 2009-2010
Review:
Bunratty United completed the second half of a
2010 SuperValu West Cork Schoolgirls U16 league
and cup double by annexing the SuperValu U16 Cup
knock-out trophy earlier this season.
The
draw for the 2010 SuperValu West Cork Schoolgirls
U16 Cup was made by the WCSL Committee earlier
in the season and pitted Clonakilty Town and Riverside
Athletic together in the lone quarter-final tie.
The reward for the winners of that fixture would
be a daunting trip to Schull to face Bunratty
United in the last four. The second semi-final
offered Drinagh Rangers and Lyre Rovers the opportunity
of a Cup final appearance against whichever club
emerged form the top half of the draw.
The
knock-out competition kicked off on Saturday January
23rd with the quarter final clash of Clon Town
and Riverside taking place in Shannonvale. Defences
were on top in a tight, tense encounter until
a solitary Anna O’Hea strike proved enough
to win a fractious tie for Clon Town. Aisling
Duggan, Gemma Kingston and Aisling O’Driscoll
were the pick of Riverside’s best players
while O’Hea and Sorcha Crowley impressed
for Town.
SEMI-FINALS
The two SuperValu U16 Schoolgirls Cup semi-finals
took place in February with Lyre Rovers first
to qualify after a comprehensive 4-0 win over
Drinagh Rangers on February 20th in Canon Crowley
Park.
Áine
Crowley – who had a terrific season for
Rovers - scored a brace of goals to set Lyre on
their way to a deserved semi-final victory. Additional
efforts from Laura O’Donovan and Lorraine
Galvin completed the scoring to send Rovers through.
Despite the loss Drinagh enjoyed positive performances
from Louise Hurley, Avril O’Driscoll, Robyn
Deasy and Carol Bateman.
Cup
holders Bunratty United welcomed Clonakilty Town
to Schull on Saturday the 20th in the second semi-final.
The visitors enjoyed the more positive start and
spent the majority of a lively opening period
in Bunratty's half. Clon Town failed to convert
their superiority into goals and Bunratty slowly
came into the tie.
Bunratty
hit the front just after the quarter hour mark
having spent the entire opening of the game on
the back foot. Clodagh O'Callaghan began the move
from deep in her own half and crossed for Karen
McSweeney to plant a terrific header in off the
upright. Clonakilty were shaken by the concession
of that opening goal which came against the run
of play and United soon doubled their lead.
Clodagh
O’Callaghan found Shauna McSweeney on the
edge of the penalty area and the Bunratty midfielder
gave goalkeeper Shannon McCarthy no chance with
a splendid shot into the bottom corner of the
net for a 2-0 lead.
The
outcome of the tie was eventually decided after
45 minutes when Katherine Duffy bagged Bunratty’s
third of the afternoon. A sweeping move that spanned
the entire pitch resulted in the ball falling
to Duffy who rounded a defender before unleashing
an unstoppable effort into the net. United ran
out 3-0 winners to book
a place in the U16 Schoolgirls Cup decider.
FINAL
Bunratty United and Lyre Rovers produced one of
the matches of the season in the SuperValu U16
Schoolgirls Cup final on Monday April 5th in the
Baltimore Road ground in Skibbereen. Rovers kicked
off with a gale wind at their backs in the opening
half and made much of the early running. Playing
conditions proved difficult with the strong win
forcing Bunratty out of their stride in the early
exchanges. The Schull side’s defence spent
much of an exciting opening period on the back
foot.
A
tense final finally exploded into life in the
22nd minute when Lyre Rovers were rewarded for
their impressive start with a deserved opening
goal. United's effective offside trap was breached
and Áine Crowley raced clear and the Lyre
Captain thundered a terrific first-time shot into
the top corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Clodagh
O’Callaghan and Mari O’Callaghan went
close as Bunratty responded positively to falling
behind and the Schull side equalised early in
the second half. Clodagh O'Callaghan was enjoying
a tremendous afternoon and raced in behind the
Rovers defence before arrowing a wonderful effort
high into the net to tie the score at 1-1.
The
game really opened up after United’s leveller
and it was real end to end stuff for the remainder
of a hugely entertaining final. Despite the best
efforts of both sides there was no addition to
the scoreboard so extra was necessary to decide
the outcome.
Extra
time saw both sides adopt a more defensive approach
but Bunratty took the lead in the first period
when Katherine Duffy unleashed a rocket from long
range to hand her side a 2-1 lead. Lyre Rovers
enjoyed the advantage of the gale wind in the
second period of additional time but couldn't
break through a determined Bunratty rearguard.
Bunratty
United held on to win an epic encounter 2-1 and
deservedly claim the SuperValu U16 Schoolgirls
Cup trophy. Their victory also marked a second
consecutive league and cup double for the Schull
based club and secure their place as the Queens
of youth soccer in the West Cork region.
Bunratty
United Schoolgirls U16 Cup winning squad 2010:
Nikki Goggin, Lisa O'Driscoll, Katie Scully, Anita
Barry, Katie Moynihan, Mari O Callaghan, Fiona
Hunt, Katherine Duffy, Karen McSweeney, Clodagh
O'Callaghan, Amy Dineen, Shauna McSweeney, Rebecca
O'Brien, Denise Minihane, Lucy Hunt, Laura Goggin
and Sinead O'Sullivan.
SuperValu
U16 Schoolgirls Cup 2010 Results
Quarter-Final:
Clonakilty Town 1 Riverside Athletic 0
Semi-Finals:
Bunratty United 3 Clonakilty Town 0, Drinagh Rangers
0 Lyre Rovers 4
Final:
Bunratty United 2 Lyre Rovers 1 *aet
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