Midlands League girls make progress in Gaynor Cup

The University of Limerick are hosting the five-day Gaynor Cup soccer tournament on the campus this June bank holiday week. Gaynor Cup is the girls’ counterpart to the famous Kennedy Cup and is one of the biggest weeks of the year for girls soccer. MGL South were crowned champions of the tournament in 2022 with a win over the Midlands Schoolboys/Girls League in the final, which has left Midlands hungry for success this year. It was an achievement by the Midlands to be ranked in the top 2 in the tournament and almost win the title for the first-time last year.

They have started very brightly to the tournament this year, beating Kilkenny 2-0 on Monday and Cavan-Monaghan 4-0 on Tuesday morning. Nessa Trainor of Ballinahown and Hodson Bay's Caoilfhinn Brett were among the goal scorers on Monday and Tuesday while her Ballinahown team mate Leah Concannon and Killeigh's Emma Mooney also found the net on Tuesday.

They were scheduled to play Donegal on Tuesday afternoon but were sure of top spot in their group and qualification irrespective of the result here.

This year’s team, who have prepared and trained hard under the guidance of Manager & Coach Glen Byrne along with Coaches Padraig Glynn, Verona Smyth & Aisling Concannon and Head of Delegation Derek Collins, are as follows;

Aoibheann Slattery: Birr Town FC; Chloe Glynn: St. Joseph's FC; Christina Waldron: Bealnamulla LFC; Alison Judge: Killeigh FC; Roisin Bradley: Abbeyleix FC; Erin McHugh: Temple Villa FC; Leah Stack: Killeigh FC; Emma Mooney: Killeigh FC; Neasa Trainor: Ballinahown FC; Sophie Byrne: Willow Park FC; Leah Concannon: Ballinahown FC; Niamh Coughlan: Killeigh FC; Caoilfhinn Brett: Hodson Bay Celtic FC; Kacey-Lee Finnmor: Tullamore Town FC; Sophie Padden: Temple Villa FC; Ellen Gorman: Killeigh FC; Sarah Burke: Mountmellick United FC; Ciara Conroy: Mountmellick United FC; Lilly-Mae Conroy: Mountmellick United FC

The Team have already enjoyed success this year in the interleague bringing home the SFAIreland Under 14s girls national shield trophy after an extra time win against a good Kilkenny team.

The team have also been kindly helped along their way by sponsors; Supermacs Tullamore, Monksland Pharmacy Athlone, Cash & Carry Furniture Tullamore, Byrne Carolan Cunningham Solicitors Athlone, Smyth Stapleton & Co Solicitors Tullamore & Ego Boost, Abbeyleix.