DEFENDING Beamish Cup champions Clonakilty Soccer Club progressed to the quarter-finals of this season’s competition with an emphatic 8-4 win over Drinagh Rangers B.
Two different players grabbed hat-tricks for the holders, as Chris Collins and Eoin Murphy both bagged trebles in this first round tie on Sunday.
Joe Edmead and Iain O’Driscoll completed the scoring for Clon, while Liam Daly, Owen Tobin, Joseph McCarthy and Anthony O’Sullivan found the net for a battling Drinagh B side.
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Clonakilty are looking to win the cup for the third season in a row.
Castlelack also booked their place in the last eight after edging Spartak Mossgrove 5-4 after extra time in a thriller. Cian Kelleher gave Castlelack an early lead, but goals from Aaron O’Driscoll and Daire McAree saw Spartak go 2-1 ahead before Brian Lordan restored parity.
Jack Meade put the Newcestown-based outfit 3-2 up at the break, only for Lordan to level again straight after the restart. Evan O’Shea made it 4-3 to Castlelack on the hour mark, but Eddie Kenneally sent the tie to extra time. Eventually, Aidan Cregan struck in the 106th minute to seal Castlelack’s passage to the next round.
The final quarter-final place will be decided this Sunday when Ardfield and Beara United go head-to-head in a round-one clash. Last year’s finalists Ardfield eased past Aultagh Celtic B 5-0, with Paul Hodnett hitting a hat-trick, while Caolan Hayes and Conor Twomey also got on the scoresheet.
Beara United were equally impressive, beating Baltimore 9-0 in a preliminary round tie as Declan Dunne netted four first-half goals. Braces from Jonathan Rosales Harrington and Lee Kelly, along with a strike from Richard Murphy, completed a polished display.
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So, seven of the eight quarter-finalists have been confirmed with Beara United or Ardfield taking up the final spot. This all-Championship clash takes place on Saturday (1pm) in Canon Crowley Park.
The seven sides already through are holders Clonakilty Soccer Club, fellow Premier Division sides Togher Celtic, Drinagh Rangers, Lyre Rovers and Castletown Celtic and Championship clubs Castlelack and Skibbereen Celtic.
The quarter-final draw date is yet to be announced but if the West Cork League can get the draw done this week, the last eight games will take place on February 8th. Otherwise, February 15th will be the date the games are played.
