What a game. A proper cup tie between two excellent footballing sides, packed with drama right to the very end.

 

Carrigtwohill started brightly, putting Avondale under early pressure without quite finding the breakthrough. Avondale’s defence held firm, with their alert goalkeeper sweeping up anything in behind. As the game settled, Avondale threatened down the right, but their onrushing forward couldn’t keep her effort on target—something that won’t have pleased Lili, marshalling things from the back.

 

Carrig began to take control in midfield, where Isabelle and Lauren put on a masterclass. Isabelle produced a brilliant run, gliding past four challenges before firing on goal, only to be denied by a superb save. Soon after, Carrig came even closer—Phoebe raced onto a through ball, cut inside, and unleashed a rocket that rattled the underside of the bar before bouncing safely into the keeper’s arms.

 

Carrig kept pushing, while Avondale looked dangerous on the break. The Carrig defence stood strong, with Emma and Kalina solid at full-back, and Rolina and Molly forming a dependable central partnership.

 

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Carrig starting on the front foot. Sofia’s tireless running up front, combined with Lucy and Eliza causing problems out wide, kept Avondale pinned back. Chances continued to come—Phoebe again broke through but, under pressure, sent her effort over the bar. It began to feel like it might be one of those days.

 

Then came the breakthrough. After great work in the box from Allie, a foul by an Avondale defender resulted in a penalty. Lauren, calm and reliable as ever, stepped up and slotted home to make it 1–0.

 

Carrig then dropped slightly deeper, inviting pressure. Despite good hold-up play from Edel, they struggled to relieve it fully. Avondale capitalised with a moment of quality—a stunning strike from the edge of the box flew into the top corner to level the game at 1–1.

 

As the match entered its closing stages, both sides were out on their feet. Kayla, battling through illness, produced crucial last-ditch defending to keep Carrig in it. The final whistle blew, sending the tie to penalties.

 

Both teams showed immense courage stepping up, but it was Carrig who held their nerve. After a tense shootout, Lili stepped forward to confidently convert the first sudden-death penalty—before producing a decisive save to deny Avondale and send Carrigtwohill United into the final.

 

A fantastic night for the girls—roll on Saturday in MTU!