schoolgirls’ soccer has never been stronger throughout the West Cork region.
At U12 level, Inter Clonakilty AFC currently lead the way in the U12 Schoolgirls Premier. An early-season unblemished league record has the Ballyvackey club ahead of the chasing pack thanks to seven goals from top scorer Alice Kelly. Leah O’Brien, Leni Belle Anglin, Eirinn Coppinger and Lucy Harrington have also netted important strikes for an Inter team holding off Drinagh Rangers, Lyre Rovers, Sullane and Bay Rovers’ challenge. Of those teams, Eadaoin Collins (Lyre), Matilda Kaiser (Drinagh), Katelynn Coppinger (Bay) and Grace Hoare (Sullane) are the players most likely to inspire their clubs to closing the gap on the Premier League pacesetters.
This year’s U12 Schoolgirls Championship title race looks like a straight battle between Dunmanway Town and Riverside Athletic. The former enjoy a three-point lead over the Carbery Park club courtesy of Lucy McCarthy, Nicola Hurley, Faye Barry, Amelie McCarthy and Rachel O’Leary’s goal-scoring exploits. Riverside contains an equal number of talented players. Annabella McCarthy, Ella Murray, Sarah Barrett, Olivia Canty and Mia Horgan have all found the net in Athletic’s pursuit of Dunmanway. Elsewhere in the U12 Schoolgirls Championship, young Castlelack and Clonakilty AFC United team will be all the better for their experiences next season and beyond.
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Dunmanway Town’s dominance of the U13 Schoolgirls Premier has helped build a healthy lead over Castlelack, Riverside Athletic and Beara United during the first half of the campaign. A free-scoring Town side has regularly found the net thanks to Keira Kelly, Lucy McCarthy, Theresa Crowley, Cadhla McCarthy, Nicola Hayes and Emily Hayes’ exploits.
The chasing pack contains plenty of attacking talent as evidenced by Castlelack’s Elka Healy, Ella O’Leary and Saoirse O’Donovan’s abilities. Riverside’s Annabella McCarthy and Beara United’s Keelin Sullivan are two emerging players to keep an eye on as the campaign progresses.
This season’s U14 Schoolgirls Premier League has been dominated by Drinagh Rangers. Winning five and drawing one of their first six games, the Canon Crowley Park side has taken control of a division, Bay Rovers, Sullane, Clonakilty AFC and Lyre Rovers are also competing in. Eleven league strikes has Nell Kinsella sitting top of the scoring charts. Sarah Buttimer, Niamh Daly, Rosie O’Donovan, Eloise Fitzpatrick and Muireann Campbell have also been amongst the goals.
Michaela O’Sullivan, Katie Murphy, Donna French, Abbie Arundel and Amy O’Donovan’s consistency has helped a talented Bay Rovers team stay within touching distance of the league leaders. The same is true of Sullane for whom Aisling Kelleher, Sadhbh Cronin and Abbie Scanlon have been in excellent form. Grace Forristal, Amelia Hennessy, Clodagh O’Regan and Sally McAuley are the fore of an improving Clonakilty AFC. Katelyn Ponton and Caoimhe Werner are two consistent members of a young Lyre side looking to kick on over the coming seasons.
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It is refreshing to see a U16 Schoolgirls Premier League flourishing amid an age group where the drop-off rates of active female players remains high across the country.
Drinagh Rangers have enjoyed a positive start, picking up maximum points from their league outings. Carmel Coakley has been the pick of Rangers’ goal-scorers so far, contributing ten of her side’s total. Katie Collins, Rosie O’Donovan and Aine Collins have also provided timely strikes to keep Drinagh on course for the title.
Of the chasing pack, Bay Rovers and Lyre Rovers have enjoyed consistent results while Castlelack and Skibbereen are still finding their feet at a competitive age-grade. Bay’s Lauren O’Connell, Sophie Daly, Abha O’Sullivan, Clare Dillon, Aoife Myler and Amy O’Donovan have each made their mark in this year’s U16 Schoolgirls Premier. Roisin O’Shea, Shannon Griffin and Anna McCaughey have done likewise for an improving Lyre.
Additional knockout competitions will provide clubs that miss out on league glory with another opportunity to claim a trophy across each of the WCSSL’s schoolgirls age-grades over the coming months.
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It would be remiss when speaking about the growing popularity of schoolgirls’ soccer in the West Cork region not to mention two of our finest exports.
Former Drinagh Rangers stalwart Emma Hurley has settled into life with Cork City Women’s FC. Since making the jump to EA Sports League of Ireland U17 Academy football, Hurley has thrived and helped her new club finish top of a highly-competitive U17 Group C, nine points clear of closest challengers Treaty United. City’s current U17 Tier One League title-push has seen Hurley play a prominent role as Cork close the gap on current leaders Bohemians.
Bandon native Niamh Cotter has been a mainstay in the heart of Cork City Women’s FC’s first team’s defence this year. Currently occupying sixth place in the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division table, Cotter’s consistent efforts have drawn plenty of praise. Cotter has been named in three League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division teams of the week during 2024. Recovered from a recent foot injury, the versatile player looks set for a positive end to Cork City Women’s FC’s campaign.
