JACK Allen’s hat-trick completed a SuperValu West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League U15 Schoolboys Premier and Cup double for Castlelack in a week three Brendan Harrington efforts earned Bay Rovers the U15 Schoolboys Shield.
The Brinny club entered last Sunday’s U15 Schoolboys Premier League Trophy decider second leg on the back foot after losing away to Bay Rovers in the final’s opening tie.
A Jack Allen brace wasn’t enough to prevent a 4-2 Castlelack first leg loss in Kealkill. This was a game in which Brendan Harrington netted a hat-trick and Rory Breen was Bay’s other goal scorer.
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So, having annexed the SuperValu U15 Schoolboys Cup earlier in the campaign, Castlelack were not just chasing a two-goal deficit but the chance to claim back-to-back (U14 and U15) doubles.
Jack Allen continued his stellar season by heading home a Sean Evans centre to edge the home side 1-0 ahead at the interval. A superb U15 Schoolboys Trophy final was level, on aggregate, once Castlelack forced Bay Rovers into an own goal early in the second half.
No further additions to the scoring meant extra-time was needed to decide the outcome. It was during these final two periods that Castlelack underlined their quality.
First, a Charlie Curtin clearance was flicked on for Jack Allen to race through. The hosts striker made no mistake, edging his team 3-0 in front, and ahead for the first time on aggregate.
Bay Rovers pushed hard for a way back into the final but struggled to find a way past their opposing defence.
This was Castlelack and Jack Allen’s day however, as the latter completed his hat-trick to round off a 4-0 victory and 6-4 aggregate success. The Brinny club ran out deserving winners, adding the U15 Schoolboys Premier League and Cup trophies to their U14 double from the previous campaign.
As for Bay, a battling display was best exemplified by Thomas English, Conor Hourihan, Jimmy Crowley and Max Leahy’s efforts.
Castlelack: A Langford, H Chambers, W Hickey, A Bemelmans (captain), G O’Keeffe, E Murphy, C Curtin, D Kiely, O Keohane, J Allen, C Dullea, C Murphy, S Evans, H Bornemann, O Kiely, D McSweeney and J Twomey.
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Although disappointed to have missed out on a U15 Schoolboys Premier League title, Bay Rovers did not finish the 2025 campaign without a trophy.
The Kealkill club qualified for this year’s U15 Schoolboys Shield final thanks to a terrific 4-3 semi-final defeat of Togher Celtic.
Skibbereen, who edged Drinagh Rangers 2-1 in the competition’s other last-four encounter, were Rovers’ opponents in a Shield final played on October Bank Holiday Monday in Castletownkenneigh.
Credit to Bay who produced a superb performance and ran out convincing 5-0 winners. Brendan Harrington repeated his Premier League first-leg heroics by scoring three of Rovers’ goals. Jack Kingston and Tomas Santos were also on the Kealkill side’s scoresheet.
Brendan Harrington was the shield final’s standout performer. The Bay Rovers striker was ably assisted by Max Leahy, Owen Myler and Jimmy Crowley.
Bay Rovers: C Hourihan, F Wiseman, J Crowley, M Leahy, K O’Sullivan, J Kingston, R Breen, O Myler, E McCarthy, B Harrington, P Biffen, T Santos, C O’Shea, T Gibbons.

