Holders Galway United retained their Avenir All-Island title with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Shamrock Rovers, as Jamie Erickson showed nerves of steel to sweep home the winning spot-kick.
With the potential title decider earlier in the day serving as a perfect starter to the main course, it was time for the big one on the other side of Dublin as both teams played out a dramatic showpiece in front of 1,347 exuberant supporters.
The drama started even before kick-off when referee Alan Patchell was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced by fourth official Jason Moore, and once the action kicked off it was the home side who made the most of the early running.
Both Lia O'Leary and Fiona Owens out wide looked to take advantage of a narrow Galwegian midfield but it took until just after a quarter of an hour for the game to really open up.
Following a desperate scramble in the area, the ball eventually fell kindly to Melissa O’Kane but was stopped bravely by Jessica Berlin who did well to get down sharply.
The cup holders flew straight down the other end and were agonisingly close to getting themselves in front when Kate Thompson could only get an outstretched leg on Amy Madden’s deep cross, as the ball looped over the bar.
Tensions reached boiling point just before the break when Irish International Julie-Ann Russell seemed to nudge Shauna Fox in the back as the ball trickled over the sideline, and as Russell ran off she was then pushed to the ground by Fox’s centre-back partner Jessica Hennessy. The ref did the sensible thing, talking to both to defuse the situation.
A scrappy second half ensued with both sets of players going full-blooded into every challenge and it took until just after the hour mark for the next shot in anger as Lia O’leary showed tremendous pace and strength to burst into the box and shoot straight at Berlin as the angle just narrowed.
This seemed to lift Phil Trill’s side as they went the closest to opening the scoring when substitute Aoibheann Costello picked up a deep cross from Rolake Olusola, and bent a lovely curling effort crashing off the crossbar and away to safety.
With penalties looming, Stephanie Zambra was then unleashed with just minutes remaining, and almost made a stunning impact with her first touches, as she then hit the frame of the goal with a 25-yard thunderbolt.
Both sides took some quality penalties in the shoot-out as both keepers made top saves, but the trophy is heading back out west thanks to Erickson's cool head and nerves of steel, as she slotted home the winning penalty after the desperately unlucky Scarlett Herron skied her teams fifth effort from 12 yards.
Shamrock Rovers: Amanda Budden; Maria Reynolds, Jessica Hennessy, Shauna Fox; Fiona Owens (Stephanie Zambra, 86’), Melissa O’Kane, Aoife Kelly, Scarlett Herron, Lia O’Leary (Ella Kelly, 78’); Aine O’Gorman, Joy Ralph
Subs not used: Summer Lawless, Savannah McCarthy, Lauren Kelly, Alannah Prizeman, Jamie Thompson, Anna Butler, Katie O’Reilly
Galway United: Jessica Berlin; Therese Kinnevey, Jamie Erickson, Eve Dossen, Amy Madden (Aoibheann Costello, 62’); Isabella Beletic, Kate Thompson, Jenna Slattery ; Rolake Olusola (Amanda Smith, 85’), Julie-Ann Russell, Lynsey McKey (Aislinn Meaney, 62’)
Subs not used: Kaylee Hammer, Lucy Jayne Grant, Emily Kavanaugh, Abbie Callanan, Roisin Jacob, Emma Duffy
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