Carmel and Kelle fire Drinagh Rangers to U16 double

DRINAGH Rangers completed the second half of a Premier League U16 schoolgirls double in Brinny. 

The Canon Crowley Park club defeated Riverside (3-1), Castlelack (7-1) and Kilgoban Celtic (3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 draw) to lift the SuperValu U16 Schoolgirls Cup trophy at the start of November.

A lengthy U16 Schoolgirls Premier League campaign saw Rangers and Riverside Athletic finish level on points at the summit of the table following the conclusion of their (regular) season fixture-list. WCSSL rules do not take goal difference into consideration when deciding leagues so a play-off was needed to see who would claim the Premier League title. The teams met at a neutral Brinny venue.

It was 0-0 at the end of a scoreless first half played out amid wet conditions. The tempo improved in the second period and produced three goals. Emer O’Dell found the net for Riverside but Carmel Coakley and Kelle Doolan strikes proved enough to earn Drinagh a 2-1 victory and the Premier League title. 

Clara Galvin, Grace McCarthy, Laura Murray and Meabh O’Brien performed superbly for a battling Riverside Athletic while Aoife Collins (Drinagh East), Carmel Coakley, Kelle Doolan and Emma Hurley were the pick of the newly crowned champions’ best players. 

Rangers’ league and cup double is fully deserved in a season Carmel Coakley topped the Canon Crowley Park side’s goal scoring charts with 15 efforts in all competitions. Emma Hurley, Kate Horgan, Chloe Cadogan, Kelle Doolan, Laura Deasy, Ciara Galvin and Katie Collins also scored some important goals en route to Drinagh’s league and cup successes. 

The 2022 Drinagh Rangers U16 Schoolgirls Premier League winning squad includes Aimee Doolan, Aine Collins, Aoife Collins (Drinagh East), Aoife Collins (Curraghnaloughra), Caoimhe Hurley, Caoimhe McCarthy, Carmel Coakley, Chloe Cadogan, Ciara Galvin, Eimear Collins, Elba Medina, Emma Hurley, Julia Coakley, Kate Horgan, Katie Collins, Kelle Doolan, Laura Deasy, Lisa O’Donovan, Niamh Collins Rachel Morgan and Sophie O’Donovan.