Women's League Cup: Reds retain their trophy

Goals from Kirsty McGuinness and Vicky Carleton proved enough for Cliftonville to retain the Women's Premiership League Cup at the expense of Lisburn Rangers earlier.

When McGuinness found the net early in the tie, it seemed as if her side would go on to dominate and score more. However, they found an inspired Emma Higgins in the Rangers goal impossible to get past at times. Even when they did, the woodwork denied them.

But Vicky Carleton sealed back-to-back trophies for the Solitude side deep into stoppage time to break Lisburn hearts.

It was hard on the newly-promoted side, who have been one of the start turns in the Premiership this season and grew into this game the longer it went on. Unfortunately for them though, they left it a bit too little, too late to take the tie to extra-time.

The Reds dominated proceedings right from the outset of this match and the only surprise was that they weren’t further ahead at the break.

Caitlin McGuinness had the first chance of the match in the tenth minute, but her close-range effort was stopped by Higgins – and it wouldn’t be for the last time in this match.

However, just a minute later, the holders did find a way through and this time McGuinness was the provider as her low centre from the right teed up her sister Kirsty, who was on hand to sidefoot home from a couple of yards out.

The siblings then each had an opportunity to double their side’s advantage within 60 seconds of each other shortly afterwards.

Kirsty fired over on 16 minutes, before Higgins was once again equal to another Caitlin effort from point-blank range.

John McGrady’s side were then denied by the woodwork twice in the space of three minutes as they completely took charge of the first period.

Louise McDaniel did well to get the ball out of her feet and squeeze in a shot that came back off the bar with Higgins beaten. Then the excellent Toni-Leigh Finnegan looked to have made it 2-0 only for the ball to canon back off the base of the right hand post.

Still there were further chances for the leaders before the interval.

Finnegan’s superb long-distance effort was pushed over for a corner by Higgins and then the keeper excelled herself to

Rangers had two huge chances late on to take the tie to extra-time.

Firstly, Gracie Conway smashed her shot off the crossbar six minutes from time and then a minute later, Sophie Megaw darted into the box and forced a block save with her legs from Cliftonville keeper Rachael Norney.

That all came just seconds after Ellie-Mae Dickson went down inside the box right on the byline after a tangle with Kirsty McGuinness, but Referee Stuart McClelland waved away appeals for the penalty kick.

Despite Rangers being the side pushing for the leveller, the goal that wrapped it all up came at the other end with practically the final touch of the game.

Marissa Callaghan, who came off the bench after an hour, foud space on the left and cut the bal back for Carleton to sidefoot into the bottom corner and secure another piece of silverware for the North Belfast side.

MATCH STATS

Cliftonville: Norney, Magee, Burrows, Morgan, Doherty, McDaniel (Callaghan 59), Finnegan, Carleton, Maxwell (Devine 69), C McGuinness, K McGuinness.

Subs not used: McAllister, O’Neill, Markey, O McGuinness, Irvine

Lisburn Rangers: Higgins, McConnell (Walker 67), Gelston Mulholland, McGreevy, F Loughran, Parker, M Loughran (Tumelty 72), Megaw, Dickson, Burden (O’Rawe 60) Conway.

Subs not used: Wilson, Little

Referee: Stuart McClelland

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