GLENTORAN Women are the 2025 Sports Direct Women’s Premiership champions for the fourth time in six years
Kim Turner’s side got the result they needed in the big final day showdown with fellow contenders – and outgoing champions – Cliftonville Ladies at the Blanchflower Stadium.
To add to the agony for Cliftonville, the last touch on the decisive goal came from Reds defender Vicky Carleton.
Going into the game with a two-point advantage, the Glens knew that simply avoiding defeat would get them over the line but they went one better thanks to a winning goal midway through the second half.
Both sides had their chances in a closely contested but scoreless first half, with Kascie Weir being denied by an excellent stop from Rachael Norney early on while, for the Reds, Marissa Callaghan’s flick from a free-kick was well gathered by Ashleigh McKinnon.
With the Reds requiring nothing less than a win they came out after the break in determined fashion, and almost grabbed the lead early on only for Naomi McLaughlin’s header to be cleared off the line by Jessica Foy.
And a few minutes after that the visitors were denied again when, on this occasion, Fionnuala Morgan’s header from Kirsty McGuinness’ corner was denied at the last moment.
But what proved to be Glentoran’s title deciding winning goal arrived on 66 minutes after Demi Vance sent over a corner from the right to the far post with Nadene Caldwell heading it goal bound although the ball was helped on its way into the net by defender Vicky Carleton as she attempted to divert it away from danger.
To their credit, Cliftonville increased their efforts in order to cling onto some hope of turning the game around.McGuinness lifted another set piece from distance over the wall only to see it turned away by McKinnon at the right post while, a few minutes after that, Morgan sent a header fizzing past the same post from another McGuinness free-kick.
Then, in the closing moments, Teegan Lynch came close only to see a header scrambled clear just ahead of a Morgan snapshot just over the top.
However nothing was going to deny the Glens yet another title, their 11th overall and fourth in the past six seasons.
Glentoran Women: McKinnon, Loughran, Foy, McMaster, Keenan, Caldwell, Kerr, Vance, Wilson, Weir, Crompton. Subs: Rogan, Butler, McKnight, Moore, Bailie, McKearney, Maguire
Cliftonville Ladies: Norney, Burrows, Morgan, Lynch, C. McGuinness, Carleton, K. McGuinness, Callaghan, O. McGuinness, Magee, McLaughlin. Subs: Watt, Devine, O’Neill, Markey, Gallagher, Anderson, Thompson
