BY GER McCARTHY
SULLANE U14 schoolgirls were one of the SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League’s winners in the SFAI National Cup competitions.
Poor weather has hampered the opening rounds of this year’s national cups. These knockout competitions, where West Cork clubs face Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League opponents, offer teams an opportunity to compete in a county phase before reaching the national stages.
Sullane registered a terrific SFAI U14 Schoolgirls National Cup first-round victory away to Carrigtwohill United. Aisling Kelleher, Caroline Creedon and Sadbh Cronin found the net to secure the Ballyvourney side a second trip to either Lakewood Athletic or Leeside United.
Castlelack are scheduled to host fellow WCSSL club Dunmanway Town in the same competition while Riverside Athletic will travel to Corinthians. Clonakilty AFC exited the SFAI U14 Schoolgirls National Cup despite a battling effort away to Carrigaline United.
Castlelack A progressed to the SFAI U12 Schoolboys National Cup second round thanks to a superb 5-1 victory at home to Ballincollig. Jack O’Callaghan, Noah Collins, Cian O’Shea, Cian Murphy and Josh Quinn got their names on the Brinny club’s scoresheet to setup a second round tie away to Midleton.
Clonakilty AFC City were another WCSSL winner from the opening round of the same competition. Aaron Nash netted a hat-trick and Max O’Keeffe scored twice as Clonakilty knocked out Buttevant. Next up for the Ballyvackey club are Lakewood Athletic in round two.
Dunmanway Town, Castlelack B, Riverside Athletic, Ardfield and Lyre Rovers were all beaten in their opening-round ties but automatically entered a second knockout tournament, the SFAI U12 Schoolboys Trophy.
Elsewhere, in the SFAI U13 National Schoolboys Cup, Sullane were knocked out of the opening round by Ballincollig. In round two, Dunmanway Town Tornados will travel to Carrigaline United, Drinagh Rangers are away to Leeds AFC, Ardfield will host Corkbeg AFC and Castlelack welcome Corinthian Boys.
Both Castlelack and Clonakilty AFC bowed out of the SFAI U14 Schoolboys National Cup in the opening round but will contest the U14 Schoolboys Trophy competition in the coming weeks. Dunmanway Town Celtic are scheduled to host Wilton or Carrigaline United, Lyre Rovers are at home to Douglas Hall and Ardfield at home to Wilton A in round two of this year’s SFAI U14 Schoolboys National Cup.
Riverstown will be the visitors to Brinny for Castlelack’s, West Cork’s solitary entrant, second round SFAI U15 Schoolboys National Cup clash.
