Salthill Devon 3
Longford Town 2 (after extra time )
Salthill Devon won the club’s sixth national title when they were crowned the FAI Umbro Women’s U-14 Cup champions for a second time in five years.
The Galway girls, who last won the trophy in 2005, overcame defending champions Longford Town in Athlone Town Stadium on Sunday. Extra time was needed after the game finished 2 - 2. Salthill had shown great determination when they were twice forced to come from behind before player of the match Ciara Lynagh scored the winner in extra time.
In a frantic opening to the game, Salthill Devon settled first and they created a number of opportunities to open the scoring with the front pairing of Aoife Walsh and Eavan Lowndes testing Longford keeper Shannon Woods early on.
However it was Longford who scored first when against the run of play when Dearbhaile Beirne ran onto a high ball played over the top of Salthill's defence. Controlling the ball with one touch, she tapped it to the right of Salthill keeper Caoimhe O'Reilly to open the defending champions account on 19 minutes.
Salthill pushed forward in search of the equalising goal, but found Longford keeper Woods difficult to beat. After 30 minutes Walsh and Lowndes played a neat one-two at the edge of Longford's box and as Lowndes surged through on goal, Woods was on-hand to dive at the striker’s feet and avert the danger.
However she was unable to stop Salthill scoring the equaliser in the 32nd minute when good build-up play involving Ciara Lynagh, Roisin Jacob, Lowndes and Walsh, set up Katie Carter who volleyed into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
The second half started with the same intensity with both teams playing an attacking style. Longford went 2-1 up soon after the interval as Kerri Harmon ran on to a clever through ball which beat the Salthill defence and she confidently stroked the ball past Caoimhe O'Reilly in Salthill's goal.
However Salthill never gave up and they were back on terms in the 52nd minute when Ciara Lynagh scored an amazing goal from a 25 yard free-kick. She powered her long-range effort over the Longford defensive wall and a defender standing on the goaline, leaving the keeper with no chance as the ball nestled into the top corner of the net.
Both sides had further opportunities in normal time but neither was able to break the deadlock as the game finishing 2-2. Longford's Laura Burke had the first opportunity of extra-time as she made a darting run through the Salthill defence, beating two defenders and she found herself one on one with Caoimhe O' Reilly in Salthill's goal, but the Galway keeper stood firm and knocked the ball out for a corner.
The game's winning goal came minutes later when Cadhla Gillen played the ball into the edge of Longford's box and the player of the match Ciara Lynagh hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net from 30 yards out to score a goal worthy of winning any game.
Despite Longford's best efforts to get the elusive equaliser, Salthill Devon were not to be denied and claimed the 2010 FAI Umbro Women's U14 Cup title.
Ciara Lynagh deservedly won the FAI's Player of the Match award. Keeper Caoimhe O'Reilly was solid in goal behind the defence of Kerrie Flaherty, team captain Shauna Fox, Sarah Cahill and Cadhla Gillen. In midfield Katie Carter ran Lynagh close as the star performer, ably assisted by Shauna Gallagher and Roisin Jacob. Up front Eavan Lowndes and Aoife Walsh were a handful for the overworked Longford defence, while substitutes Emily Naughton, Rebecca Rooney and Carra Withero all contributed to a famous victory.
Salthill Devon: Caoimhe O'Reilly, Kerrie Flaherty, Cadhla Gillen, Shauna Fox (cpt ), Sarah Cahill, Katie Carter, Roisín Jacob, Ciara Lynagh, Aoife Walsh, Eavan Lowndes, Shauna Gallagher. Substitutes: Anesi Ingunma, Rebecca Rooney (for Jacob ), Emily Naughton (for Gallagher ), Carra Withero (Flaherty ), Kelly Dunleavy.
