ORAN Keane and Ian Fitzgerald goals helped Drinagh Diamonds overcome Drinagh Dynamos in the SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League’s U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup at Canon Crowley Park.
It is only a couple of weeks since Drinagh’s two adult teams contested a West Cork League Parkway Hotel-Maybury Coaches Cup final. Last weekend, it was the turn of two of the Canon Crowley Park club’s U12 representatives in the U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup.
Drinagh Diamonds and Drinagh Dynamos met in a cracking quarter-final tie with the Diamonds edging the result 2-1. Nathan Deane was on target for Dynamos but Oran Keane and Ian Fitzgerald goals sealed a 2-1 Drinagh Diamonds victory.
Clonakilty AFC City needed a single goal to see off Castlelack Athletic in the same knockout competition. Ciarán Wilcox’s 25th-minute effort was enough to earn the Ballyvackey club a narrow 1-0 win and place in the last four.
Sullane and Riverside Athletic played out a five-goal U12 Challenge Cup quarter-final thriller in Ballyvourney. Rian O’Mahony and Oisin Hurley found the net for the visitors. Conor Kelleher’s brace and an additional Michal Kotkiewicz effort helped Sullane emerge 3-2 winners. The hosts were indebted to goalkeeper Tom Óg Duinnin for a late penalty save plus superb Tadhg Ó Tuama, Michal Kotkiewicz and Conor Kelleher performances.
Those results along with Ardfield Mountaineers recent 4-0 defeat of Kilmichael Rovers has completed this season’s U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup semi-final line-up. Ardfield will host Clonakilty AFC City in the Showgrounds. Sullane will travel to Canon Crowley Park for a semi-final showdown with Drinagh Diamonds.
We have reached the latter stages of this season’s U12 Schoolboys Shield. This knockout competition offers any teams defeated in their opening U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup tie a second chance at knockout glory.
Bay Rovers and Clonakilty AFC United’s U12 Shield matchup ended 3-2 to the hosts in Kealkill. That outcome cemented Bay’s quarter-final berth and another home tie against Lyre Rovers. Daniel Sheehan opened the scoring before Tyler O’Sullivan doubled Rovers’ lead. Sean Kennedy pulled one back prior to Morgan Coleman restoring Bay’s two-goal advantage. Séimí Forristal converted a penalty but it wasn’t enough to keep a battling Clonakilty AFC United in the competition.
Dunmanway Town travelled to Baltimore Road and recorded a 3-1 U12 Schoolboys Shield victory over Skibbereen. A Cian Owens brace and Darryl Farr effort secured Town’s semi-final place against the winners of Bay Rovers and Lyre Rovers’ upcoming clash. Ardfield Hurricanes will host Togher Celtic in the second semi-final.
