Page 18 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.34 2021-22

Danske Bank NI Women’s Premiership

Cliftonville Ladies continue to lead the way on goal difference after running out 5-0
winners away to Lisburn Ladies. Kirsty McGuinness put the Reds in front midway
through the first half and they wrapped up the win with doubles from Caitlin McGuinness
and Fionnula Morgan, all four goals coming in the last seventeen minutes.
Glentoran kept pace with Cliftonville by also winning 5-0 against Crusaders
Strikers. Lauren Wade, Jessica Foy, Rachel Rogan and Casey Howe all scored in the
opening quarter of the game, before Wade completed her double during the second half.
Sion Swifts hold on to third place but are five points behind the top two after
sharing a 1-1 draw with Linfield. Keri Halliday sent Linfield into a 20th minute lead and
they remained in front until four minutes from time, when Leontia McVarnock salvaged a
point for Sion as she equalised following a goalmouth scramble.
Newly promoted Mid Ulster P W D L F A Pts GD
Ladies picked up their first point of CLIFTONVILLE LADIES 4 4 0 0 19 1 12 18
the season as their match with Derry GLENTORAN 4 4 0 0 19 2 12 17
City also finished in a 1-1 draw. Both SION SWIFTS 4 2 1 1 9 6 7 3
LINFIELD LADIES 4 1 2 1 9 9 5 0
goals came in the latter stages of the CRUSADERS STRIKERS 4 1 1 2 5 10 4 -5
game, Mid Ulster taking the lead with DERRY CITY 4 0 2 2 1 10 2 -9
nineteen minutes remaining thanks to MID ULSTER LADIES 4 0 1 3 2 13 1 -11
LISBURN LADIES 4 0 1 3 1 14 1 -13
Sharagh Murphy, before the
Candystripes grabbed an injury time Lisburn 0 Cliftonville 5; Glentoran 5 Crusaders 0; Linfield 1 Sion 1;
Mid Ulster 1 Derry 1.
equaliser through Leah McGonagle.
Vikki continues to make history

Victoria Finlay is continuing to make history at this year’s UEFA European Women’s
Under-17 Championship.
After becoming the first female referee from Northern Ireland to take part in a
UEFA final tournament, in the group stages of the WU17 Euros, she has now gone one
better: she has been retained to officiate in the semi-finals, which is another first.
Finlay, from Killen in Co Tyrone, was among eight assistant referees chosen for the
eight-team tournament, which is currently being held in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After
running the line in the Norway v Spain (0-4), Bosnia v Denmark (0-6) and Germany v
Bosnia (2-0) group matches, she has now been appointed to be an assistant referee in the
semi final between Spain and Netherlands.
That game is being staged at Stadion Grbavica in Sarajevo on Thursday (8pm BST),
while the other semi-final between Germany and France is taking place in Zenica.
The final is due to be played on Sunday at Stadion Grbavica and Finlay will be
hoping to make more history by being appointed to officiate in it.
Grbavica is a stadium well known to Northern Ireland fans. It’s where Northern
Ireland won their first ever penalty shootout in an international competition – against
Bosnia and Herzegovina back in October 2020. Ian Baraclough’s team won 4-3 on
penalties after the game ended 1-1 following extra time to book their spot in a Euro 2020
play-off final.
Trevor Moutray, Head of Refereeing at the Irish Football Association, said he was
delighted to see Finlay being retained for the latter stages of the WU17 Euros.
(irishfa.com)
Issue no. 34 - 12 May 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk