Raheny United 1-2 Peamount United AET

Grace Murray struck late into extra time to give Peamount a dramatic win over rivals Raheny United today in Santry. The win puts Peas into the Womens' National League Cup final, where they will play southside rivals Shamrock Rovers. 

Murray had already scored before she won the match for Peas, her 63rd minute free-kick levelling the score after Mary Waldron had put Raheny ahead not long beforehand. Peamount will now look forward with supreme confidence to the two sides' league meeting in three weeks time, which could well decide the destination of the Womens' National League trophy.

A first half which had more than its fair share of chances saw the two sides somehow go into the break level. Peamount probably had more chances to score in the first half, but Siobhan Killeen of Raheny had the best chance of them all on 25 minutes, shooting wide right in front of goal when it looked easier to score.

Dora Gorman and Stephanie Roche both had golden opportunities to score for Peamount. On two occasions Roche was through on goal only to just miss scoring. First she saw her chip over Nicole Cranny fall just wide, then just before half time Cranny saved superbly when she and Roche were one-on-one.

Gorman, who returned to football after spending yesterday as Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade in her native Galway, wasn't at her best after half an hour when she shot wide inside the box. It could have been a high scoring draw at the break, but instead the sides went in to the dressing rooms as they started.

Elaine Murray almost gave the home side a dream start to the second half. A minute in, some haphazard defending allowed her time in the Peas box but she could only shoot straight at Emily Cahill in the Peas goal. Both sides were missing several first-teamers through international commitments and injury, and both sides looked tired as the game wore on.

Louise Quinn rattled the Raheny crossbar on 53 minutes, but just five minutes later Raheny were in for the opener. Mary Waldron was the scorer but it may well be awarded as an own goal. Waldron struck a free superbly from 30 yards, which hit the crossbar before it hit Cahill and went in. 

But Raheny didn't really consolidate and let Peamount back into the game as soon as they had scored. Dora Gorman had another good chance soon afterwards, but Grace Murray did eventually equalise after 63 minutes. From a free about 35 yards out, Murray was maybe a bit lucky. The ball hit the ground and somehow evaded everyone in the box, including Nicole Cranny, before going in.

Emily Cahill made up somewhat for her failure to save Waldron's free with a fine double save with 13 minutes of normal time left. Elaine Murray's hard shot from distance was palmed away, and Cahill reacted superbly to push Waldron's follow-up shot from close range over. Stephanie Roche drove a free-kick through the wall with not long left, but Cranny was equal to it and so the game went into extra time. 

It was then that the toll of a long season really began to show. Tired legs were all around, with some more apparent than others. Siobhan Killeen, Rebecca Creagh and Stephanie Roche all missed clear chances inside the opposition's box in the first period of extra time. Grace Murray, who has been a match winner on a few occasions this season, again stepped up with just two minutes left. 

A bit closer to goal than she was for her first goal, Murray struck another free-kick in. There was no sense of luck with this one, though. It sailed through the dull Santry sky and in to the Raheny net, sealing Peamount's place in the inaugural WNL Cup final.

Raheny United: Nicole Cranny; Elaine Murray, Christina Byrne, Seana Cooke, Joan Daly [Sandra Mulhall '67] ; Rebecca Creagh, Rachel Graham, Kate Flood, Rebecca Walsh; Mary Waldron; Siobhan Killeen. 

Subs Not Used: Lynn Bradley, Niamh Reid Burke, Anna McCormack, Catherine Cronin.

Peamount United: Emily Cahill; Melissa Haughton, Grace Murray; Karen Duggan, Susan Byrne, Dora Gorman, Louise Quinn, Wendy McGlone; Jenny Ferrari, Stephanie Roche. 
Subs Not Used: Linda Meehan, Ruth Comerford, Emma Donohoe, Lauren Cavanagh, Clare Kinsella, Stacey McGlone.

Attendance: 30 (unofficial estimate)

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Grace Murray