Royal School Armagh and Portadown College will clash in this year’s Belfast Telegraph Girls Senior Cup Final for the second year in a row, after both schools won their respective semi-finals 2-0 at Lisnagarvey on Wednesday.
Rainey Endowed 0 Royal School Armagh 2
Royal School Armagh celebrate their opening goal
Royal School Armagh progressed to the Final of the Belfast Telegraph Girls Senior Cup as they beat Rainey Endowed 2-0 at Comber Road.
Two first-half goals from Daisy Nicholson and Hannah Redmond sealed the victory for the side and sets them up for a third consecutive title win.
The first chance of the game came almost immediately from hit-off with Rainey Endowed winning a penalty corner within the first minute of play before a mis-trap at the top of the circle saw the chance go astray.
With no other chances in the first quarter, the sides went into the break level, before it took just two minutes into the second period for the deadlock to be broken.
A Royal School Armagh penalty corner was deflected goal bound by Hannah Redmond only to be denied by Rainey goalkeeper Lola Henderson.
However, Daisy Nicholson was on hand to convert the rebound and open the scoring for the reigning champions.
In the 21st minute, Caroline Burns’ side had a great chance to level the scoring after forward Isla Graham picked out Aoife McNally in the goalmouth only for the ball to strike her foot and a free out to be awarded.
On the brink of half-time it was Greg Thompson’s Royal School Armagh who doubled their advantage as Hannah Redmond picked up the ball at the penalty spot before squeezing her effort into the bottom left corner.
Going into the third quarter trailing by two, Rainey Endowed had their chances to get back into the tie, winning consecutive penalty corners only to be charged down by first runner Katie Herron who cleared the danger.
Instead it was Royal School Armagh who went closest to getting the games third goal as Rhianna Gillespie played through Daisy Nicholson before she saw her 44th minute effort saved by Henderson in goal.
Despite a late flurry of attacks from the trailing Rainey Endowed, Armagh goalkeeper Lily Alderdice went largely untested in the closing stages and her side held on to their 2-0 lead to progress to next week’s final.
RAINEY ENDOWED: Lola Henderson (GK) (C), Olivia Currie, Kate Spillane, Imogen Scott, Isla Graham, Cara Kelly, Ciara Houston, Evie Duncan, Caitlin Gribbin, Julia Currie, Aoife McNally, Aimee Leigh Henry (GK), Alexa McCrea, Ellis Porter, Georgia Capell, Eliza Cameron, Zoe Caskey, Amy Bothwell
ROYAL SCHOOL ARMAGH: Lily Alderdice (GK), Chloe Patton, Rhianna Gillespie, Joni Cunningham, Niamh Smith, Daisy Nicholson, Grace McCool ©, Scarlett Taylor, Katie Herron, Mia Taylor, Maggie Scott, Kate Livingstone, Cadence Gillespie, Hannah Redmond, Faith Jackson, Gracie Johnston, Beth Thompson, Emma Sloan
Banbridge Academy 0 Portadown College 2
Action from the clash between Portadown and Banbridge.
Portadown College progressed to the final of the Belfast Telegraph Girls Senior Cup with a 2-0 win over Banbridge Academy.
Two goals from Martha Speers and Evie Thompson sealed the win and sets up a rematch of last year’s final against Royal School Armagh.
In a quick start to the tie, Banbridge Academy were awarded an early penalty stroke after Rebekah Lennon fouled Alyssa Somerville.
However, goalkeeper Makayla Stevenson was on hand to keep the scores level as she denied Ruby Johnston from the spot.
Eight minutes later, there was a chance for Portadown to break the deadlock as the ball made its way to Leah Galbraith who was unmarked at the penalty spot before she saw her effort saved by Jasmine Magowan-Balfour.
The deadlock was finally broken just after the restart for quarter two as the ball was played across the face of the Banbridge goal, making its way to Martha Speers who fired in at the back post.
As the second half got underway it was Banbridge Academy who went closest to getting the games second goal.
Awarded a penalty corner in the 36th minute, defender Sophie Tate saw her slapped effort go agonizingly wide of the far post as the score remained 1-0.
With just two minutes remaining in the quarter, Portadown went close to doubling their advantage from a penalty corner of their own.
Leah Galbraith slipped left to find teammate Rebekah Lennon at the top of the circle before she saw her effort tipped around the post by Magowan-Balfour.
Just moments later they got their second goal through Evie Thompson. Rebekah Lennon’s long ball into the circle was only half cleared by the Banbridge defence before Evie Thompson latched on to intercept the attempted clearance.
With time and space at the top of the circle, the midfielder struck from the top of the circle and picked out the bottom left corner to give her side a 2-0 lead going into the final quarter.
A late Katie Leslie strike forced a save from Makayla Stevenson but with no response from Banbridge Academy, it was Portadown College who booked their spot to face Royal School Armagh.
PORTADOWN COLLEGE: Makayla Stevenson (GK), Keeley Telford, Hannah Davison, Evie Thompson, Lucy Megaw, Rebekah Lennon ©, Leah Galbraith, Rebecca Owen, Maisy Hannath, Emily Adamson, Hayley McAllister, Grace Adamson, Rebecca Flavelle, Martha Speers, Kate Haffey, Beth Evans, Emily Finlay, Jessica Finch
BANBRIDGE ACADEMY: Jasmine Magowan-Balfour (GK), Emily Henderson, Ellie Cousins ©, Maia Crawford, Alyssa Somerville, Katie Leslie, Ruby Johnston, Charlotte Betts,Sophie Tate, April McFarlane, Esther Campbell, Nancy McCusker, Ciara Patton, Hannah Carswell, Mollie Tumilty, Ellie Walker, Casey Cousins