The Northern Ireland Women’s Under-15 development team are set to compete in the annual Bob Docherty Cup tournament next week.
Head coach Stephen Graham, who will be assisted by Heather Mearns, has chosen an 18-strong panel for the tournament, which is being staged in Athlone this year.
Four of the schoolgirls who will be heading to the Republic of Ireland played for the Northern Ireland Women’s Under-16 team in a UEFA development tournament staged in Belfast last week. They are defender Chloe Beckinsale, midfielder Charlotte Havern and strikers Maja Stachura and Ava Hurl.
In Athlone Northern Ireland will be facing the Republic, England and Scotland. The games are all being staged at the Athlone Town Stadium.
First up on Monday (25 March) is an encounter with England Schools (noon start).
The following day they will take on Scotland Schools at 3pm, while their final game is next Thursday against Republic of Ireland Schools (noon).
The international competition for U15 girls’ development teams is run annually by the Schools’ Association Football International Board (SAFIB).
The Northern Ireland WU15 squad features:
Goalkeepers – Madison Bell (Nendrum College, Comber), Zara McAvoy (Belfast High School, Newtownabbey).
Defenders – Chloe Beckinsale (Belfast High School), Lily Brooke Wallace (Ballymena Academy), Grace Campbell (Laurelhill Community College, Lisburn), Daisy Moore (Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor), Holly Hilton (St Dominic’s Grammar School, Belfast).
Midfielders – Heidi Curran (Clounagh Junior High, Portadown), Jemima Hernen (Sale Grammar School, Cheshire), Charlotte Havern (St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook), Emilee Leacock (Slemish College, Ballymena), Abbie Smyth (All Saints College, Belfast), Mirijana Karrabecaj (St Joseph's College, Belfast).
Forwards – Grace McAllister (St Killian’s College, Carnlough), Ruby Adair (Newbridge Integrated College, Loughbrickland), Maja Stachura (Edmund Rice College, Glengormley), Ava Hurl (St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt), Sophie Graham (Brownlow Integrated College, Craigavon).
Image: Striker Maja Stachura is off to play in the Bob Docherty Cup tournament after appearing for Northern Ireland’s Women’s U16s in a UEFA development tournament in Belfast earlier this month.
