Gallant performance by Ladies in semi final

Newtownabbey Strikers 5

DROMORE Amateurs Ladies put up a gallant performance in their bid to reach the final of the Women’s Irish Cup, but it wasn’t to be as they were emphatically beaten by Newtownabbey Strikers..

In the end it was their Premier League opponents’ class which told, showing why they are top of their league.

You have to give Dromore credit, they held their opponents to the interval and even when they fell behind they did their best to find a way back into the game.

With regular goalkeeper Laura Magowan missing striker Dani Creaney was chosen to deputise. Under the circumstances she gave a decent performance, coming for crosses and showing no fear – in the end her inexperience in the position told, however, along with some defensive errors.

The latter showed early on when the Strikers had their first chance seven minutes in. An error let one of their forwards in on goal but with Dani bearing down and the lashing rain adding speed to the ball what would have been the killer ball was too fast and went wide.

The Strikers’ strength told a minute when the Amateurs managed to get their first chance to get through on goal, Kerry Taggart being muscled off the ball.

The Newtownabbey side almost gifted the Amateurs the lead on 10 minutes when their goalkeeper, trying to clear the ball, could only watch as her clearance came back off a defender and headed towards goal, only to drift wide.

Strikers’ two best chances of the half came 25 minutes in when their number seven controlled a cross, turned on a sixpence and attempted an overhead kick which sailed over the top of Creaney’s goal.

Shortly afterwards their right winger kept the ball in on the byline, her low cross found a striker and the resulting shot came back off the post.

At the interval Dromore went in looking sharp on the attack but at the same time defending fairly well, bar one or two errors.

But all that good work was undone inside the first two minutes of the second period. Strikers’ Terri Harper made it 1-0 after she manage to bundle a poorly defended corner over the line.

The lead was doubled on 66 minutes when, from 40 yards out, Julie Nelson powered a shot over the top of the Dromore defence and into the top corner of the net.

Goal number three came from Lisa Armour’s 70th minute dink into the top left corner of the goal after a throw-in had been controlled and crossed from the byline.

There was controversy on 73 minutes for Newtownabbey’s fourth goal. Dromore’s Emma McClements was lying in a heap but the referee waved play on. The Strikers moved play to the edge of the box and Player of the Game Danielle McDowell hit a curling strike past the outstretched goalkeeper who had no chance.

The scoring was rounded up in stoppage time, Dani bringing down an attacker just inside her box and landing herself with a yellow card. McDowell stepped up and buried the resulting penalty to make it 5-0.

The club would like to send a big thank you to the following sponsors: Roy Livingstone Butchers; Jimmy Sterling Chemist; Chris McDonald, Centra Garage; David and Rosetta from Graham’s Newsagents, Paul Winters of Video Vault and David Somerville of JP Corry, Dromore.

Sponsorship and support is a crucial and very important role in the club and without this they would not exist. All sponsors and supporters are greatly appreciated.