Division 2 Cup Final
 
Bilboa(3)                    Celtic A(1)
Sheila Sheehy (5min)         Ann-Marie Phayer (63min)
Ann-Marie Leahy (30min)
Amy Ryan (60min)
 
 
 
Bilboa & Celtic Ladies participated in the first of the Limerick Women’s & Schoolgirl’s Soccer League (LWSSL) Cup Finals on Saturday night last.
The game was played in the excellent Rearcross facilities near Newport, Co. Tipperary and the LWSSL would like to take this opportunity to very much thank the Rearcross Club for their kind gesture in providing the use of their facilities for the night.

This was a very entertaining game and although Bilboa dominated the first half and were deservedly leading at half time Celtic Ladies never gave up and came out in the second half a revitalised team and finished the game much the stronger team.

Bilboa started the game very much on the offensive pinning Celtic Ladies back in their own half and got off to an excellent start taking the lead after 4 minutes. The ball was won in midfield and played through to Sheila Sheehy catching the Celtic defence static. Sheila, who had broken free from her marker, hit a super shot to the top corner of the net to make the score 1-0 to Bilboa. It took nearly 10 minutes for Celtic Ladies to eventually pressure the Bilboa defence when winning a free kick about 30 metres out which Ruth Kilkenny struck well but unfortunately was off target. Bilboa continued to dominate the game with Celtic Ladies unable to get out of their own half.

Bilboa created several opportunities with the two Sheila’s, McAteer & Sheehy, really testing the Celtic Ladies defence. A free kick from Ann-Marie Leahy wide on the right was headed into the keepers arms while Sheila McAteer was unlucky to find the side netting when it seem more likely to the score. The shots continued to reign in on the Celtic Ladies keeper Nula McKeogh but some poor finishing and good goalkeeping enabled Celtic Ladies to hold out. Eventually Bilboa got what they deserved when a free kick from about 30m out on the left was hit to the back of the net by Ann-Marie Leahy making the score 2-0 to Bilboa at half time.

The half time pep talk from the Celtic Ladies management worked a treat with the start of the second half a much more even affair. Also an early set of substitutions by Celtic Ladies with Ann-Marie Phayer & Moira Walsh coming on upped the tempo and putting pressure on the the Bilboa defence with the best chance falling to Eimer O’Connell who shot just wide from the edge of the box. Somewhat against the run of play Bilboa stretched their lead when another Ann Marie Leahy free found Sheila McAteer inside the box who in turn found Amy Ryan who found the back of the net through a crowded goalmouth. 3-0 to Bilboa and it appeared the match was over for Celtic Ladies.

However this was not to be the case and the Celtic Ladies pulled themselves back into the game with an immediate response winning a corner on the right. Ruth Kilkenny hit a good ball into the box which was partially cleared to the edge of the box for Ann-Marie Phayer to strike a fine shot to the back of the net get Celtic off the mark. After this Celtic grew in confidence and pressured Bilboa back deeper & deeper winning several corners. Celtic were unlucky not to narrow the gap when Aoife Hickey headed just over and later a free from Ruth Kilkenny was just wide of the mark. Unfortunately for Celtic Ladies despite all the pressure they failed to get their reward and Bilboa were happy to hit on the break with Sheila McAteer and Megan Byrnes coming close.

This was a game of two halves with Bilboa deserving winners on the basis of Celtic Ladies not getting out of the starting blocks in the first half there by leaving themselves too much of a hill to climb in the second half.

Best for Bilboa were Sheila Sheehy, Sheila McAteer and Ann Marie Leahy with Elaine King, Ruth Kilkenny and Ann-Marie Phayer for Celtic Ladies.

Teams:

Bilboa: Collette Sheehy, Maggie Sheehy, Aoife Butler, Ann-Marie Leahy, Marella Shannahan, Amy Ryan, Breda Doherty, Aoife Ryan, Elaine Berkery, Sheila Sheehy, Sheila McAteer.
Subs. Lizzy Gleeson, Niamh Berkery, Geraldine O’Toole, Megan Burnes.

Celtic Ladies: Nula McKeogh, Hazel Slattery, Nicola Hourigan, Elaine King, Linda Rennison Healy, Ruth Kilkenny, Eimer O’Connell, Deidre Clohessy, Aoife Hickey, Liz O’Connell, Niamh Scanlon, Eileen Gleeson, Moira Walsh, Nicole Eaton Jones, Ann-Marie Phayer, Connie Leith.