Raheny Creagh-ving More Success

There is never much in games between Raheny United and Peamount United. Last season it took the Peas until the last game of the season to clinch the league ahead of their rivals. Last Sunday’s Women’s FAI Cup Final in Dalymount Park was no different, but this time revenge was exacted in spectacular style as a late Noelle Murray strike saw Raheny clinch the first piece of silverware of the 2012-2013 season.

Fresh from their triumph, extratime.ie caught up with Raheny United star Rebecca Creagh. The Republic of Ireland international first confessed she was still coming to terms with their victory but was quick to point out the hard work that had been put in over the past few years.

“I’m still trying to believe it at the moment, it hasn’t sunk in I don’t think.

“We’ve worked hard I suppose the past few months, you could say years even, since the last time we were in an All-Ireland final back in 2006. We’ve just been working towards getting a bit more silverware in the cabinet, and hopefully working towards this league now.”

Going into the Sunday’s final, Raheny were well aware of the challenge that lay in front of them. Any thoughts that they might have it all their own way were quickly dispelled when Sara Lawlor put the girls in pea-green ahead in the sixth minute with a neat finish. Like a red rag to a bull, this made Gerry McDermott’s girls even more determined however and they showed they weren’t prepared to just roll over and die.

“We always knew it was going to be a tough game, it always is. Cup finals are always those kind of dodgy games as well, no matter who you’re playing.

“Once the first goal went in we knew we couldn’t drop our heads. There’s no way we could do that so early on and not give ourselves a chance. So we just rallied around each other and kept fighting to the death and luckily enough it came to us in the end.”

Indeed Raheny took the expression “fighting to the death” to an extreme, Mary Waldron equalising in the last minute of the first half and Noelle Murray scoring the decisive goal in the last minute of the second half giving the girls in black and white a famous victory.

Doing it over your biggest rivals in the league makes it even sweeter, and this is something Creagh hopes will fuel Raheny in their quest for the league title this year.

“It was a crazy way to do it, but a good way as well.”

“We’ve been rivals the past few years now. It’s obviously got a lot stronger in recent years, the likes of the league starting and stuff. It’s always nice to get a win over your rivals. To win it in that kind of that style and fashion, and to win an all-Ireland medal I suppose is a nice way to do it. I think it does give us that psychological edge now going into the rest of the season.”

As fate would have it, Raheny’s next game pits them once again against Peamount in their next league outing on 3^rd November.

Despite a perfect start to their league campaign (three wins from three) and their first silverware of the season, Creagh revealed they were not prepared to rest on their laurels, acknowledging their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal last year. They will return to training this Wednesday as they aim to keep their eyes fixed firmly on the Bus Éireann FAI Women’s National League crown.

“Clinical finishing and finishing last year kind of left us down. We had chances and we didn't take them. We have done well on the goals this year, compared to last year. That’s the kind of thing that will stand to us is taking our chances.”

“We know ourselves we can play football, it’s a matter of getting the goals. No-one will remember the game they will only remember the results.”