HISTORY WAS made on Thursday night at Stranaclea Road as Illies Celtic won their first ever Inishowen Ladies League title.
Illies Celtic 2 Greencastle FC 1
Second-half goals by Deirdre Grant and Alison McGonagle secured the prize for Illies, as they overcame title rivals Greencastle FC, who had won the Ulster Cup four days previously.
The opening exchanges were even and there weren’t too many clear cut chances falling to either side.
Illies’ best chance fell to Paula McGrory when she found herself with space on the 18 yard line and fired a first time shot over the bar.
At the other end Sarah Jane McDonald and Niamh Hegarty went close with their attempts on goal.
The second half began in similar fashion with both teams probing for that all important first goal.
[adrotate group=”37″]The opening goal eventually came 15 minutes into the second half. A free kick from Alison McGonagle from the left hand side was parried by the Greencastle goalkeeper Sarah Faulkener, but the ball fell to the feet of Grant who side footed the ball into the corner of the net.
Greencastle responded immediately in search of an equaliser and had a strong 10 minute spell during which they found a goal, from a well taken penalty by Niamh Hegarty.
Again it was all to play for. Illies responded well to this setback and got their reward just five minutes later when a well flighted free kick from Tessie Marie Coyle on the right, was met by a superb header from McGonagle coming in at the back of the box and the ball was directed past Faulkener in the visitors net.
[adrotate group=”46″]Both teams continued to battle strongly but in the ened illies came through to earn victory and the silverware.
Illies: Fiona Doherty, Tessie Marie Coyle, Noreen Doherty, Louise Devlin, Kayleigh McGonagle, Aoife Bell, Alison McGonagle, Danielle Doherty, Deirdre Grant, Lauren Cregan, Paula McGrory. Subs: Shania McGonagle, Aoife McColgan, Michelle McGonagle, Chloe Gildea, Aisling Gillespie, Andrea Kelly, Claire Doherty, Bernie Devlin, Tammi Kerr.
