Kelly leads by example as Glens end title wait
Two moments of brilliance seal league crown
THE long wait is over. After six years without winning a league title, it was two moments of quality separated by 82 minutes that clinched the 2020 Danske Bank Women’s Premiership crown for Glentoran Women.
The east Belfast girls were singing in the rain at Seaview after Samantha Kelly’s early goal and a stunning injury-time strike from Sarah Connolly gave them a 2-0 win over Crusaders Strikers.
Title favourites at the start of the season, the Glens carried a weight of expectation into the game with a point all that was needed for them to be crowned champions, and they didn’t fluff their lines in front of the live BBC audience.
In control for virtually the entire 90 minutes, they took the lead through Kelly after just nine minutes and then produced a display of attacking football that fitted their status as title winners.
The goal that settled any nerves that might have been around had a real stamp of quality to it too.
Jessica Foy showed great vision and quality when she sprayed the ball across field from left to right straight to the feet of Kerry Beattie. After a great first touch, Beattie found her route to goal blocked so pulled the ball square to Kelly, who swept home with her left foot from 10 yards.
Kelly, who was at the centre of everything good about Glentoran, tried to return the favour midway through the first half with a perfectly weighted through ball that split the Strikers defence and found Beattie running in, but with only the goalkeeper to beat she sent her shot straight at Maddy Harvey-clifford’s shins.
It really was the Kelly and Beattie show for the Glens. The former shot wide and the latter set up Foy for an effort before half-time.
After the break, Kelly shot over the bar and Beattie had a header that landed on top of the net as the Glens pushed for a second goal.
The longer the game went on, the more it looked like a single goal was all that the Glens were going to get — although a point was enough for them to win the league.
The was until deep in injury time when Joely Andrews’ pass ricocheted into the path of substitute Connolly and she sent a superb chip over the head of Harvey-clifford and into the net.
Elsewhere, Linfield Ladies beat Derry City Women 4-0 but they needed the Glens to slip-up if they were going to win the league, and they weren’t in any mood to let that happen.
Sion Swifts Ladies, who missed out on goal difference last season, were 3-1 winners over Cliftonville Ladies.
Crusaders Strikers: Harvey-clifford, Mclaren, Nelson, Hamilton, Chalmers (Archibald 46mins), Mcgivern, Mcdowell (Cameron 80mins), Otter (Rea 70mins), Armour, Beggs, Wilson. Subs: Mccann, Johnston, Cameron.
Glentoran Women: Burns, Timoney, E Mcmaster, Bailie, Foy, Caldwell, Andrews, Kelly, Beattie, Rogan (Connolly 85mins), Maxwell (A Mcmaster 80mins). Subs: Mckinnon, Peachey, Mckearney, Dunne.
Referee: Louise Thompson
Player of the match: Samantha Kelly
Match rating: 7/10