Ballymackey into CCFL Cup final

Ballymackey are through to the Combined Counties Football League Women's Cup Final after overcoming a very good Bealnamulla side 1-0 in the semi-final in Ballinree on Sunday.

The home side scored the only goal of the game on 22 minutes. An Aoibhín Delaney long throw broke to Allison McDonnell in the box and she deftly lobbed the ball over the visitors keeper in into the back of the net.

There was some high quality football in the game, but it most definitely had the edge of a knockout Cup semi-final, with time on the ball at a premium throughout.

Ballymackey just about shaded the match throughout but the Bealnamulla attack was also posing a threat. Ballymackey had a few chances to put some distance between the sides but failed to take their opportunities and that left them having to endure some edgy moments in the last ten minutes as Bealnamulla threw everything at Ballymackey in search of an equaliser, but the home side, who had not conceded a goal in their last six CCFL Cup and League matches, held out.

It was an excellent game of football by both sides who left everything out on the field. Seonaid McGuigan had an excellent game in an unfamiliar role for her at fullback and Allison McDonnell was the player of the match with an all action display capped off with scoring the winning goal.

Ballymackey's next outing is a home fixture on Sunday, 11th May in the FAI Amateur Shield against Peake Villa, and they have the CCFL Women's Cup Final to now look forward to as well.