LISBELLAW girls pulled off a delightful double at the O’Neills Foyle Cup, with the Under-13s and Under-11s both securing top honours.
The Under-13s, managed by Mark Johnston, reclaimed the title the club won in 2023. After sweeping through their group, they dispatched Ballymoney 3-0 in the quarter-final.
The semi-final against Sion Swifts was tighter. Lisbellaw trailed at the break, but Jess Reilly found the equaliser to take it to penalties, where Johnston’s side held their nerve, winning 7-6.
The final against Donegal League Select went the distance too. Daisy Coalter struck first to put them ahead, but a late Donegal equaliser forced yet another shootout. It took nine penalties apiece before goalkeeper Ellie Dolan made the vital stop, and Beth Mulvanny blasted in the winner to reclaim the Cup.
This is a second Foyle Cup success for many of the girls having won at Under-11 two years ago and, having worked with this group for the past three years, Johnston was full of praise.
“The girls have been an absolute pleasure to work with, not just the week of the Foyle Cup but all season and indeed the last few years,” he said.
“We are lucky to have an extremely talented bunch of girls at this age level but also a very committed group when it comes to training and their desire to develop as a team.
“To win the Cup this time was probably an even better achievement than the first. The standard of girls’ football is improving all the time, which is fantastic to see, but to me it makes it even more impressive that a small club like Lisbellaw Utd can compete with some of the best in the country. The team we beat in the final, for example, was a Donegal League select team with the choice of a whole county!”
He added: “We have, and we will come up against sides who can match us technically and tactically, but I’ve yet to see many who can match the heart, desire and togetherness of our group of girls.”
Glen McCleery’s Under-11s also carved their own path to glory. They won all four group games without conceding, then edged Augher Stars 1-0 in the quarter-final, before another 1-0 victory over Illistrin, with Jasmine Keenan scoring in both.
The final against Eglinton Eagles was a rollercoaster. Lucy Beacom scored early from a Keenan cross, only for the Eagles to level late.
Then came the flashpoint. Carah Greer looked to have scored a winner with seconds left, but after protests the referee disallowed the goal.
It then went to penalties. Captain Eimíle Donnelly slotted the first, followed by Beacom, before Keenan’s powerful shot hit the crossbar and spun in. When the Eglinton keeper pulled off a fine save from Lisbellaw’s fourth, it went to sudden death.
Greer, whose goal had been ruled out, buried Lisbellaw’s fifth, before Hendricks dived low to her right to keep out Eglinton’s effort, sparking wild celebrations.
“The girls have been brilliant all week, and I am absolutely delighted for them, but it hasn’t just happened overnight,” acknowledged McCleery.
“This has been two years in the making, with huge commitment from the players, parents, coaches, everybody involved.”
It was that groundwork, he said, that helped the team over the line.
“When the final went to penalties I had five volunteers immediately, none of them needing talked into it, which was unbelievably courageous,” McCleery added.
“And for them to win it in the manner they did was nerve-shredding to say the least.
“It’s been a rollercoaster but most importantly bonds have been formed amongst the girls, memories have been made, and the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
McCleery also “had to give a special mention to the performance of the BKYL teams,” saying Lisbellaw’s first season at U11 in the league had provided “the competitive games needed to allow us to improve.”
He noted that “the performances of the BKYL teams at the Foyle Cup deserves to be recognised,” pointing out that three of the top eight sides came from the league, before adding that further growth locally will “need the support of the relevant bodies to ensure the infrastructure is in place to accommodate it.”
On a busy week, Lisbellaw’s U15 Girls also finished third in the Rosebowl, the U12 Girls went unbeaten in their group, and the U12 Boys lost just once in normal time.
LISBELLAW U13 GIRLS CHAMPIONS
Ellie Dolan, Amy Beggan, Amelia Davis, Ava Crozier, Rua Breen, Isla Bryans, Daisy Coalter, Hannah Magee, Beth Johnston, Rosa Alonso, Laynah Davis, Clodagh Devine, Jess Reilly, Adelle O’Reilly, Beth Mulvanny.
LISBELLAW U11 GIRLS CHAMPIONS
Mikayla Hendricks, Farah Patterson, Mia Hall, Molly McCleery, Emma Hamilton, Lucy Beacom, Eimíle Donnelly, Jasmine Keenan, Kiana Lombard, Carah Greer.