Maiden City U16s finish Foyle Cup week in style!

Foyle Cup U16 Final

Maiden City 3

Atlantic 0

Maiden City Academy rounded off the 2024 O’Neill’s Foyle Cup with a deserved win over Atlantic to get their hands on the U16 trophy.

A feast of week-long football came to an end at the Brandywell on Saturday with the Derry side coming out on top against an enthusiastic and determined opponent, their quality in the final third the decisive factor on the day.

The road to the final was not as straightforward as Maiden City might have hoped; after winning all three group games, they had to dig deep to get through the knock-out stages, beating both Donegal and Ballyclare Comrades in successive penalty shoot-outs.

They denied themselves the agony of a third shoot-out however with a superb first half which gave then a 2-0 lead, and they never ever looked like giving it up.

The local side got off to the perfect start by opening the scoring after just six minutes. It was a simple set-piece which led to the goal with Thomas Maxwell’s corner to the near post finding the run of Sean O’Donnell, who headed in unmarked from close range.

That lead could have been doubled on 23 minutes when Torrin Smith set Kristian O’Kane away on the counter attack. O’Kane’s pace took him free and clear of the Atlantic defenders so he only had to concentrate on his strike at goal; the young winger did everything right, with an effort past the goalkeeper and right across the face of goal, but the base of the post denied him and kept the score at one.

Maiden City didn’t have to wait long for their second goal however and it came just a few minutes with a spectacular finish from Maxwell. O’Donnell was sent racing down the right but he still had a lot to do to pick out the perfect pass for his team mate coming in at the back post. The final pass was exactly what it needed to be however and Maxwell just had to focus on the finish as he side-footed the ball high into the net to make it 2-0.

Maiden City remained on top in the second half with goalkeeper Adam Byrne the only reason they weren’t running away with it. The goalkeeper was unorthodox in his methods but they were effective nonetheless, particularly when Owen Donnelly played O’Kane in on goal, but he was denied by the right foot of the Atlantic number one.

But it was Maiden City who had the final say with O’Donnell racing through to make it 3-0 with virtually the last kick of the 2024 Foyle Cup.

Teams

Maiden City: Harry Burgees, Jack McColgan, Sean O’Donnell, Torrin Smith, Harry Doherty, Noah Leonard, Robbie Cassidy, Callum McHale, Thomas Maxwell, Oran Carlin, Ryan Arthur, Owen Donnelly, Shea Harkin, Kristian O’Kane, Jamie McColgan, Kiefer McCusker, Callum Irwin.

Atlantic: Adam Byrne, Niall Boyle, Etah McCrea, Jack Elliott, Michael Gallagher, Jack Bennett, Tomas Carr, Oisin Ebbs, Evan Daly, Evan Hickey, Gethin Mosby.

Officials: Eamon Harrigan, Collie McDaid and Ciaran Connor.