Linfield Girls clean sweep at O'Neills Foyle Cup

Wednesday’s finals in the O’Neills Foyle Cup saw a complete sweep for Belfast’s Linfield Girls at the Brandywell, Ballymagroarty and Caw pitches.
Linfield celebrate winning the girls U9 O'Neills Foyle Cup section.Linfield celebrate winning the girls U9 O'Neills Foyle Cup section.
Linfield celebrate winning the girls U9 O'Neills Foyle Cup section.

After three days of competitive football in the U9, U11 and U13's competitions it was a triple success for the Linfield Ladies.

In the U13 final the Blues accounted for Ballymoney Girls 2-0 in a lively and competitive final watched by a very large crowd at the Ballymagroarty venue.

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After the game, the match official was most complimentary about the standard of play, level of co-operation and skills produced by both teams during the game.

In the U9 and U11 competitions, both Linfield Teams A and B were to compete in the two finals but very sportingly decided to share the spoils.

All-in-all, a very productive competition for the ladies from Belfast in this year’s O’Neills Foyle Cup tournament so far.

Craik the hatrick hero as Oxford defeated

This U13 O’Neills Foyle Cup game sprang to life in the first minute when Dundee opened the scoring through nippy winger Louis Craik who broke through on the right before firing past the helpless Oxford keeper.

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A shell-shocked local side found themselves five goals down before half time as a rampant Dundee led by hatrick hero Craik had the points in the bag.

Goals from Rhys Walker, a Reece Kerrigan penalty, and Craik again with another two put the game beyond the local team.

The Scottish side made some changes in the second half but midfielder Rhys Walker ran the show showing silky skills on the ball and superb long range passing ability.

Minutes into the second period, the home side got a consolation goal when Jake Hutcheon broke through to poke the ball under the advancing keeper.

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But with the damage already done, the latter stages saw Dundee miss a penalty before man of the match Rhys Walker latched on to a defensive error to round the keeper and make it 6-1.

Walker stood out along with hatrick hero Craik and Dylan Wilson at the back kept any Oxford breaks to a minimum. For Oxford Evan Dillon and Zack Doherty shone.

Willow Park fall to sucker punch third goal

County Meath side Willow Park gave a good account of themselves against Sheffield United in this U12 clash at Wilton Park, going down 3-1 in a game they were most definitely in until conceding a sucker punch in the dying minutes as they pushed forward looking for an equaliser.

Sheffield opened the scoring on 12 minutes, Zack Richards tapping in from six yards. The English side scored again, a corner from the right neatly tucked in by Joseph Kandere. Half time 2-0.

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The second half saw a much more attacking Willow Park and this paid dividends with a penalty award that was neatly dispatched by Jake Maher.

The West Meath team went looking for an equaliser in the closing stages but were caught two-on-one at the back with Sheffield United striker Mason Donaldson racing through to slide the ball under the advancing keeper and seal the result.

Best for Sheffield was their 10 years-Old diminutive winger Junior Brown while impressive for Willow Park were defenders Adam Smyth and James McHugh.

Maiden City see off Cliftonville in group decider

A game decided by a solitary goal but was end-to-end attacking the whole way through in this O’Neills Foyle Cup u-11 group decider at Bishop’s Field, Creggan on Wednesday morning.

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Facing each other with the local side needing victory to secure top spot and the Reds needing just a point, it didn’t deter both teams going looking for victory.

Indeed, it was Maiden City keeper James Smallwoods who was the busier of the two keepers in the first half, pulling off some fine saves, most notable being a finger tip over the crossbar from a well hit free kick.

In the second period it was Maiden City who started the stronger and five minutes in they got the deciding score. Good work on the right from Dara McColgan, saw his cross tapped home from close range by striker Calum McHale.

Despite probing through balls and some long range shots, it was Maiden City who held on for the result that seen them top their group although both teams go through to the later stages.

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Best for Maiden City on the day was goalkeeper Smallwoods and goalscorer McHale, while Cliftonville were best served by McManus in midfield and Benson up front.

Mixed Bag of Results for Tristar U9's

Tristar U9’s had a mixed bag of results on Wednesday. First up was a hard fought 4-3 win against a determined and physical Sion Swifts.

Tristar took the lead on seven minutes when a superbly hit Noah Noonan free kick. The city side looked ready to push on and put the game to bed but were pegged back when Sion equalised with a great free kick of their own.

Things quickly got worse for Tristar when Sion took the lead just before half time.

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They came came out for the second in a better frame of mind and quickly levelled the score through Rylee McKeever.

Striker Noah Noonan quickly added 2 more to complete his hat trick. But a late goal from Sion left Tristar hanging on.

A great defensive performance from Joseph Doherty kept Sion at bay for Tristar to take all three points.Next up for Tristar were table toppers Ballymoney and the Derry side were on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat.

A lively start from the local side gave the onlookers an entertaining game of football, but Tristar were undone by a great solo goal from the Ballymoney striker just before half time. The second half started much the same as the first with the Derry club forging a couple of opportunities to draw level but it wasn’t to be.

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Two counter attack goals in quick succession settled it for Ballymoney and keep them undefeated in the competition.

Thursday's Foyle Cup Fixtures

Under 12 - 1pm Brandywell Showgrounds Carndonagh FC v Limavady Utd Colts; 1pm Brooke Park Moyola Park v Northend Utd; 1pm Camus Glen Rovers v Phoenix Athletic; 1pm Clooney Park West 1 v Donegal Sboys Trojans FC; 1pm Killea Limavady Utd v Ballinamallard Utd; 1pm Leafair Bertie Peacock YL v Tristar FC; 1pm Lifford Celtic Killea FC v Eglinton Eagles; 1pm Lisnagelvin 1 Top of Hill Celtic v Inishowen YL; 1pm Lisnagelvin 2 Ballymoney Youth v Strabane Athletic; 1pm Oakland Ballymena Utd v Willow Park; 1pm Prehen 1 Institute FC v Lansdowne Boys; 1pm Prehen 2 Oxford Utd v Sheffield Utd; 1pm Roe Mill Road 1 Draperstown Celtic v Ballymoor FC; 1pm St Columbs Pk 2 Cliftonville FC v St Oliver Pkt; 1pm St Columbs Stadium Letterkenny & District v Dungannon Utd; 1pm Strathfoyle Don Boscos Colts v Sion Swifts; 1pm Templemore Central South Donegal Sboys v Don Boscos; 1pm Templemore Swilly Foyle Harps v St Oliver Pkt Colts; 1pm Thornhill College 1 Lagan Harps v Maiden City Academy; 1pm Thornhill College 2 Mountjoy Utd v Portrush FC.

Under 14 - 5pm Killea Barnsley FC v East Donegal Sboys; 3pm Leafair Altrincham FC v Tristar Colts FC; 5pm Lettershandoney Sheffield Utd v Lisburn YL; 5pm Lifford Celtic Lifford Celtic v Coleraine FC; 5pm Lisnagelvin 3 St Catherines FC v Sion Swifts; 5pm Maginn Park Glenavon FC v Inishowen YL; 3pm Nelson Drive Institute FC v Newhill FC; 5pm Oakland Wolves v Trojans FC; 5pm St Canices Pk Eglinton Eagles v Dragons de la Vaucouleurs (France); 5pm St Columbs Pk 1 Oxford Utd v Letterkenny Rovers; 5pm St Columbs Stadium FD Suomi (Finland) v St Patricks Castlederg; 5pm Strabane - Melvin 3G Tristar FC v Enniskillen Rangers; 3pm Vale Centre Limavady Utd v Ardstraw Youth; 5pm Vale Centre Foyle Harps v Maiden City Academy; 3pm Wilton Park Hibernian FC v Donegal Sboys; 5pm Wilton Park Global Premier Soccer v St Oliver Pkt.

Under 16 - 7pm Ardmore Partick Thistle v Mid Ulster YL; 7pm Clooney Park West 1 Willowbank v Trojans FC; 7pm Maginn Park Portadown FC v Inishowen; 7pm Newbuildings Tristar FC v Newbuildings FC; 7pm Prehen 3 Global Premier Soccer v Beann Mhadaghainn; 7pm Roe Mill Road 2 Finn Harps v Limavady Utd; 7pm St Columbs Pk 1 Northend Utd v Ballymoor; 7pm Strabane - Melvin 3G Maiden City Academy v Strabane Athletic; 7pm University Coleraine B First Choice Soccerv Oxford; 7pm Vale Centre Drumkeen v Culmore.

Under 19 - 7pm Brooke Park - Sion Swifts v Derry City; 7pm Roe Mill Road - Carndonagh v Institute.