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The teams are in…
Wexford Youths: 18. Sophie Lenehan 3. Orlaith Conlon 4. Jessica Gleeson 9. Claire O’Riordan. 10. Aoibhin Webb 14. Emma Hansberry 15. Aisling Frawley 16. Nicola Sinnott (c) 17. Linda Douglas 20. Maria Delahunty 21. Amy Walsh
Subs: 1. Tamara Furlong 7. Becky Casssin 8. Aoife Prendergast 11. Rachel Hutchison 22. Chelsee Snell. 23. Leanne Tumelty 25. Sinead Gaynor
Manager: Gary Hunt
Shelbourne Ladies: 16. Amanda McQuillan 2. Seanna Cooke 3. Niamh Walsh 4. Pearl Slattery (c) 6. Alex Kavanagh 8. Rachel Graham 9. Leanne Kiernan 10. Noelle Murray 11. Siobhan Killeen 18. Courtney Higgins 24. Gloria Douglas
Subs: 1. Niamh Reid Burke 5. Shauna Newman 14. Fiona Donnelly. 15. Lynn Craven 19. Sophie Watters 21. Sarah Rowe 22. Grace Murray
Manager: Mark Leavy
Referee: Deirdre Nolan
We’re underway…
It’s been a scrappy start here, with no real clear-cut chances.
Aisling Frawley tries to find space down the right, but her cross is cut out and the danger is cleared.
Both sides have been relatively well organised defensively so far.
PENALTY TO SHELBOURNE!
PENALTY MISSED!
Noelle Murray played a lovely through ball to Leanne Kiernan, who was taken subsequently down.
Murray’s penalty is weak though, and Sophie Lenehan saves it comfortably.
Good ball out to the right by Kiernan, but Siobhan Killeen’s ball in is disappointing.
Shels look the more likely of the teams to break the deadlock at the moment.
This is how the crowd looked just before kick off and it hasn’t increased substantially since.
Still a loyal band of supporters in one section of the ground.
Decent ball in to find Frawley — who has switched wings — but she fails to hit the target from just inside the box with a finish on her weaker foot.
Better from Wexford Youths.
Alex Kavanagh plays a great lofted through ball to Kiernan, whose touch is just a little too heavy and Lenehan can collect comfortably.
Shelbourne are still looking the more inventive of the two sides.
SHELBOURNE 1-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS (MURRAY 30)
Advantage Shelbourne!
A Higgins free kick causes panic in the box, with Lenehan coming but failing to claim it.
The ball falls to Murray, whose first shot is blocked, but she makes no mistake as she slots her second attempt into the corner.
That certainly makes up for her penalty miss earlier.
Aoibhin Webb almost responded immediately for Wexford Youths.
Her shot from just inside the box was tipped just wide by Amanda McQuillan.
SHELBOURNE 2-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS (KIERNAN 34)
Beautiful through ball from Douglas and Kiernan rounds Lenehan before finishing coolly.
That’s a classy bit of play from the 17-year-old striker.
Nice control from Emma Hansberry to evade her marker, but Maria Delahunty can only hit a hopeful ball through that McQuillan collects easily.
Wexford are looking a little short of confidence in attack at the moment, with Shels well in control.
Chance for Wexford Youths!
The ball breaks for Nicola Sinnott on the edge of the box, but McQuillan makes an excellent stop, parrying her powerful attempt away to safety.
Siobhan Killeen’s shot takes an awkward deflection, but Sophie Lenehan shows good agility to parry it away.
SHELBOURNE 3-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS (KIERNAN 45)
That’s game over surely.
It’s another defence-splitting pass by Murray for Leanne Kiernan, who outpaces her marker and finishes consummately.
What a goal!
HALF-TIME: SHELBOURNE 3-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS
So half-time and Shelbourne have been comfortably the better side so far — it’s almost impossible to see a way back into this game for the Youths.
One or two chances for Wexford aside, the Dubiners have been well on top.
Shels have dominated in midfield, with some lovely passing in particular by Murray and Douglas.
The player of the match so far, however, has undoubtedly been Leanne Kieran. The 17-year-old looks an incredible talent in the making, and has lit up this game with two fantastic goals.
The second half is underway…
The second half has continued in a similar pattern to the first.
Shelbourne look in control and are passing it about confidently.
Big chance for Wexford!
The ball falls to Aoibhin Webb on the edge of the area, but her shot is saved via the legs of Amanda McQuillan and it drifts out for a corner.
There was a shot for a penalty in the build-up to that last chance, as the ball hit Pearl Slattery’s hand.
Replays suggest it would have been harsh, however, as it certainly wasn’t an intentional handball.
Gloria Douglas finds space down the right, but her cross goes straight into the arms of Sophie Lenehan.
This Shelbourne team are a great footballing side — they look more than comfortable playing it out from the back, Pep Guardiola style.
Siobhan Killeen goes close with a shot just wide.
Shortly thereafter, Noelle Murray, who’s been superb today, plays a wonderful through pass that Kiernan just fails to get on the end of.
SHELBOURNE 4-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS (DOUGLAS 65)
Gloria Douglas, who’s looked lively today, scores Shels’ fourth.
It’s a wonderful cross in from Killeen and Douglas’ header comes off the bar, before Lenehan makes a bit of a hash of the rebound and the ball spins back into the net.
Wexford Youths, who surely can’t come back now, make a substitution.
Rachel Hutchison replaces Amy Walsh.
Gloria Douglas tries an audacious attempt from distance, but Lenehan saves it comfortably this time.
Down the other end, Aisling Frawley, who’s been arguably Wexford Youths’ brightest attacker today, bursts through on goal, but she’s just crowded out by Shels’ defence as she prepares to take a shot.
Fine work down the left by Frawley again, and her cross falls to Delahunty, who blazes over her shot.
Shels have seemingly taken their foot off the pedal a bit in recent minutes, with the win and the WFAI Cup all but secured.
Credit to Wexford Youths, they are throwing bodies forward and giving this everything despite the four-goal deficit.
They are starting to look very vulnerable on the counter-attack though.
PENALTY TO SHELBOURNE!
SHELBOURNE 5-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS (KIERNAN 79)
Leanne Kiernan gets the hat-trick that her sensational performance has deserved.
She slots a penalty in off the bar to put Shels five ahead.
The decision looked quite harsh, as Siobhan Killeen went down under the challenge from Jessica Gleeson, who seemed to get the ball.
Shels make a substitution.
Rachel Graham, who The42 interviewed recently, is replaced by Lynn Craven.
Leanne Kiernan is replaced by Sophie Watters and Siobhan Killeen comes on for Fiona Donnelly for Shels.
And for Wexford Youths, Chelsee Snell comes on for Maria Delahunty.
Kiernan and Killeen have both been magnificent for Shels today.
The ball falls for Jessica Gleeson on the edge of the box, but Lynn Craven throws her body in the way.
Kiernan and Murray will grab the headlines, but Shelbourne have defended excellently today.
Kiernan is deservedly named ‘lady of the match’ by RTÉ.
There will be four minutes of stoppage time.
FULL-TIME: SHELBOURNE 5-0 WEXFORD YOUTHS
It’s all over and a jubilant Shelbourne celebtrate their WFAI Cup success.
They’ve made up for last year’s penalty kicks loss to Wexford in emphatic fashion as they were much the better team.
17-year-old hat-trick hero Leanne Kiernan was the star of the show, while Shels’ chief creator Noelle Murray was also excellent.
Leanne Kiernan and Shels boss Mark Leavy have both been speaking to RTÉ
“The girls were really on form today and thankfully my goals went in,” hat-trick hero Kiernan said.
“Winning in Macedonia (for Ireland) and winning today is not bad, is it?
“Wexford put up a tough battle in the first half, but thankfully we got round it.”
Leay added: “They deserve everything they got, it all came together today
“We’ll take the result, that’s all that matters. Six would have flattered us a little bit
“They’re still learning, it’s scary what they could do and hopefully there’s more to come.
“There’s more in this Shels team, more in our youth team, and hopefully there’ll be trophies for many years to come.”
Right that’s all from me.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll have more reaction to come.
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