PATIENCE WAS very much a virtue as Bonagee United booked a ticket to the semi-finals of the WFAI Intermediate Shield this afternoon.
Bonagee United 2 Finglas United 1
After extra time
Natalie McFadden’s brace of goals secured a precious win for Seamy McGinty’s team, who had to come from behind after Emma Wade fired Finglas in front in first-half stoppage time.
Bonagee had bossed the game for long periods and that concession, right on the blow of the half-time whistle, was a major set-back, but persistence told for the Dry Arch women who dug deep and pulled the embers from the ashes.
The extra period was held up for almost 20 minutes with Finglas midfielder Shannon Barnwell suffering a bad concussion and having to be taken away in an ambulance.
Even at that stage, Finglas were wilting and Bonagee were regaining the confidence that had been knocked out of them when Wade prodded home four minutes into time added on at the end of the first half.
On 91 minutes, just when Bonagee looked to have been out of time, McFadden latched onto a through ball from Shannon McBride and tucked past the advancing Loren Douglas.
The winner arrived two minutes into extra time. Grainne Gallagher provided the through ball and McFadden got a deft, clinical touch to steer home a priceless goal.
Bonagee might have won it before then, even.
[adrotate group=”38″]Some eleven-and-a-half minutes of added time were played at the end of normal time and it was Bonagee who appeared the most likely.
McBride had a golden chance to be the heroine, but Douglas saved well, and, as Bonagee turned the screw, Emma Ryan drove over from 20 yards.
It was the visitors, who lined out without the injured Anna Doherty, who began the brighter, with McFadden and McBride going close.
It took an alert piece of goalkeeping by Denise McElhinney to keep Wade at bay in the 12th minute.
Bonagee, well on top in the middle third, continued to probe and Douglas had to be at full stretch to keep out McBride’s shot after McFadden opened the possibilities.
[adrotate group=”46″]McFadden, played in by Alice Diver’s defence-splitting pass, was denied again by the over-worked Douglas, but it was Finglas who hit the front against the run of play when Wade’s composed finish stunned the Donegal side.
On the hour, McFadden was denied by Douglas and McBride’s follow-up was just wide, while Diver drilled at the goalkeeper from outside the box.
When they might have been tempted to throw the kitchen sink at Finglas, Bonagee persevered and it paid off when McFadden levelled.
[adrotate group=”70″]Extra time was barely two minutes old when the slightest of touches off McFadden’s right boot sent Bonagee into the last four on a day when Leona Russell, Bridgeen Devenney and McFadden walked tall.
Bonagee United: Denise McElhinney; Leona Russell, Emma Ryan, Grainne Gallagher, Claire Orr; Shannon McBride, Bridgeen Devenney, Amy Thompson, Alice Diver, Deborah Kerrigan; Natalie McFadden. Subs: Natalie Sweeney for Thompson, Olivia McGinley for Diver.
Finglas United: Loren Douglas; Ciara Ronan, Cheryl Bermingham, Lauren Dowling, Aoife O’Toole; Shannon Barnwell, Rosie Cruise, Chrissy Phoenix, Lauren Dolan; Lauren McDonald, Emma Wade. Subs used: Rachel O’Brien, Beth O’Connor.
Referee: Patrick Conway.
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