Lowry lines out for Ireland in another busy week for academy prospects

In a weekend full of goals, both of Waterford FC’s U17s teams enjoyed exciting 5-3 wins at home to Kerry with Gavin Mitchell bagging a hat-trick for the Blues boys, while the girls engineered a stunning comeback victory. There was a dominant win for the U19s girls, a sensational upset for the U14s against ‘the old enemy’ and international honours for Cormac Lowry in a busy week for academy players.

Captain Gavin Mitchell set the 17s on the way to their win on Sunday with two early penalty kicks either side of an equaliser by Kerry’s Christian Amundala. The visitors fought back again with Callum McCormack levelling the score before half time, but Waterford retook the lead through Jay Brophy shortly after the break with Mitchell providing the assist. Midfielder Peter Byrne stretched the lead on 70 minutes with an assist from Mason Murphy, but Kerry fought back again when McCormack grabbed his second goal to make it 4-3. The result was still in the balance until the dying minutes when Mitchell, the former Waterford Crystal man, wrapped up a memorable individual performance with his hat-trick goal.

The 17s girls had to dig deep to win their game 24 hours earlier when they, surprisingly, fell two goals behind to Kerry at SETU Arena. The Blues had started brightly with Emma Bibby giving them a third-minute lead through a shot from outside the box, but Maja Wolska equalised against the run of play. 

Despite dominating, Waterford could only find the side-netting on numerous occasions, whereas the girls from the Kingdom were clinical with Emma Murnane giving them the lead and Wolska netting her second two minutes later. Brendan White’s team were a little shellshocked so it was crucial that they pulled a goal back right on the stroke of half time when Elle Kavanagh finished from a corner. 

Kate Tomkins came off the bench on her return from injury and she turned the game with two well-taken goals in the 54th and 65th minutes. Her strength, hold-up play and ability to beat defenders was too much for Kerry to handle. The in-form Rachel Duff then sealed a fantastic comeback with a nice strike from a narrow angle to keep the Blues in the hunt for the Tier Two South title with Wexford and Peamount United.

Several of that team were back in action again on Sunday when the U19s smashed five goals past Bray Wanderers in Greystones. Tomkins set first teamer Olivia Shannon up for an early opening goal after just four minutes, but it took until midway through the second half to add to the lead when Lillie Holloway created a goal for substitute Issy Kenna. 

The Blues added three more goals in the final ten minutes with Kenna scoring her second from another Holloway pass before Shannon matched that feat by finishing from goalkeeper Ciara Kelly’s long kick. Holloway made it 5-0 in the final minute for a very strong victory.

Maybe the result of the weekend was delivered by the youngest Blues as Xander Coolbear’s U14s shocked Shamrock Rovers with a 2-1 win in Dublin on Sunday. It was the first defeat of the year for a Rovers team who have averaged over five goals per game and won twenty out of twenty-two games prior to this. Nathan Power was the goalscoring hero again with Billy Carney creating the first. 

The second came from the penalty spot after defender Jacob Rose had played Power through on goal only to be taken down and the talented striker picked himself up to score from the spot. Rovers could only manage a consolation goal in the final five minutes with the Blues earning a tremendous win.

The U15s lost for the first time in Tier Two when they slipped to a 2-1 defeat away to Treaty United on Sunday despite taking an early lead through a Keelan Brennan goal. The Limerick side flipped the scoreline with two goals in seven second-half minutes from Alex Meaney and Kaylum Bourke-Matha to take all three points at Hogan Park. 

Team captain Cormac Lowry was back from an eventful week in Poland with the Republic of Ireland U16 squad. Lowry, previously of New Oak FC in Carlow town, only turned 15 in June so he has another full year of eligibility at that level. He played in two friendly matches against the Poles with Ireland winning 1-0 on Monday, but losing 3-2 on Thursday.

Finally, the Under-20s fell to a disappointing 5-1 loss at home to Cork City on Saturday. City took the opportunity to give veteran midfielder Greg Bolger game time and the 37-year-old, who has won the League of Ireland with three different clubs, completely dictated the match with ease. 

Cork were two up within ten minutes through a brace from Tipperary winger Brody Lee, and Rhys Kelly-Noonan extended their lead early in the second period. The one highlight for Waterford was a brilliant finish by Orion Cala (22 years Bolger’s junior) to make it 3-1 from a Shane O’Sullivan assist. Bolger, himself, ended the contest with City’s fourth goal before substitute Denzell Obenge knocked in the fifth late in the game.