BY GER MCCARTHY
ANOTHER busy week in the SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League saw changes at the top of the U13, U14 and U15 age-grades.
Sullane and Lyre Rovers played out an exciting SuperValu U14 Schoolgirls Premier League draw last weekend.
Coolea was the venue for a fixture that ended 2-2. Katelyn Ponton opened the scoring for the visitors after 17 minutes. Sadbh Cronin levelled matters just before the break. Lyre retook the lead but a late Abbie Scanlon effort earned Sullane a deserved share of the points. Saebh Cronin, Danielle O’Donoghue, Lily Hoare and Katie O’Connell were on top form for the home side.
In the same division, Drinagh Rangers and Bay Rovers’ top of the table clash also ended in a draw. Niamh Daly scored for the Canon Crowley Park side with Michaela O’Sullivan finding the net for Rovers in a clash that ended 1-1. Best for the visitors included goal scorer O’Sullivan, Donna French, Grace Holland and Sara Murphy.
As a result of last weekend’s latest round of U14 Schoolgirls Premier League games, Drinagh remain top of the table on 14 points. Rangers are seven clear of nearest challengers Bay Rovers and Sullane.
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Bay Rovers and Togher Celtic’s SuperValu U15 Schoolboys Premier League Group A clash finished in a 0-0 stalemate at Kealkill. Elsewhere in Group A, Daniel Vassallo (2), Adam O’Brien (2), Shane O’Connell and Cillian O’Leary strikes earned Dunmanway Town all three points at the expense of Bunratty United in the Meadows, Kilbarry Road. Adam Whelton replied for the visiting team but it wasn’t enough to prevent a 6-1 defeat. Dunmanway have stretched their advantage over the chasing pack to four points following last weekend’s latest round of Group A fixtures.
Group B of the SuperValu U15 Schoolboys age-grade saw two matches completed this past week. Ardfield and Beara United’s scheduled fixture had to be postponed but Lyre Rovers and Clonakilty AFC each registered impressive victories.
Clonakilty travelled to the Beara Community School and overcame Beara United 6-2 following an entertaining encounter. Odhran Minihane and Charlie Hennessy found the net for Beara but an Alex O’Regan hat-trick plus Luke O’Regan, Noah Franklin and Noah Doran strikes sealed a convincing Clonakilty win.
Also in Group B, Lyre Rovers defeated Riverside Athletic 7-1 at Carbery Park. Cormac Moroney and Sean McCarthy efforts handed Rovers a 2-1 interval lead after Conor Murphy scored for Riverside. The second half belonged to Lyre however, who added five more goals to cement an important win. Matthew Buttimer, Jonathan Bennett, Eduard Andrei Ciobanu, Gearoid Donegan and Daniel McCarthy each found the net to cement Lyre’s fourth win in as many outings. The latter lead the Group B table by nine points but Ardfield, Clonakilty AFC, Riverside and Beara all have games in hand.
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Bay Rovers and Lyre Rovers played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in the SuperValu U13 Schoolboys Premier League. Kealkill was the venue for a midweek clash that saw Niall Jennings fire Lyre in front. Eoghan Hickey converted from the penalty spot to earn Bay a share of the points.
Castlelack are the current U13 Schoolboys Premier frontrunners, three points ahead of joint-second placed Bay Rovers, Dunmanway Town and Lyre Rovers with Clonakilty AFC United a point behind. Emily Hayes and Lucy McCarthy were on target in Dunmanway Town’s 2-1 SuperValu U12 Schoolgirls Championship win over Riverside Athletic. Annabella McCarthy replied for Athletic. Faye Buston, Faye Barry, Ruby White and Nicola Hurley starred for a Dunmanway team that inflicted a first loss of the season on Riverside and setup an exciting title-battle for the second half of the campaign.
In the SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Premier League, two Oliver Hayes goals and a converted Edward Hough penalty earned Clonakilty AFC Reds all three points away to Riverside Athletic at Carbery Park. Dunmanway Tornados and Skibbereen Dynamos remain co-leaders of the division but Clonakilty’s latest win moved the Reds into third place in the standings following their 2-0 win over Riverside.
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On the League of Ireland front, Bandon’s Niamh Cotter lined out for the Cork City Women’s FC adult team in their first SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division game back since the mid-season break.
Ferrycarrig Park was the venue for City’s away trip to Wexford FC and changed ends tied 0-0. Second half goals from Della Maria Doherty and Ciara Rossiter earned the hosts a 2-0 win, That result, Cork’s sixth loss of the campaign, leaves Danny Murphy sitting seventh in the standings ahead of an equally difficult trip to Peamount United.
Ex-Drinagh Rangers player Emma Hurley was involved in Cork City Women’s U19 squad that let a 1-0 lead slip away before going down 3-1 away to CK United.
Former Ardfield FC graduate John O’Donovan was in the Cork City FC men’s squad that defeated Bray Wanderers 1-0 at Turner’s Cross to move 13 points clear at the top of the SSE Airtricity First Division last Friday evening.
Cobh Ramblers U15 Academy side suffered a heavy defeat away to Bray Wanderers in Phase 2 of the EA Sports League of Ireland Academy southern section despite former Castlelack graduate Luke Dollery’s best efforts. Former Clonakilty AFC player and current Cobh U14, Ethan O’Donovan, came on for the last half hour of that Bray encounter.
In the same competition, ex-Lyre Rovers goalkeeper Rory Twohig played in Cork City’s 3-2 loss at home to Galway United at Mayfield Park.
