A NEW season of SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League football began with the opening rounds of cup competitions.
Sullane travelled to the Showgrounds for an U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup tie with the Ardfield Hurricanes on Saturday. It was the Ballyvourney club that came out on top 6-1 following an entertaining encounter.
Conor Kelleher had a terrific afternoon for the visitors, scoring a hat-trick to help secure his team’s place in the next round. Liam Carey added another two and Tadgh O’Tuama also got his name on the scoresheet. Colin Ronan replied for the Hurricanes.
Riverside Athletic and Bay Rovers’ scheduled U12 Cup tie had to be postponed last Saturday.
Elsewhere in the SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup, Ardfield’s other entrant, the Mountaineers, proved too strong for Beara United. The Showgrounds was once again the venue for Sunday’s encounter in which Harris Abbas, Alex O’Brien, Joshua Bobrowski, Leonardo Pezza, Tadgh O’Donovan, Sean Burke and Miquel Almeida found the net to send Ardfield Mountaineers through. Kyryl Pereviedientsev netted Beara’s solitary reply.
Castlelack United and Kilmichael Rovers produced a seven-goal cracker in Brinny. The visitors emerged 5-2 winners thanks to Liam McCarthy’s hat-trick and a Josh Moore double. Conor Ryan and Michael Foley were on target for a battling Castlelack.
Michael Harrington (2), Aaron Nash, Ciaran Wilcox and Max O’Keefe strikes earned Clonakilty City a 5-0 victory at home to Bunratty United and a place in the last eight of this season’s competition.
Two U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup ties were completed on Monday evening. Drinagh Dynamos travelled to Togher Celtic and edged a tight matchup courtesy of Diarmuid Sutton and Daniel O’Sullivan efforts. Aaron O’Callaghan replied for Togher in the second period but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat.
Drinagh Diamonds and Dunmanway Town’s local derby ended 5-1 to the Diamonds in Canon Crowley Park. An own goal was Town’s only score on an evening Tadhg Kinsella (2), Kerry Yeboah Tamea, Liam Duggan and Max Musgrave netted for the winners.
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Only one SuperValu U12 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup tie was completed on the opening weekend of the 2025 campaign. Beara United travelled to Ballyvourney and registered a 5-0 victory to seal their place in the last four of the knockout competition. Saoirse Farrelly and Elizabeth O’Shea each found the net on two occasions with Aislinn Lowney also scoring.
Three other U12 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup ties are scheduled for completion this week with Drinagh Rangers travelling to Dunmanway Town for a local derby. Also in the U12 Schoolgirls Cup, Clonakilty AFC will host Lyre Rovers with Bay Rovers welcoming Riverside Athletic to Kealkill.
Both U16 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup semi-finals scheduled for last weekend had to be postponed. Drinagh Rangers versus Lyre Rovers and Clonakilty AFC versus Bay Rovers’ ties will be re-fixed for a later date.
