CLONAKILTY AFC and Dunmanway Town are two of the SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League clubs ready to make their mark in the knockout stages of the 2025/26 SFAI National Schoolboys Cup and Trophy competitions.

Clonakilty and Dunmanway are each one victory away from reaching the national stages of the SFAI U14 Schoolboys National Cup.

The Ballyvackey club will travel to Cork Schoolboys League side Corinthians Boys in the fourth round of the competition with a place in the national round of 32 on offer for the winners.

A first round bye preceded a 2-1 victory at home Wilton United with Charlie Hennessy and Danny Forristal on Clonakilty’s scoresheet. Corinthian Boys A were the visitors to Ballyvackey in round three. Cian Afonso scored the only goal of a tight game to send Clonakilty through to the fourth round and keep alive their chances of making the national stages.

Dunmanway Town’s path to the same juncture has been just as impressive.

A 3-2 second round triumph, following a first round bye, away to Fermoy was achieved courtesy of Tristan O’Neill Hayes, Jai Hurley and Sam Kingston strikes.

Town went one better in round three, finding the net on four occasions to see off Carrigtwohill United in Carrigtwohill. Ben Marchie, Tristan O’Neill Hayes, Patrick Hennigan and Ryan Healy Crowley were amongst the goals in a 4-2 win.

Dunmanway will have home advantage for the visit of Carrigaline United in the round four at The Meadows. 

The visitors have already faced West Cork opposition, knocking Drinagh Rangers out in the third round, thanks to a 4-0 win. Carrigaline’s 5-0 success away to Bandon in their following fixture underlines the difficult task that awaits Dunmanway.

All teams defeated in the early rounds of the SFAI Cups gain automatic entry into the SFAI Trophy knockout competitions. So, Drinagh Rangers’ aforementioned cup exit saw the Canon Crowley Park club enter the SFAI U14 Schoolboys National Trophy’s second round.

A difficult away clash at Wilton United resulted in a terrific 7-1 Rangers victory. Kingsley Crosby Osagie (2), Charlie Daly (2), Conor Collins, Rory Hurley and Rocco O’Reilly Bermueller scored for Drinagh ahead of another road trip in round three.

Cork Schoolboys League side Fermoy hosted Rangers with the latter emerging 6-2 winners. Kingsley Crosby Osagie scored a second consecutive brace in a tie Rocco O’Reilly Bermueller (2), Rory Hurley and Ryan O’Driscoll also got their names on the scoresheet.

Drinagh will be away to either Castleview AFC or Leeside United in the fourth round. Another victory would send the West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League club into the national stages of the SFAI U14 Schoolboys Trophy.

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Dunmanway Town’s excellent SFAI U15 Schoolboys National Trophy run has taken the West Cork club to within touching distance of the round of 32.

A second round bye set up a meeting with Corinthian Boys A in the next phase. Vittor Coutinho (2), Oisin O’Regan (2), Hugh McCarthy and Max Bramoulle all found the net in a terrific 6-2 Dunmanway victory.

Castleview will be the visitors to The Meadows in the fourth round where a Dunmanway victory would qualify the hosts for the national stages.

Castlelack Celtic enjoyed a marvellous run in this season’s SFAI U15 Schoolboys National Cup before falling at the fourth round hurdle.

The Brinny club came within a victory of the competition’s national stages following an impressive run through the early stages.

Jack Allen scored six with Declan Kerr and John Smithers also netting in Celtic’s 8-2 first round defeat of Wilton United A. The WCCSL side kept up their scoring form in round two by overcoming Corinthian Boys A 6-3 in Brinny. Jack Allen (3), Sean Evans (2) and Darragh McKeown were on target on that occasion.

Round three produced one of the SFAI cup ties of the season as Castlelack edged Rockmount 4-3 to progress. Jack Allen stole the headlines by scoring all four of his team’s goals.

That set up a fourth round clash away to Midleton. Alas, despite a battling display the visitors lost 4-1 despite in-form Jack Allen netting his side’s solitary reply.

Drinagh Rangers U16 schoolgirls defeated Springfield 6-4 in the SFAI U16 National Schoolgirls Trophy competition at Canon Crowley Park.

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Castlelack are the last WCSSL club standing in this season’s SFAI U12 Schoolboys National Trophy.

A 1-1 draw at home to St Mary’s AFC in the third round meant penalties were required to see who would progress to a national stage eliminator. Simon Crewe netted for the Brinny club before a 4-3 penalty shootout triumph sent Castlelack through.

Another home tie in Brinny, against either Corinthian Boys A or Springfield Ramblers, will decide who reaches the round of 32.

Clonakilty AFC’s SFAI U13 Schoolboys National Cup run was ended by Douglas Hall in the second round of this season’s tournament.

That meant the Ballyvackey side changed focus to the U13 National Trophy. A superb 7-1 second round victory away to Valley Rangers was attained courtesy of Sean Kennedy (3), Max O’Keeffe (2), Darragh Hennessy and Aaron Nash goals.

Next, Clon travelled to Carrigtwohill United but, despite another battling performance, lost 2-1 and missed out on a place in the national stages.

Drinagh Rangers schoolgirls also enjoyed a productive SFAI campaign over the past couple of months. The Canon Crowley Park side edged Sullane 1-0 in the opening round of the U16 Schoolgirls National Cup before hosting College Corinthians AFC. 

A narrow 2-1 defeat sent Rangers into the U16 Schoolgirls National Trophy where the WCSSL side came out on the right side of a ten-goal second round thriller at home to Springfield. 

Rosie O'Donovan netted five of Drinagh's total with Laoise Young also scoring for the hosts in a 6-4 triumph. Alas, a subsequent 5-0 loss to Lakewood ended the WCSSL club’s interest in the competition.