Northern Ireland Women's Football Association

Match Report

Limavady Ladies 5
Blackieville Ladies 2

As tense top of the table clashes go, this one delivered seven goals, a red card and a penalty save all inside an hour and a half of football. The opening minutes were, as expected, a cautious affair with both teams trying to take a hold of the game. Limavady came closest to the scoring, with their first attack when Louise McAllister rattled the crossbar, with a shot on her weaker foot.

Limavady’s goal came shortly after, when McAllister’s shot ricocheted off two Blackieville defenders falling to an unmarked Rebekah McMullan, who made no mistake when side-footing the ball past the goalkeeper.

Blackieville’s response was instant, as a quickly taken free quick caught Limavady off-guard to make the score 1-1. As the rain poured down, both teams spent the rest of the half cancelling each other out, not wanting to be undone by the deceivingly quick surface.

Five minutes before the interval Louise McAllister took advantage of a one-two, playing herself into space to fire Limavady into the lead for the second time in the match. Half time score 2-1.

When the teams returned for the second half and to more rainfall, they also returned to the cautious nature of the first half. But, knowing that a win for either team would give their title challenges a major boost, the attacking football would also soon return.

It was Blackieville that struck first, when a mix up in Limavady’s defence saw Blackieville’s striker come out of the confusion, to pounce on the loose ball and with the entire goal at her mercy, she was not going to miss, 2-2.

But, as the visitors had done in the first half, so Limavady’s response was instant. Rebekah McMullan received the ball from thirty yards out and weaved her way towards Blackieville’s goal. After great ball control, skill and strength to reach the edge of the box, a deft touch was all that was needed to roll the ball into the corner of the net.

The game’s temper now heated up with a few rash challenges flying about, but both teams remained focused on the job at hand. Limavady’s game of keeping possession versus Blackieville’s power attacking was a great sight to watch and through a quick counter attack, Blackieville nearly found their equaliser.

The ball was played long and the slick surface caught Limavady flat-footed to send Blackieville’s striker through on goal. But Limavady’s right-back, Nicola Curry, was quickest to react to the danger, reaching the ball first and sending it to the safety of a throw-in.

Rebekah McMullan scored her hat-trick on 70 minutes, when once again another solo run found her, one on one with the goalkeeper. Where a deft touch was suitable last time, this time around, McMullan opted to put her laces through the ball, giving the goalkeeper no chance and Limavady a two-goal cushion.

As Blackieville drove forward in search of goal to keep them in the hunt for a point, McMullan, capitalised on the space given to her. From the halfway line, she drove at a depleted defence, and rounded the stranded goalkeeper to grab her fourth goal of the night, 5-2.

With two minutes remaining Blackieville won themselves a penalty, as Sarah Lemon was adjudged to have fouled Blackieville’s forward. Lemon, who would’ve felt hard done by with the soft penalty decision, made amends by getting two strong hands behind the shot to turn the ball wide to safety.

Blackieville’s night was rounded off when their own goalkeeper was giving her marching orders, for handing the ball outside of her box to deny Limavady a sixth goal. One of these teams could still be celebrating a league victory come August, but on this night it was Limavady that laid down their claim to that right.

Report -: Karen McAllister

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