Wexford Youths 1

Galway United 1

(United won 4-3 on pens)

By Mike Rafferty

OBVIOUSLY, the Galway United Women are not going to let their male counterparts take all the glory this season as a smashing performance at Ferrycarrig Park on Saturday saw them see off their hosts and qualify for the All Island Cup final.

The decider will be a North v South affair as they will face Belfast side Cliftonville who saw off Cork City by 1-0 in the other semi-final at the weekend.

Unbeaten in their three group games in this competition, United headed to the South East in confident form and certainly gave as good as they got in a cracking open contest. Scoreless at the break, the goals of Rianna Jarrett and Kate Thompson left the sides level at full time and with no extra time allocated, it was straight to penalties.

Shooting first the home side opened their account as Irish international Jarrett slotted home, before Therese Kinnevey did likewise for the visitors. The respective goalkeepers shared the limelight for the next two as Jessica Berlin dived to her left to save from Kylie Murphy, while Claudia Keenan did likewise to keep out Kate Thompson’s effort.

Sinnott and Clancy scored the next two home penalties, while Jamie Erickson and Jenna Slattery replied for Galway United to leave matters tied at 3-3.

The experienced Ciara Rossiter was next up for Wexford, but fired her effort off the angle of the woodwork and wide. The fate of United was at the feet of Gemma McGuinness and the Donegal native did not disappoint. Despite Keenan getting a hand to her effort, she could not keep the ball out of  the net as the Tribeswomen qualified for a first ever cup final.

Manager Phil Trill included new signing Aislinn Meaney in his starting eleven, with Kate Thompson also back after missing the game against Shelbourne. The sides had met once previously in the opening game of the league campaign, when Rossiter got the Wexford goal in a 1-0 win at Eamonn Deacy Park.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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