UCD Waves 1-2 Raheny United

RAHENY UNITED etched their name into history by becoming the third team to win the FAI Women’s Cup for a third time in a row by beating UCD Waves 2-1 at Aviva Stadium.

It took a Siobhan Killeen strike in extra-time to decide the contest after UCD’s Aine O’Gorman had hit back to cancel out Katie McCabe’s stunning opener for the holders.

Casey McQuillan’s team kept working hard on the energy-sapping pitch and go their reward through Killeen’s goal that saw them join their opponents and Shamrock Rovers as three-in-a-row winners.

“We knew once we weathered the storm, they’d get tired and start leaving spaces. That happened in the game. It was an even game but I thought we shaded it,” said McQuillan.

There was very little between the teams throughout the game, but McCabe – who netted a hat-trick in a 3-1 win when they met in the league recently – got the fireworks started.

The younger sibling of Shamrock Rovers’ Gary McCabe took aim from a free-kick 35 yards out and smashed it into the top corner of the net past goalkeeper Monica McGuirk.

UCD Waves, though, were not about to give up and they drew level on 40 minutes. A wicked shot from Julie-Ann Russell rattled the crossbar and O’Gorman was there to hook in the rebound.

The competitive nature of the game kept up in the second half with the woodwork being struck four times, but nobody could find the goal to settle it and extra-time was required.

Then Killeen stepped up and provided the decisive blow. The flying winger latched onto a through pass and slid a shot under McGurik in the 95th minute to wrap up the contest.

Raheny have now won this competition three times overall and it takes their trophy haul to three Cups and two league titles in the last three years – a truly remarkable achievement.

UCD WAVES: McGuirk; Grant, Duggan, McCarthy, Carroll; Berrill (Cahill 77), Thorpe, Ryan (Nolan 55), Gorman, Russell; O’Gorman.

RAHENY UNITED: Reid-Burke; Keenan (Newman 95), Slattery, Walsh, Conlon (O’Farrelly 63); Creagh, Graham, Dwyer; Killeen, Murray, McCabe.

Referee: Michelle O’Neill (Wexford).

Gareth Maher reports from Aviva Stadium