A second emphatic victory over Linfield Ladies in a matter of weeks took a rampant Glentoran side back to the summit of the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership table on goal difference with two games left to play in this season’s quest to retain the league trophy. With Cliftonville Ladies defeating cross city rivals Crusaders Strikers 2-1 forty-eight hours previously to move into pole position, the Glens went into the game at Midgley Park knowing that nothing but a win would suffice to maintain pace with the Solitude outfit looking towards the potential league decider against the Reds later in the month.
The Glens began the game on the front foot against a youthful looking Linfield side with the first chance falling to the away side in the sixth minute. Wade released Andrews who squared for Beattie to connect from close range only to see her attempt smothered by Blues stopper Lauren Currie and out for a corner. Minutes later a familiar 2 v 1 corner routine from the opposite side ended with Wade striking the bar with a curling shot and Foy’s rebound header cleared off the line. On eighteen minutes a well taken corner from Andrews was met by a sublime header from Kelly Bailie that powered into the net to put the Glens 1-0 up. As the game progressed Linfield found it hard to retain possession of the ball due to the high levels of fitness and desire among the Glens players to regain the ball and build through the thirds with clever movement and pinpoint passing. When Wade spread the ball to Maxwell on the right on twenty-seven minutes, the winger’s path to goal was halted by a clumsy tackle which gave referee Arlene Campbell no choice but to award a penalty which Beattie calmly converted for 3-0. Continuing to pour forward, only a last-ditch McFrederick tackle prevented Andrews from making it four on 37 and a fingertip save from Currie on 43 from an Andrews strike from distance reinforced the champions’ dominance. Indeed, the fourth game came just on half-time when a Wade shot was parried by Currie for Beattie to claim her hat-trick with an easy tap in.
Half-time Linfield Ladies 0-4 Glentoran Women
The second half began in the same vein with incessant Glentoran attacks. In the forty-ninth minute substitute Ali McMaster, a replacement for Nadene Caldwell at half-time, was the creator for Beattie’s fourth of the evening when her run inside was halted only for the ball to break to the Glens number nine to slot home, once again in the right place at the right time to add to her already impressive season’s goal haul. Bailie almost doubled her tally for the evening five minutes later when she glanced a header wide of the upright following an impeccably delivered corner from Wade. Minutes after Beattie slipped Wade for 6-0 on fifty-eight minutes, she was replaced by Rachel Rogan who didn’t take long to make her mark on the game with a well-placed header from an Annie Timoney cross in the sixty-ninth minute. With twenty minutes still to go and the Glens ahead by seven, the girls continued to demonstrate excellent discipline in their play creating chance after chance while remaining virtually untroubled at the back. A wonder strike from Caragh Hamilton on seventy-one minutes made it eight and the ninth and final goal of the game came in the last minute when strong defensive play from Shannon Dunne started another attack that ended with Wade shooting diagonally past Currie to make it 9-0 on the night and power the Glens back to the top of the table.
Full-time Linfield Ladies 0-9 Glentoran Women
Following the international break, our women’s two remaining league fixtures will be a potential title decider against Cliftonville Ladies on Wednesday 29 September KO 7.45pm at Ashfield and then another home fixture against Derry City Ladies a week later at the same venue, also KO 7.45 KO. With two cup finals also on the horizon against Crusaders Strikers, the first on Friday 8 0ctober in the County Antrim Cup decider and then the second, also against the Seaview outfit a week later at the National Stadium in the Electric Ireland IFA Women’s Challenge Cup, our women are once again in the mix for major honours. As ever, all support at these season-defining games is welcome.
Glentoran Women: 1. Ashleigh McKinnon 2. Annie Timoney 3. Jessica Foy (captain) 6. Nadene Caldwell 17. Joely Andrews 18. Danielle Maxwell 19. Kerry Beattie 21. Kelly Bailie 24. Lauren Wade 27. Shannon Dunne 97. Chloe McCarron
Subs: 4. Emma McMaster 9. Rachel Rogan (for Beattie) 10. Alison McMaster (for Caldwell) 26. Caragh Hamilton (for Maxwell) 29. Emma Higgins
Match Report by Mark Andrews
Photography by Johnny Caldwell and Pacemaker