Midleton spot on in penalty shoot-out.
FAI Schools Minor ‘B’ Girls National Cup Semi Final (Under 15, Small Schools)
Friday, April 19, 2024
Midleton College, Cork 2-2 Gallen Community School (AET) Midleton won 1-0 pens.
Rachel Sweetman (33), Luisa Basso (60+3) Aoibhe Dooner (13), Sophie McDonagh (52)
Colin Hynes’ charges finally got over the line to defeat a gallant Gallen Community School in a pulsating tie in Evergreen FC, Kilkenny last week (Thursday, April 11)
There was a late surge from Midleton College as twice they came from behind to take the tie to extra time and the dreaded penalty shoot-out.
The resulting spot kicks saw some real drama as there were nine consecutive missed penalties. Midleton Captain Gemma Daly squaring up to take the tenth… It was expertly converted to see Midleton come through 1-0 on penalties!
Bitter disappointment for the Leinster starlets Gallen Community School as they thought they had the game wrapped up in normal time, only for an injury time equaliser from the Cork crew.
Gallen couldn’t have got off to a more perfect start to proceedings. The talented Aoibhe DOONER netted for the Offaly side with 13 minutes on the clock as Midleton keeper Ellie O’Leary couldn’t hold onto the powerful strike as it slipped over the goal-line.
O’Leary made up for the previous error by denying Dooner on the stroke of half time as the taliswoman was one-on-one with the keeper.
Gallen enjoying a slender lead at the break with some fine football played.
Midleton equalised three minutes into the restart when Rachel SWEETMAN toe poked home from close range to level proceedings with one apiece.
With only eight minutes remaining, Gallen thought they grabbed the match winner as Sophie McDONAGH smashed the ball off the inside of the crossbar and in from 25 yards out, a sensational goal to see them 2-1 up.
Three minutes of injury time was played when Midleton pounced for another equaliser! This time it was Luisa BASSO who converted to take it to 2-2.
Neither side could replicate the drama of the earlier performance as a stalemate prevailed in extra time.
In very unusual circumstances, we had to await the tenth spot-kick to reach a conclusion in the Cup as Gemma Daly converted to see Midleton through.
The Cork side will face Glenamaddy Community School in this season’s Cup Final decider. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 at 1pm in Fairview Rangers FC, Limerick.
MIDLTON COLLEGE, CORK | Ellie O’Leary, Maggie O’Riordan, Caedhla Kearney, Rache Roche, Rachel Sweetman, Willow Stuart, Luisa Basso, Andrea Di Maria, Gabi Payo, Pia Ortega, Molly Sorenson ©
SUBS ROLL ON / OFF | Julie McEnery, Niamh Conway, Aricia Foley, Ruby Murphy, Scarlette Alan, Beth Long, Gemma Daly
TEACHERS | Colin Hynes, Marie O’Leary COACH | Cian Forde
GALLEN COMMUNITY SCHOOL, OFFALY | Emily Lynam Carroll, Siobhán Egan, Katie Kidney, Loran Colclough ©, Gemma Cullinan, Aimme Fitzgerald ©, Katie Corcoran, Zoe Heavin, Sophie McDonagh, Aoibhe Dooner, Irene Egan
SUBS ROLL ON / OFF | Natalie McIntrye, Niamh Kavanagh, Ellie Flynn Larkin, Freya Flynn, Grace Dunican, Chloe Coleman, Saoirse Taylor
TEACHERS | Dervla Scully, Alan Rogerson
MATCH OFFICIAL | Denis Seednii (Kilkenny)
