Holders Glentoran continued their Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup defence with a four-goal semi-final defeat of Comber Rec. Ladies at Seaview.
The game was only 90 seconds old when Rachel Rogan latched onto a pass and calmly placed a side footed shot past keeper Leigh Skelton from the left hand corner of the 18-yard box.
Comber had been caught cold and it took a lot of effort to try to work their way back into the game. Glentoran continually pushed with Skelton pulling off a number of saves to keep the scoreline to a single goal.
Much as Comber tried to compete it was always Glentoran who were first to the ball and, as the half progressed, it was becoming one way traffic.
It was no surprise, then, that the Glens eventually doubled their advantage on 40 minutes courtesy of Joely Andrews’ clinical finish after controlling a bouncing ball ten yards out.
Skelton was called into action again with a spectacular save diving across the goal to deny Glentoran a third just before the break, with the second half starting in similar fashion as she frustrated the cup holders time after time.
However, she was beaten again on 68 minutes through Jessica Davis’ close range finish before Glens stalwart Kelly Bailie added a fourth five minutes after that with a calm side foot effort from inside the box after latching onto a waist high cross.
From the restart Skelton was again called into action, reacting to an indirect free-kick taken from inside the area, to palm the shot round the far post. It was the sort of save that made her the obvious candidate to be named Electric Ireland “Player of the Match”.
Glentoran will face Linfield in the final next month
The Blues secured their place in the decider with a 3-0 win over Crusaders Strikers in Bangor with all three goals coming via McGuinness sisters Kirsty and Caitlin.
Kirsty kicked the scoring off on 11 minutes with a delicate lob over Crues keeper Nadine Murphy after racing onto a through ball from Haylay O’Donnell.
That was how it stayed until midway through the second half when Caitlin found the net when she beat Julie Nelson to a header and poke the ball home.
Kirsty then completed the scoring four minutes from time with a thumping effort from the left side of the box into the opposite top corner.
