2019 Só Hotels Women’s FAI Cup final
Wexford Youths 3
Peamount United 2
By Kevin Galvin
It will be known as the ‘Lauren Kelly’ final.
Two goals, one coming just four minutes into the game, and a player of the match award for the former Peamount United striker, as she made her old club pay in the Só Hotels FAI Cup final.
In one of the best finals we’ve seen since the switch to the Aviva Stadium, the game swung one side and the next, but ultimately the Youths’ experience told, as they beat the Peas in the blue riband event for the second consecutive year, and extracted revenge on the Women’s National League champions for taking their league crown.
Much of the talk ahead of the game was about whether United - who won the league at a canter - could right the wrongs of last year’s final, that saw the Youths secure a domestic treble through Katrina Parrock.
Parrock was one of a number of notable absentees from the Wexford squad, which has seen its issues throughout 2019, lamely conceding their WNL title, and losing to Shelbourne in the League Cup decider earlier on this season.
So to go ahead just four minutes in the game caught everyone by surprise - as Lauren Kelly seized on a mistake in the Peas backline, before her dragged effort towards the near post caught Niamh Reid-Burke flat-footed, powerless to prevent the ball rolling to her left and nestling into the back of the net.
United wasted no time in getting back into the game after conceding, but after Niamh Farrelly’s header wasn’t on target from Megan Smyth-Lynch’s outswinging corner, it took over a quarter-hour for the Peas to craft their next chance - Áine O’Gorman’s looping effort wide of the right-hand upright.
They did eventually get their equaliser just beyond the half-hour mark, as Smyth-Lynch’s cross wasn’t properly cleared, before Karen Duggan firmly put the scrap for the ball at the edge of the box to an end, with a cannoning drive which Dollard couldn’t get a strong enough hand to stop it going in.
But no sooner had the Peas gained the lead, they lost it again - Kelly’s audacious lob from 15 yards catching Reid-Burke completely off guard, as the game came to life with it’s second superb effort in as many minutes.
There was still time in a breathless end to the opening period for Áine O’Gorman to smash the crossbar with a turning snapshot, after being fed down the left flank.
Plenty was said in the build-up to today’s fine, from both in and out of the camp, about the battle for the Youths number one jersey between Maeve Williams and Ciamh Dollard. Dollard was given the nod by Elmes for this decider, but could only palm Ryan-Doyle’s effort from distance into the back of her own net, in a blow for the Youths just after the interval.
However, United once again fell asleep just after scoring - apart from Louise Corrigan, who was there to deny Lauren Kelly her hat-trick with a brilliant block, after an inch-perfect through ball over the top by Aisling Frawley. While at the other end, Ryan-Doyle should have added her second, but could only head a dangerous Farrelly cross over, unmarked, from six yards out.
2019 has been a year full of disappointment for Wexford Youths, but they were refusing to let today turn into another. In the best move of the match the Youths strung a few passes together, before Rianna Jarrett slipped a ball inside to find captain Kylie Murphy’s surging run from midfield, before tucking the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
That left Elmes’ side needing to defend a goal lead for the last 25 minutes, and it wasn’t long before Dollard was called into action, showing excellent reflexes to stop Claire Walsh’s low drive through a sea of legs, while Jarrett was denied one-on-one by Reid-Burke’s feet at the other end.
To Wexford’s immense credit, they were soaking up the pressure well, whilst also looking dangerous on the counter attack, and with just six minutes remaining on the clock Jarrett hammered one off the near post - a goal that would have most likely sealed the cup for Wexford.
However, after all the talk, when push came to shove - as they usually do - the Youths held their nerve, found their defensive mojo when they needed it most, and closed out a third cup victory in five years.
Wexford Youths: C Dollard; L Craven, L Dwyer, N Sinnott, O Conlon; A Frawley (B Kingsley 85), E Kennedy, K Murphy, C Rossiter (M Davidson 61); L Kelly, R Jarrett.
Peamount United: N Reid-Burke; L O’Callaghan (N Barnes 68), L Corrigan, C Walsh, K Duggan; L McCartan (N Chemaou 55’), K Duggan; A O’Gorman, E Ryan-Doyle, D Beirne; N Farrelly.
Referee: S Dyas (Drogheda).
