Sometimes, scorelines can be harshly deceptive, as Letterkenny Institute of Technology found out to their cost this afternoon.
Letterkenny Institute of Technology 0 Carlow IT 4
By Chris McNulty at LyIT
Clinical Carlow IT booked their place in the CUFL Women’s Premier Division final as Megan Lynch, Tamara O’Connor, Megan Shanahan and an unfortunate Chantel Kelly own goal provided the tale of the tape.
That, though, only perhaps tells part of the story as the game ran away from Johnny Baird’s LyIT.
The Port Road scholars had two big chances early on, but it was the concession of the second goal on 41 minutes that was the game’s big moment.
The LyIT wires became badly tangled and O’Connor got in to fire home from close range.
The lead goal arrived on the half-hour when Zoe McGlynn was adjudged to have committed a foul on Orlaith Conlon in the area. Lynch stepped up to tuck the penalty past Aoife McColgan.
LyIT began well and a delicious McGlynn pass put Lauren Cregan in on goal. The perfectly-weighted pass caught Carlow out. Cregan perhaps had too much time and saw her effort superbly saved by Shelbourne’s Amanda McQuillan in the Carlow IT goal.
McColgan saved well from Clonlonin the early exchanged while Lynch drove over from a promising position.
LyIT were inches from taking the lead, but Zoe Green floated a free-kick off the crossbar.
Lynch flashed wide after a defensive error from the hosts, while McColgan brilliantly denied Shanahan to keep the stalemate intact.
Green warmed the palms of McQuillan as LyIT set about salvaging the tie after the break, while Erin Coll tried her luck from distance.
Twenty minutes from time, Shanahan was allowed to poke beyond McColgan to the bottom corner and it was game, set and match.
Soon after, Kelly lofted over McColgan for a fourth and leave LyIT to reflect on a day from which they’ll have learned a lot.
Late in the game, the never-say-die LyIT advanced again with captain Nicole Gordon denied by a super full-length save from McQuillan.
Letterkenny Institute of Technology: Aoife McColgan; Aishling Nee, Chantel Kelly, Erin Coll, Amy Hyndman; Zoe McGlynn, Zoe Green, Nicole Gordon, Aisleen McGuinness; Hannah Shiels, Lauren Cregan. Subs: Eilish Havlin for Shiels (31), Rachel McLaughlin for Coll (72), Vanessa McHugh for Nee (72), Ciara Harkin for Cregan (82), Cathy Doherty for McGuinness (87)
Tags:
