Ardfield U16 one step from national stages of cup

BY GER McCARTHY

ARDFIELD are two games away from reaching the national stages of this season’s Subway SFAI U16 National Schoolboys Cup.

The West Cork club qualified for the third round of the Cork section of the U16 National Cup following a comprehensive defeat of Bweeng Celtic USC on Sunday.

Leading 2-0 at the break, the WCSSL club added six more unanswered goals to cement their third-round berth. Euan Whelton (2), Andrew McCarthy (2), Sean Platt, Eric Hicks and Christos Delis were on target for the winners in a tie Bweeng also conceded an own goal. Eric Hicks, Evan O’Donovan, Felix Winkelmann and Christos Delis were the pick of Ardfield’s top performers.

In the same competition, Clonakilty AFC put in a terrific display before losing 2-1 to Rockmount in Ballyvackey. Scoreless at the interval, Jerry O’Leary found the net for the hosts but two Rockmount goals were enough for the Cork Schoolboys League side to edge the result. O’Leary, Alex Aherne, Peter O’Mahony and Isaac Wade stood out for a battling Clonakilty.

Riverside Rovers put in a commendable display before bowing out of the SFAI U12 National Schoolgirls Cup following a 5-0 second round defeat away to Blarney. Sarah Barrett, Grace Darcy, Amelia Horgan and Annabella McCarthy played superbly for the Carbery Park side.

Charlotte O’Callaghan, Niamh Harrington, Robyn Lynch and Aisling O’Sullivan’s best efforts weren’t enough to prevent Castlelack from exiting the SFAI U14 National Schoolgirls Trophy last weekend. The Brinny side lost 7-0 to a talented Innishvilla.

Drinagh Rangers were outgunned 8-3 Rockmount despite a valiant effort in round two of the SFAI U14 National Schoolboys Cup last Sunday. TJ McCarthy (2) and Sam Kingston were the Canon Crowley Park club’s scoresheet on an afternoon Micheal McCarthy, Conor Lennon and Danny Limrick also impressed. Rockmount ended Ardfield’s interest in the Subway SFAI U13 Schoolboys National Cup after a 4-0 second round defeat last Saturday.

In the SFAI National Inter-Leagues, it has been confirmed that the West Cork Academy will start their U12 Schoolboys group phase away to Limerick County on the weekend of November 18th/19th. On the same weekend, the rural academy’s U13 Schoolboys will be in Kerry for a U13 National Schoolboys Group F opener with the hosts. The West Cork Academy’s U15s are at home to Limerick County in Group D of the SFAI U15 Schoolboys Inter-League on the same weekend.

The West Cork Academy’s U14 and U16s began their 2023/24 Subway SFAI National Schoolboys Inter-League campaign with a double-header away to Cork in Carrigaline. West Cork U14s lost 6-1 in their group opener with Fionn Coppinger netting for the visitors. Cork edged West Cork 2-0 in their opening U16 group clash.