Days two and three of the SuperCupNI saw the Inver Reds academy players put in a string of impressive performances with wins for County Antrim, County Down and the Larne U14 Girls.
Amongst several strong displays, our players were involved in wins over Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and FC United (USA).
Following their latest results, the Larne girls have set up a Globe Final tie (3rd/4th playoff) with Scottish outfit Kilmarnock.
On Monday, the young Inver Reds suffered a heavy defeat to Manchester United, losing 6-1 in Rathcoole before bouncing back with a 2-2 draw against American side Surf Select on Tuesday.
A competitive tie at Antrim’s Allen Park, Darcy Grayson and Sophia Gill both got on the scoresheet to earn our first point of the competition.
However, the side saved their best performance of the group stage until their last outing, beating FC United from America 3-1 yesterday afternoon.
Another tight encounter, the side put up a hard-fought display with three goals from Alyia Axon, Aoife Conlon and Lara Longridge sealing a convincing win for Peter Gilmore’s side.
The win tees them up for this afternoon’s playoff game against Kilmarnock, which is scheduled to get underway at 12:00 in Mossley.
As for the boys, there are 12 of the club’s academy players in action for their county sides (10 for County Antrim and 2 for County Down).
Representing County Down, both Daniel Hashim and Fintan McArdle were involved as they beat English side Brighton 3-0.
Hashim, a standout player for his side, netted two goals to give them a 2-0 advantage before going through on goal, only to be denied his hat-trick as he was fouled on the edge of the penalty area.
However, the resulting free kick led to his side’s third goal and sealed a comfortable win, moving them to the top spot in the group.
A 2-1 win over County Armagh yesterday afternoon confirmed their spot as group winners, setting up a Semi-Final clash with Manchester United this evening.
In Group D, County Antrim ended the group stage with a 1-1 draw against Southampton.
A game which saw the Northern Irish defence called into action and put under considerable pressure, the side put in a resounding defensive performance to end the group on a high.
Meanwhile, Larne academy player Jack May got on the scoresheet to earn the point for his side, netting his second goal of the competition.
The result comes following defeats in both their previous games to County Londonderry and Ichifuna.
Elsewhere, the County Antrim Junior side earned an impressive victory over English giants Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
The win made it two wins from as many games for the side and followed a 3-0 victory over fellow Northern Irish side County Londonderry on Monday.
In their final group game, the side ensured they finished in top spot with maximum points with another win over English opponents.
A seven-goal thriller at Riada Stadium saw the side beat Charlton Athletic 5-2
Despite a disappointing result, there was a strong performance from young goalkeeper Matthew Allen, who made his first start in the competition, having previously come off the bench in their previous two fixtures.
