WATCH: Joyous celebrations as Carlow win Gaynor Cup final

Carlow League secured an historic SFAI Gaynor Cup title in dramatic fashion in University of Limerick against a Midlands side who were contesting their second final in a row. 

SFAI Gaynor Cup Under 14 final

Carlow League 0

Midlands League 0 (AET, Carlow win 6-5 on pens)

In a match which went all the way to a penalty shoot-out, Carlow only prevailed when the Midlands missed a spot-kick in sudden death.

After losing last year's final to Dublin league MGL South, this season's Midlands squad were intent on going one better and looked impressive as they battled their way to the decider in the five-day tournament in Limerick.

Carlow had a particularly impressive route to the final, defeating a Galway side who had won the Inter League tournament earlier this season, and then accounting for Dublin's MGL South, the reigning champions and one of the pre-tournament favourites along with Galway. 

In the first half of the final on Friday afternoon the Midlands were under pressure from Carlow for whom joint golden boot winner Ciara Milton and Ashlee Smith were impressive.

Caoilfhinn Brett had a chance for Midlands after the first half water break but was adjudged to be offside and earlier only a goalline defensive intervention prevented Carlow from taking the lead.

Carlow also went desperately close in the first half when they landed a corner on the Midlands crossbar.

Just before the half-time interval a free kick was swung in by Chloe Glynn from the right flank and the Carlow defence let it bounce in the six-yard box.

Luckily for the Carlow girls their goalkeeper Carla Byrne dived to her right to push the ball away to safety.

In midfield there were several great contests taking place, especially that between Emma Mooney and Carlow's Siobhan Sinnott.

The match was still scoreless at the second half water break and already extra-time looked a possibility.

When play resumed for the final period of normal time the Midlands finally began to dominate and Brett received the ball in a useful position in the box but was swallowed up on the turn by Carlow defenders.

Then Christina Waldron followed up swiftly on a ball and reached it before opposing keeper Byrne but could not get her shot on target.

With the full hour of normal time running out a cross from Milton was slapped away by the alert Slattery and the Birr goalkeeper was alive to the danger again when she thwarted Carlow's Eimear Bolger.

In added time Mooney had the last opportunity for either side but her right-footed effort drifted left and wide of the post.

In the first period of extra-time, with Killeigh's Leah Stack prominent in midfield on a couple of occasions, Midlands had the edge and Sophie Byrne of Willow Park also continued to give Carlow problems in the central areas.

Just before the end of the first period a Milton free kick from 25 yards hit the underside of the crossbar and Siobhan Sinnott's shot from the rebound was net-bound until Chloe Glynn's dramatic clearance.

In the second period a free kick from Milton from wide on right could not find a Carlow head and right before the final whistle the Midlands girls could breathe again when a Milton shot from a very narrow angle skimmed the bar.

The penalty shoot-out was an incredibly tense affair with Byrne, Glynn, Stack, Alison Judge and Emma Mooney scoring for Midlands with the regulation first five kicks.

However, Milton, Smith, Doyle, Sinnott and Bolger did the same for Carlow, setting up the sudden death phase.

Midlands player Caoilfhinn Brett was the unlucky one, seeing her effort saved by Carla Byrne and then Birr goalkeeper Aoibheann Slattery could not stop Eimear Bolger from converting the decisive penalty.

Though it was a horrible way for the Midlands to lose, Carlow can justifiably argue that they shaded play for much of the match and went closest to scoring but the lack of a finish always left the door ajar for the Midlands.

Indeed, Midlands player Sophie Byrne was named as the player of the match in the final.

Carlow squad – Carla Byrne (goalkeeper), Ellie Maher, Anna Cullen, Grainne Grennan, Natalia Deka, Siobhan Sinnott, Aoife Bergin, Nicole Osborne (goalkeeper), Laura Malone, Anna Gurhy, Jasmine Doyle, Abby Kepple, Lucie O'Reilly, Cara English, Ciara Milton, Emma Malone, Eimear Bolger, Keelie Doyle, Ashlee Smith, Hanna Kerfah.

Midlands squad - Aoibheann Slattery, Chloe Glynn, Christina Waldron, Alison Judge, Roisin Bradley, Erin McHugh, Leah Stack , Emma Mooney, Neasa Trainor, Sophie Byrne, Leah Concannon , Niamh Coughlan, Caoilfhinn Brett, Kacey-Lee Finnamore , Sophie Padden, Ellen Gorman, Sarah Burke, Ciara Conroy, Lilly-Mae Conroy.

Referee: Dean Turner.