KK final pain as Westport win the Cup
Westport United, U17 Girls Cup champions.
It was so near, yet so far, for Kiltimagh/Knock United once again as Westport United defeated them in the Mayo U17 Cup Final in Celtic Park.
The girls in blue were appearing in their second consecutive final and were hoping to go one better than last year’s Cup Final and the runners-up spot behind Castlebar Celtic in the Premier Division this season. They had the first chance of the game inside the opening minute when a well struck free kick from wide on the right by Aoife Collins caused panic in the opposition box before being cleared away to safety.
In the absence of regular KK ‘keeper Ria Foy, Ava Mitchell had to be redeployed from the frontline to between the posts and she showed good hands on three minutes to claim a dangerous cross.
Aoibheann McGreal in the Westport goal then made a good save at the expense of a corner, from Sara Brennan after good approach play by Saoirse Murray. Aine Monaghan was next to test McGreal with a long-range effort but both ‘keepers were making light of the wet, slippery ball. Two excellent corners in quick succession from Aoife Collins and Kate Byrne found no takers and Kate then saw her free kick well held by McGreal.
On the half hour mark Westport took advantage of a bit of a defensive mix-up with the ball falling to centre forward Lauren Cusack who made no mistake from close range. Another Collins corner bobbled around the box before McGreal dived on it to preserve Westport’s lead at the interval.
Westport began the second half immediately on the attack and a vicious in swinging corner from Aoife Meaney caused havoc before being eventually cleared. Murray then went close for KK before Aine Monaghan made a perfectly timed sliding challenge on Aoibhinn McNamara in the box to prevent a certain goal.
The goal that Westport’s attacking play threatened arrived on 52 minutes. KK did well to defend the run and cross from the left by McNamara only for Katie Hughes to retrieve the ball from the opposite flank and her pullback was hammered home by the ubiquitous Meaney to double the lead.
KK immediately threw caution to the wind with Aoife Collins taking over in goal and Ava Mitchell moving to centre forward. With their two-goal lead to protect, the Westport girls really battened down the hatches from a defensive point of view, and sights of their goal were few and far between for the east Mayo girls although they didn’t make the most of some exemplary kicking from Collins as goalkeeper. The closest we got to a comeback was late on, when Ailbhe Doyle threaded a good diagonal ball through to Kate Byrne ,who in turn played Mitchell in, and she finished well but had strayed offside.
Joe King, Sean McDonnell and Diana Hopkins from the Mayo Women’s League Committee were all on hand to witness a fine advertisement for girls’ football in Mayo.
Ballyvary Blue Bombers won the Shield competition, which was taking place simultaneously in Milebush, by beating Swinford.
