Carrigtwohill United made the long journey north on over the weekend to face Donegal Town in the Quarter-Final of the SFAI U16 National Trophy. Despite a performance filled with possession and pressure, it wasn’t to be Carrig's day as they narrowly exited the competition following a 2–1 defeat.

 

The starting eleven saw Sean in goal, protected by a back four of Jamie, Karl, Owen, and captain Isaac. The midfield trio of Bryan, Bailey, and Michael looked to control the engine room, while Aaron, Rafael, and Nathan led the line up front.

 

Carrigtwohill started the brighter of the two sides, immediately taking the game to the hosts. Just five minutes in, Aaron tested the Donegal keeper from distance with a low, driven strike that required a sharp save. Carrig continued to look dangerous through the middle, and after 20 minutes, Michael drove forward to hit a strike from outside the box that was again well handled by the keeper. Multiple crosses came in but unfortunately we found nobody in the end of them.

 

Despite Carrigtwohill being on top in terms of possession, it was Donegal Town who struck first against the run of play. Their winger managed to skip through a few tackles before squaring the ball for an oncoming attacker to tap into an empty net.

 

Carrig didn't let their heads drop and kept pressing for an equalizer. A great chance fell to Michael following a pinpoint cross from the right by Karl, but his glancing header went narrowly wide. 

 

The persistence finally paid off on the stroke of half-time; following a goalmouth scramble, Michael was brought down in the box. Aaron stepped up and calmly slotted home the resultant penalty to send the sides in level at 1–1 at the break.

 

The second half started in frustrating fashion for the visitors, as Donegal Town were awarded a penalty of their own just minutes after the restart to retake the lead at 2–1.

 

After Donegal got their noses in front for the second time, the game became a scrappy affair. Donegal defended well, and Carrig struggled to find space in behind their defensive line. To find a way back, Carrig turned to the bench; Jack Lombard and Dylan came on in midfield to inject fresh energy, while Jack Beechinor was introduced on the left side of the defence, allowing Owen to move into a more advanced role.

 

Most of the 2nd half attacks originated down the right wing through Ryan Moore who was introduced at half time and who delivered a succession of dangerous crosses, but the Donegal defence stood firm. 

 

Isaac came very close with a long-range free kick that whistled narrowly over the bar, and while Carrig registered several more shots from distance, they struggled to trouble the Donegal keeper further. At the other end, Sean had very little to do for the remainder of the half as Carrig dominated the ball, but the equalizer remained elusive.

 

While the result is disappointing, the club and the coaches are immensely proud of this squad. Reaching the final eight of a national competition is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the hard work these players have put in all season.

 

A sincere thanks to Donegal Town for a very sporting game and for their incredible hospitality after the match. They went above and beyond, providing pizza for the players and tea, coffee, and sandwiches for the traveling parents. They were excellent hosts, and we wish them the very best of luck in the semi-final.

 

As a group, we are extremely grateful to everyone who made this trip possible. The club made a very substantial contribution towards the costs, and we sincerely appreciate that support, in addition to the generous backing from our sponsors.

 

We would like to especially acknowledge — Caltech (caltech.ie) and Neodyne — along with DAF Truck Services Cork Ltd. In particular, we thank John O’Mahony and Jim Cooney for their support and assistance throughout.

 

From the management team and players, we also extend our thanks to our coaches, and to all the parents for their continued commitment and support.