Sion Swifts defeat Derry City to win SIXTH successive Foyle Cup

Ladies' final

Derry City 0

Sion Swifts 1

Sion Swifts Ladies edged out Derry City at the Vale Centre to claim an impressive sixth Foyle Cup on the trot.

With ten minutes to go and a penalty shoot-out looming, an assured strike from 15-year-old Cache Crumlish clinched it for a Sion side that struggled to shake off a dogged Derry team.

The Tyrone club has dominated this competition for the past decade, but this wasn't a vintage performance compared to previous finals and they had to work hard for the win.

The two had already played each other just 24 hours before in the group stage, where the Brandywell women prevailed with a 2-1 victory that saw them top the group. But a number of Sion players were rested in that match and it was a stronger eleven that lined out for the final in Eglinton.

The Derry City players weren't fazed, however. From the first whistle to the last, they played with a confidence and determination that makes the fact they are currently sitting rock bottom of the NIFL Women's Premiership hard to fathom.

They kept their discipline and shape throughout and won their fair share of possession in the middle of the pitch (Kayleigh Carlin the stand-out player there), but ultimately they were let down by the lack of clear-cut chances they managed to create up front.

The first half, though goalless, was a lively affair, with the two sides engaged in a high-intensity battle for control. Quality defending at both ends kept clear chances to a minimum: the best for Derry a curling strike from Ellie Redden that was turned round the post by Sion keeper Chelsea Sheerin, while, at the other end, a cut-back from Crumlish was well met by Naomi McLaughlin but flew just over the bar.

Sion brought on playmaker Brooke Milligan for the second half, and with her came more cohesion to the Sion attack. She took hold of the midfield and linked up well with Caoirse Doherty, who made some fantastic runs on the right wing throughout the game that would have been fruitful only for the constant vigilance of the impressive Kaci Deery at left-back.

With less than five minutes of the second half played, Sion were awarded a penalty when Milligan took a push in the back just inside the box. McLaughlin took the spot kick but Derry keeper Niamh Barr went the right way and saved it well.

Annoyance at the penalty miss stirred Sion into action and they stepped up their efforts, but with Crumlish through and only Barr to beat, the Derry keeper pulled off a phenomenal save to keep the sides level.

With only ten minutes to go, anxiety levels in the Sion camp were clearly rising: if they didn't score soon, Derry were well capable of nicking a late goal or taking matters to the lottery that is the penalty shoot-out.

But as is so often the case, the champions did what all good champions do and pulled a moment of magic out of the hat: Doherty broke out on the right and cut back to Crumlish, whose powerful strike to the left-hand corner finally had the outstanding Barr beaten.

Derry pushed hard for the equaliser and nearly got it when Redden bore down on a sloppy back pass to Sheerin, but the Sion keeper just about got her feet out from under herself in time to hastily boot the ball away.

Doherty and McLaughlin both had chances for Sion in the dying minutes that forced more heroics from Barr in the Derry goal, but the one-goal cushion proved to be enough and they held on for a victory that, though not as emphatic as they may have expected, brings their impressive haul of Foyle Cup titles to an impressive eight.

Teams

DERRY CITY: Niamh Barr, Kaci Deery, Cate Toland, Shannon Dunne, Erin Coyle, Abbey Alexander, Ellie Redden, Clara Quigg, Ellie Duffy, Zoe Green, Kayleigh Carlin. Subs: Sub: Bria McGilloway.

SION SWIFTS: Chelsea Sheerin, Madison McMenamin-Kirk, Tara Doherty, Amy McFarland, Kelly Compton, Naomi McLaughlin, Cache Crumlish, Lauren Haynes, Tara O'Connor, Aoibhe O'Neill, Caoirse Doherty. Sub: Brooke Milligan.  

OFFICIALS: Brídín McDermott, Maria Creaney and Andrew Beattie.