Glentoran’s defence of the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership titles ended in an unexpected but unambiguous manner tonight as Cliftonville reclaimed the title they last won in 2022 with this routing of the outgoing champions at Solitude tonight.
Having scored just 8 goals in their previous 14 league games, the Glens were amazingly 4-0 down at half time as the Reds stormed ahead. These were followed by further goals conceded on 58 minutes and 2 minutes into injury time.
It’s harsh to describe a season in which the team won 13 of their 15 games and scored 79 goals in the process a poor one. But in recent years the local game has been dominated by today’s 2 teams and we lost both league games and were knocked out of both the Electric Ireland Challenge Cup and League Cup by the Reds. With just the win in the Toal’s County Antrim Cup Final in return it’s clear the Reds were worthy winners both tonight and over the season.
Losing the league’s top scorer Kerry Beattie and 2022 Premiership Player of the Year Joely Andrews to Hearts in July followed by season ending injuries to Nadene Caldwell and Emma McMaster would have impacted any team in the game and there’s no doubt the loss of these 4 starters had a detrimental impact on a very young squad.
But this has been and still is a glorious era for Glentoran Women and when next Friday’s final league game (v Linfield at home) is played we cand be sure Kim Turner and her team will be planning ahead for reclaiming the trophies all over again when the season starts in April 2025.
Glentoran Women: Ashleigh McKinnon, Sarah Tweedie, Jess Foy (c), Annie Timoney, Jenna McKearney, Aimee Kerr, Kelly Crompton, Chloe McCarron, Demi Vance, Emily Wilson and Rachel Rogan.
Subs: Sofie Keenan (for McKearney 46), Kelly Bailie, Megan Neill, Kascie Weir (for Rogan 73), Aimee Neal, Ellie Butler (for Wilson 80).
