NUI Galway’s Ladies soccer team comprehensively overcame University of Limerick 4-1 – claiming the League Cup title off the back of an impressive final day performance, with a strong Galway WFC representation among the squad.
Twelve months prior to this triumph on the same turf, the ‘Galway Girls’ overcame IT Carlow in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim silverware, so there must be something in the air of UL’s sports grounds that sits well with them.
Inside the opening 10 minutes, the Galway outfit fell behind to an expertly dispatched Fiona Moloney goal, momentarily deflating the travelling contingent, but it wouldn’t be long until they got into their stride, creating a number of good chances before they eventually started banging in the goals without reply.
Molly Farrell scored the away side’s first goal of the afternoon in the opening half before then striking the upright with a well-struck effort minutes later before Aoife Walsh finally put Galway in front on the half-hour mark. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish – indeed, they continued to build on it in spectacular fashion, proving very clinical in front of goal.
Later on, Shauna Fox scored a wonderful free kick from 35 yards out to extend the lead to 3-1 before Lisa Casserly put the icing on the cake with her team’s fourth goal of the match to send the away dugout into joyous celebrations. UL certainly created a number of decent chances themselves and could have made it a closer-run contest that it turned out to be, but Johnny Hynes’ outfit were simply too good and the Galwegians deserved to emerge with another famous win.
UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Laura Fitzgerald (Orla Dempsey 65); Bailey Perry (Caoimhe Hennigan 80), Aine Sheehy (Laura Mannion 75), Sophie Gleeson, Megan Carroll; Sarah Ryan, Keara Cormican; Katie Hurley, Fiona Moloney, Lauren Keane; Eleanor Stafford.
NUI GALWAY: Louise Creaven; Samantha Taillon, Shauna Fox, Sarah Peters, Laura Carroll; Ciaragh Lynagh (Shauna Gallagher 70); Aoife Walsh, Michelle Doherty, Alison McGonigle (Marley Duncan 67), Molly Farrell (Cheisi Curran 80); Lisa Casserly.
-By Trevor Murray
