Raheny United 2
UCD Waves 1
RAHENY UNITED ARE the FAI Women’s Cup winners for a third successive year as Siobhan Killeen scored an extra-time winner against UCD Waves at the Aviva Stadium.
Killeen scored the deciding goal in the first-half of extra-time to seal a historic win and break UCD hearts in the process.
Raheny, who also won the trophy in 2012, faced their third opposition in three years in the Waves, who themselves had several former Raheny players in their ranks.
The Blues were quicker out of the traps at the Aviva Stadium, with all of the early pressure coming in the Raheny half. After escaping a caution for a hefty tackle on Julie Ann Russell, Rachel Graham was booked inside the opening ten minutes by referee Michelle O’Neill after she brought down Aine O’Gorman.
However, Raheny soon found their feet. The tricky Killeen and Katie McCabe won a series of free kick’s in the surrounds of the UCD penalty area but all those set-piece opportunities were wasted.
That was until the 20th minute when McCabe lit the game up with a strike of the highest quality. Dora Gorman upended the striker and she picked herself up to send a curling effort from 35-yards over goalkeeper Monica McGuirk and into the top corner.
As half-time edged closer, the concerted pressure was coming from the team in blue. It finally told five minutes before the break. An impudent piece of skill from Russell saw her wriggle free of Clare Conlon. Her shot beat Niamh Reid-Burke but not the crossbar. The ball cannoned off the woodwork and fell to O’Gorman, who volley first time back across the goalkeeper to level.
Despite the stadium announcer giving the goal to winger Jetta Berrill, it was finished unerringly by O’Gorman, scoring UCD’s 36th goal of a prolific cup run.
In an even affair, both sides also had their spells of relative dominance in the second half but good chances were few and far between.
The Women’s National League champions were relying on the occasional set piece and the impressive wing play of Kileen for their openings whole UCD had the better of things in the early stages of the second period.
Within moments of each other, Gorman saw a long range effort come off the post and then O’Gorman has denied by the brave Reid-Burke.
In truth, the second half was sloppy from both teams. That would have mattered little to the eventual winner, but it was clear extra-time or penalties might be required to determine who that would be.
Niamg Walsh met Rebecca Creagh’s free-kick deep into injury time but her header fell into the grateful arms of McGuirk.
Extra-time amounted to just 20 minutes here. With time of the essence, Graham was in the right place at the right time to block Russell’s shot.
It proved vital. Moments later, Killeen burst through on the left hand side of the penalty area and her left foot shot squirmed under the body of McGuirk. There was still time for Noelle Murray to almost add a third but she hit the bar not once, but twice.
UCD WAVES: Monica McGurk, Rebekah Carroll, Karen Duggan, Ciara Grant, Savannah McCarthy, Dora Gorman, Julie Ann Russell, Caroline Thorpe, Kerrie Ryan, Aine O’Gorman, Jetta Berrill.
Subs: Caoimhe O’Reilly, Alison Brien, Orlagh Nolan, Chloe Mustaki, Emily Cahill.
RAHENY UNITED: Niamh Reid-Burke, Keeva Keenan, Niamh Walsh, Lauren Dwyer, Clare Conlon, Pearl Slattery, Rebbeca Creagh, Rachel Graham, Katie McCabe, Noelle Murray, Siobhan Killeen.
Subs: Bethany Houldsworth, Shauna Newman, Sinead O’Farrelly, Niamh Barnes, Catherine Cronin, Danielle Sheehy, Avril Brierly.
Referee: Michelle O’Neill