Wexford Youths Women v Peamount Utd (2019 Women's Cup Final)

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For anyone interested, Wexford are planning to have a commentary on tomorrow's cup final which starts at 12.05pm on the Wexford Youths Women's Facebook page.

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Absorbing game of nip and tuck in the Aviva this afternoon as Wexford deservedly shaded a close game between two evenly matched teams. With Wexford having been able to focus almost entirely on this game for a number of weeks, while Peamount may have expended more mentally in deservedly securing the league title last weekend, it was Wexford who just looked the more focussed in the pre-match warm-ups and at the start of the game. Wexford began with Ciamh in goal, a back four of Lynn, Nicola, Lauren Dwyer and Lolly, a midfield of Aisling, Edel, Kylie and Ciara and with Lauren Kelly and Rianna Jarrett up front. Wexford often start a bit slowly but they were eagerly out of the blocks in this game as they put pressure on the Peamount defence right from the start. It led to an early goal for Wexford when, on three minutes, Lauren Kelly snuck one into the bottom corner with Niamh Reid Burke in the Peamount goal possibly unsighted. Wexford then continued to play well although Peamount had an early corner which came to nothing and then the excellent Aine O’Gorman for Peamount had a shot past the Wexford post which went a yard wide. Peamount then got the equaliser when Karen Duggan picked up the ball just outside the Wexford penalty area and blasted one past Ciamh Dollard in the Wexford goal to leave it at 1-1. However, Wexford regained the lead immediately afterwards when Lauren Kelly lofted a shot past Niamh Reid Burke to put Wexford back into the lead at 2-1. Peamount’s Aine O’Gorman then clipped a shot from the left wing onto the top of the Wexford crossbar and over and, just before the break, Rianna Jarrett smacked one into the side-netting of the Peamount goal. 2-1 to Wexford at half-time.

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Peamount got it back to 2-2 early in the second half as Eleanor Ryan-Doyle hit one from distance to beat Ciamh Dollard in the Wexford goal. The game looked in the balance at this stage as Peamount had a header from a good cross which went just over the Wexford cross-bar. With about an hour gone, McKenna Davidson for Wexford came on as sub in place of Ciara Rossiter who had been doing well. What turned out to be the winner for Wexford came on 64 minutes when a good Wexford move found Rianna Jarrett in space inside the Peamount penalty area and her pinpoint pass found the onrushing Wexford skipper, Kylie Murphy, who slotted home past Reid Burke and it was 3-2 to Wexford. Ciamh Dollard in the Wexford goal then saved well from a snapshot following a Peamount corner but it was generally Wexford who finished the stronger as Reid Burke saved with her legs from a Rianna Jarrett effort, McKenna Davidson nearly created a Wexford goal as the ball rebounded from Reid Burke, and Rianna Jarrett blasted a right-footed effort off the Peamount goal-post. Nearest Peamount came to equalise again was when a volley was hit straight into Ciamh Dollard’s arms. Late sub for Wexford was Blessing Kingsley but it was Wexford who finished the strongest and deserved to retain the cup after a really good game. Best for Wexford were Rianna Jarrett, Lolly Conlon who had a smashing match at left-full with some really good distribution, Lauren Dwyer who showed once again that she’s the best defender playing domestically while Lauren Kelly, who has improved dramatically in the two seasons she has spent in Wexford, deservedly got the player of the match award. For Peamount, Louise Corrigan, Karen Duggan, Eleanor Ryan-Doyle and especially Aine O’Gorman, who worked her socks off, impressed. 3-2 to Wexford at full-time.