Raheny triumph in Women’s FAI Cup final report

Raheny United3
Castlebar Celtic2
After extra-time

THE FAI Women’s Cup final saw Raheny United claim a second crown on the spin against a battling Castlebar Celtic.

The holders seemed to be heading towards another trophy but the Mayo team twice pegged them back to force extra-time. Four minutes in, Celtic's centre-back Kim Flood suffered the misfortune of diverting a Siobhan Killeen cross past her goalkeeper Caoimhe O'Reilly for the winner. Raheny's midfielder Ciara Grant opened the scoring with a 37th minute volley. Castlebar drastically needed a revival and it was engineered by interval substitute Emma Mullin. She drew the westerners level on 68 minutes by finishing from eight yards.

Seven minutes from time, the Dubliners were back in front from the penalty spot. Caroline Thorpe tucked the ball low into the bottom-left corner but Deirdre Doherty equalised with an 89th-minute thunderbolt.
RAHENY UNITED: N Reid-Burke; P Slattery, S O'Farrelly (S Newman 90), K Ryan, C Thorpe; R Graham, C Grant, R Creagh, S Killeen; K McCabe (C Shine 69), N Murray.
CASTLEBAR CELTIC: C O'Reilly; K Walsh, N Fowley, K Flood (R Kearns 110), A Egan; S Rowe, Y Hedigan (D Doherty 77), R King, A Gilroy; E Hansberry, S McGeogh (E Mullin h/t).
Referee: Marie Ward.