Good morning, and welcome along to The42′s live coverage of today’s Women’s FAI Cup final clash between Wexford Youths and Peamount United.
The 12.05pm kick-off is fast approaching at the Aviva Stadium as we’re set for the biggest day in the women’s football calendar in Ireland.
As well as following our updates here, you can watch all the action on RTÉ 2. Coverage begins in the next few minutes. And as always, we’d love to hear your predictions and thoughts in the comments section below — this one should be good!
The battle of the league champions and the league cup winners.
League champions Wexford Youths Women and League Cup winners Peamount United meet in the #FAICup final on Sunday. It's live on RTÉ Sport online, @RTE2 and @SundaySport pic.twitter.com/4Oj4jmAzBs
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) November 3, 2018
Wexford Youths, Women’s National League (WNL) champions for the fourth time in five years, are hoping to add a second FAI Cup since 2015 to their list of honours.
Should they win today, it’ll be a treble after they sealed the National League shield earlier this year.
On the contrary, it’d be a double for Peamount. The Dubliners are hoping to end an eight-year wait for FAI Cup glory.
Time for some team news….
Line ups for today with kick off just 30 minutes away at the Aviva! pic.twitter.com/UVTLD8WHbz
— Wexford Youths Women (@YouthsWomen) November 4, 2018
The big news is that Rianna Jarrett will start for Wexford today. That comes as a big boost for Youths, as the Ireland international returns from injury.
Two of the best strikers in the country are on show today, and this will come as an intriguing battle at each end.
Amber Barrett, the back-to-back Golden Boot winner, hit 30 in the WNL while Jarrett slotted home 28 times before her injury.
Five minutes to go so as the final preparations are made, here’s some pre-match reading to feast your eyes on:
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‘In PE class a fella turns around and says: lads she’s playing in the Aviva next week, so go easy on the tackles’
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‘I was standing on a cottage roof, freezing to death, shovelling snow. I think: do you want to go back to that?’
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‘Losing 5-0 on telly was demoralising… but we knew if we got another crack at a cup final we’d give it a good lash’
The teams are on the pitch, the anthem played and sung and we’re ready to go at Lansdowne Road.
KICK-OFF: We’re underway, with Peamount’s Eleanor Ryan-Doyle kicking proceedings off.
3 mins – We’ve had a lively start at the Aviva, both teams settling in nicely and all-out attacking. The best chance so far fell to Amber Barrett, but young Youths keeper Sophie Lenehan did well to cut her out.
5 mins – Peamount looked threatening there from some attacking play off the back of a corner. Megan Smyth-Lynch had a long-range effort, she connected well but it whistled over the bar.
8 mins — Youths are looking good themselves but Peamount look more dangerous on the attack as of now. Barrett and Smyth-Lynch link up nicely with the latter clipping a second effort over the bar.
10 mins – SAVE! Lenehan has made a super start between the posts, getting her fingertips to Aine O’Gorman’s effort and sending it over the bar. A great save.
12 mins – It’s all Peamount in attack at early doors, but Wexford have started well themselves.
14 mins – Play has stopped with Kylie Murphy down injured and receiving treatment.
16 mins – It looked to have been a head injury, but she’s back on her feet again. She’s gone off but there’s no doubt she’ll be back on the field shortly.
18 mins – A really well-delivered Youths free-kick through Chloe Moloney there off the back of that injury but the Peas defence reacted well. Barrett has a promising attack at the other end but the three chasing defenders and goalkeeper Lenehan deal with her accordingly.
20 mins – Murphy is back on the field and looking lively once again. Still scoreless after 20 minutes as both sides look to make the crucial breakthrough.
22 mins – CLOSE! Peamount really are knocking and knocking on the door. O’Gorman delivers into the box and finds Barrett who produces a lovely backheel to Smyth-Lynch. She connects really well, but it whisps over yet again.
26 mins – Wexford are looking a bit brighter in attack but they just can’t get Jarrett into the game. That said, the Peas defence are composed and collected, dealing with whatever’s thrown at them. Murphy caused some trouble but Chloe Moloney has been solid in cutting her out.
29 mins – CLOSE! Murphy strikes Wexford’s best effort of the opening half. It’s from quite some distance and whistles just inches wide. A stunning effort off her left with some really tasty play in the build-up.
GOAL! Wexford Youths 1 Peamount United 0
34 mins – A crazy few minutes there, put to bed after a goal from Katrina Parrock. The former Wexford camogie star has put Youths on the front foot after a really bright start from Peamount.
36 mins – Before that though, Wexford had a goal disallowed. Emma Hansberry floated a threatening free-kick in but goalkeeper Naoisha McAloon had it in her hands before incoming players knocked her over and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
38 mins – CHANCES! Further chances for Peamount here, these ones to potentially equalise. First, O’Gorman hits it straight at Lenehan before another Ryan-Doyle volley floats over the bar.
41 mins – A let off there for the 1-0 leaders after another Ryan-Doyle miss, but they respond positively at the other end. Hansberry sends a brilliant cross to the head of Parrock but the headed effort is weak.
43 mins – The goal has certainly breathed new life into Youths, they’re playing with much more confidence while on the contrary, Peamount have been knocked and aren’t playing as composed football as they were.
Looks like there’ll be two minutes of additional time.
45 mins + 1 – Confirmation that there’s two minutes still to go comes.
Peamount are still working hard and not giving up. Barrett is flying on the attack and nudged over in the box, it looks to be a penalty but referee Vicki McEnery waves play on. A big decision…. controversial?
HALF-TIME: Wexford Youths 1 Peamount United 0
So, thoughts on that? Peamount most definitely started brighter and had much more chances on goal, but Wexford were ruthless with one of their few chances.
Parrock’s goal is the difference with one half played but no doubt there’ll be plenty of debate surrounding that incident just before the break.
Still all to play for, really.
Here’s a look at Parrock’s finish. That first touch!
.@YouthsWomen lead @peamountutd 1-0 at the break thanks to this strike from Katrina Parrock! #WFAICupFinal pic.twitter.com/OpOq2CCwCe
— FAIreland ⚽️🇮🇪 (@FAIreland) November 4, 2018
And here’s the penalty call just before the interval. What do you think?
Big penalty shout for Peamount right on half-time. Not given. https://t.co/zcQelHjRJz #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/4eauN4FGjo
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) November 4, 2018
SECOND-HALF: Jarrett has us underway once again.
46 mins – Peamount dispossess Youths and make their intent known straight away, sparking to life. Karen Duggan smashes an early effort from distance but it goes wayward and well wide. Promising.
47 mins – There’s a clash of heads there between the two number eights, but Kennedy and Farrelly are both ready to come back onto the pitch.
49 mins – Wexford are upping the ante on the attack. Jarrett plays a superb through ball to find Aisling Frawley but she’s cut out in the box. They’re on the hunt for more.
54 mins – Peamount haven’t been able to find the rhythm they had earlier while Wexford look to have a real foothold on this game. The Dubliners turn to fresh legs for inspiration.
Lucy McCartan makes way for Claire Walsh.
57 mins — Peas up their game a bit, playing some clever football. The ball bobbled around the penalty area before Duggan got a boot to it but her effort is off target. A half-chance, a difficult one to manage.
59 minutes – A decent ball in from a Ryan-Doyle corner but Chloe Moloney’s header goes wide. 30 minutes of so of normal play to go.
62 mins — A Wexford cross finds its way into the box but keeper Naoise McAloon again does well to stand tall and secure the high ball. Another Ireland intrenational, Dearbhaile Beirne, looks set to come on for Peamount.
63 mins — The Leitrim 20-year-old, whose family appeared on Ireland’s Fittest Family, comes in for Megan Smyth-Lynch. Wexford are happy meanwhile to just play the ball around.
65 mins – There’s some confusion there over the award of a corner, players reacting like it shouldn’t have been. Not to matter though as Hansberry’s delivery lands in the hands of McAloon.
68 mins – Barrett takes a shot out of nowhere — it wasn’t really on and would have been better to lay it off — and it goes on target but it’s an easy save for Lenehan. Rianna Jarrett is down at the other end, this could be the end of the day for her.
70 mins – That’s that from the injury-tormented Jarrett today but she walks off and looks pleased. Her presence alone has been key for Wexford, but the baton is passed to Orla Casey now.
74 mins – Hansberry shows some strong running on the ball but she’s intercepted and Peamount create a chance at the other end. Wexford have gone very defensive to see out the win, but O’Gorman’s effort is tame and goes wide.
77 mins – Another penalty call for Peas and Amber Barrett…. but this time it’s a bit more theatrical as she throws herself to the ground. The referee’s having none.
79 mins – Goalscorer Katrina Parrock comes off for McKenna Davidson as we enter the final 10 minutes at the Aviva.
83 mins — Barrett charges in late and unnecessarily knocks Orlaith Conlon to the ground after McAloon secures a long ball in. Her frustration shines through, and the ref opts show a few yellow cards — one to Niamh Farrelly for a later incident.
85 mins – Is there a goal in Peamount? Can they draw level by 90?
87 mins — The second half has been very stop-start but Wexford are pushing on. Peamount may throw the kitchen sink at it.
89 mins – Louise Masterson comes on for Lauryn O’Callaghan as Peamount look to make a late stab at it as the clock turns red.
We’re into one of four minutes of additional time.
90 mins + 2 – Peamount are trying and trying but Barrett’s effort from outside the box goes wide. Wexford are looking for more at the other end, but they’ll be happy to drop back and see it out.
90 mins + 3 — That could have been the chance…. Peamount with some nice play in the build-up, Barrett squares it back to O’Gorman but the recently-retired Ireland international sends her effort wayward.
90 mins + 3 — Another penalty call! Barrett goes down in the box but nothing is acted upon. It looks like that’s that……
FULL-TIME: Wexford Youths 1 Peamount United 0
So, there you have it. A decent game that had it all at the Aviva, but it was Katrina Parrock’s goal that stood the difference as the final whistle sounded.
A league and cup double for Wexford Youths — a treble even, with the addition of the National League shield earlier this year. There’ll be serious celebrations on Slaneyside tonight!
That’s all from me, but we’ll have a full match report from our man stationed at the Aviva, Aaron Gallagher, on The42 in the coming minutes and as always, we’ll have plenty of reaction and analysis to follow.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your Sunday afternoon.
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