Shania McMonagle and Rebecca McColgan scored twice apiece as Raphoe Town inched past Lagan Harps in a dramatic Arena 7 U16 Shield final on Tuesday evening at Deele College.
Lagan Harps 3 Raphoe Town 4 (after extra time)
In a seven-goal thriller, Raphoe had the edge – but only just, in a game that was up for grabs right until the end.
Lagan took the lead after 12 minutes as Maria Bonnar netted after Harriett McCrossan was denied by Raphoe goalkeeper Abbie McKnight.
McMonagle was thwarted by Lagan goalkeeper Courtney Gallagher soon after.
Erin Doherty and Lucy Canning were in top form for Lagan in the engine room, while Orla McGrath was a constant threat.
However, with Ellie Barron, Ellie McBride, Tammy Laird and Abbey Lee Bell on song at the back for Raphoe, they found openings hard to find.
Another top save from McKnight, this time to keep McGrath at bay, kept it at one-nil.
Raphoe drew level soon after. Rhianna Devenney initially blocked McMonagle, but the Raphoe ace persisted and managed to drive home the equaliser.
Lagan regained the lead when Bonnar, after being picked out by Gallagher, played a delightful ball around the back for McCrossan. She needed no thought as she fired home in style.
However, Raphoe dusted themselves down and a magical goal by McColgan brought them back on level terms again.
Raphoe were in the ascendancy now and they hit the front when McMonagle controlled Cody Walsh’s pass and fired home.
McColgan made it 4-2 late in the first half of extra time when she managed to get a shot away under pressure to score.
McCrossan made a real grandstand finish of it, but Raphoe clung on in the face of stern pressure from Lagan to take the prize.
