GLENTORAN Women returned to the top of the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership table with a hugely significant two-goal victory over Cliftonville Ladies at Solitude… two points ahead of Linfield with a game less played.
The Glens moved in front just before the half-hour mark when Jessica Foy got on the end of a free-kick delivered into the area before controlling the ball and firing past Rachael Norney into the corner of the net.
Cliftonville came close to levelled early in the second half after Abbie Magee and Katie Markey combined to tee Marissa Callaghan to hit the woodwork.
But Demi Vance doubled the visitors’ lead on 55 minutes after the ball had been played across from the right before it was touched on for the vastly experienced striker to knock home from just outside the six yard box.
Cliftonville came close again later in the half when substitute Lydia Thompson crashed an effort off the crossbar but, in the end, Glentoran came through to claim the win and exact revenge for the League Cup final defeat to the Reds less than two weeks ago.
Cliftonville Ladies: Norney, Morgan, Lynch, C. McGuinness, K. McGuinness, O’Neill, Callaghan, Markey, O. McGuinness, Magee, McLaughlin. Subs: Burrows, Stone, Gallagher, Anderson, Thompson, Cunningham, McCrory
Glentoran Women: McKinnon, Foy, McMaster, Keenan, Caldwell, Kerr, Vance, Wilson, Moore, McKearney, Crompton. Subs: Jeffery, Rogan, Butler, Neal, McKnight, Bailie
Pictures by Anna Magill (ashmagphotography)
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | FORM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glentoran Women | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | 23 | 18 | WWWWW |
| 2 | Linfield Women | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 11 | 17 | 16 | WLWWW |
| 3 | Cliftonville Ladies | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 13 | WWWWL |
| 4 | Lisburn Rangers | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 12 | LWWLW |
| 5 | Crusaders Strikers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 9 | WWLLL |
| 6 | Derry City Women | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 6 | WWLLL |
| 7 | Lisburn Ladies | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 19 | -15 | 3 | LLLLL |
| 8 | Larne Women | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 32 | -30 | 0 | LLLLL |
