FOUR clubs remain in the Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup following the quarter-finals over the weekend.
Holders Glentoran Women, last season’s runners-up Cliftonville Ladies, Lisburn Rangers and Derry City Women are all left standing following victories over Larne Women, Crusaders Strikers, Mid Ulster Ladies and Bangor Ladies respectively.
The ‘tie of the round’ saw Cliftonville host near neighbours Crusaders in the big north Belfast derby at Solitude, with the Reds running out comfortable seven-goal victors.
The Reds got off to a blistering start, bagging four goals inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour and turning another effort against the post!
Carla Devine kicked it all off with barely a minute on the clock after receiving the ball from Victoria Carleton. Devine then struck an upright sixty seconds later before Carleton rounded the keeper to slot home a second … and all after just three minutes!
Devine then turned provider to tee Carleton up to double her tally on 14 minutes, before getting a second herself from six yards moments after that.
That was how it stayed until another sizzling spell early in the second produced a further three goals in just five minutes!
Louise McDaniel curled home Cliftonville’s fifth on 51 minutes, Devine then hit her hat-trick on 55 with a thumping finish into the bottom corner with Kirsty McGuinness ultimately wrapping it all up almost immediately after that with a chip over the keeper.
Lisburn Rangers also bagged a magnificent seven as they swept past Mid Ulster Ladies at Stangmore Park.
Faye Loughran edged the visitors in front after five minutes, but the night really belonged to Amy Burden who helped herself to a superb five goals!
She hit an amazing seven-minute hat-trick midway through the first half, added her fourth a few minutes from the break and boosted her tally further still early in the second half.
Gracie Conway then completed the scoring with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
Glentoran, holders of the trophy since 2018, travelled to Inver Park and hit three goals past Larne to book their place in the last four.
Emily Wilson ran onto a Jess Foy ball over the top to break the deadlock after seven minutes, with Foy then doubling up herself nine minutes after that with a header after Nadene Caldwell had played the ball into the area.
Foy struck again on the stroke of half-time with a superbly executed free-kick into the top right corner to complete the scoring.
Derry City completed the semi-final line-up with a 3-0 defeat of Bangor at Clandeboye Park on Sunday.
Ellen McDermott opened the scoring for the Candystripes with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock, with Tara O’Connor-Farren adding a second just after the hour and Ellie Long turning home number three in the closing moments.
