PEGASUS were crowned Vets Cup champions with a 3-1 win over Ballymoney at Ballymena Academy, ending a run of six consecutive titles for the beaten finalists.
Three goals from Hannah Craig, Alex Speers and Pam Glass sealed the win for Pegasus and completed an undefeated season despite a Shirley Harvey consolation strike for Ballymoney.
It was the Belfast side who took an early lead with just three minutes gone when the deadlock was broken.
Shirley McCay received the ball on the right wing, before her ball into the circle was smartly deflected goal-bound by Hannah Craig, with the effort beating the goalkeeper at the far post.
Five minutes later, Pegasus could have been two ahead when McCay played Alex Speers in behind the Ballymoney defence before her pass across the face of goal was just behind Craig, who was arriving at the back post.
At the start of the second quarter, it was Pegs who came close to doubling their lead.
A quickly taken free by McCay saw the midfielder break into the circle before her flicked effort was well saved by the Ballymoney goalkeeper.
The second goal came just a minute later when a Pegasus forward played a ball towards the near post, picking out Speers, who converted with another deflected effort.
With 23 minutes gone, Speers and McCay combined once more with the latter’s ball down the left wing, picking out the forward before her reverse strike struck the woodwork and stayed out.
Moments later, Ballymoney could have been back in the tie when Gillian McCartney was found at the back post before a back stick was blown against the forward.
Luckily for the reigning champions, they got their goal just two minutes later.
Their Belfast opponents were caught playing out of the back before a turnover saw Ballymoney break down the right.
From there, the ball was cut back to the penalty spot, where an initial strike looked to be going wide of the post before Shirley Harvey managed to redirect the effort goalward.
In the third quarter, it was Pegasus who were once again on top. The side won a number of penalty corners throughout the period but to no avail, working the Ballymoney goalkeeper on several occasions, but it was the shot-stopper who came out on top.
With no further chances in the quarter, the reigning champions went into the final 15 minutes trailing by a single goal.
Midway through the final period, Ballymoney could have drawn level when a crash ball was touched goal-ward by Aine Kearney, but she saw her effort saved at close range.
Instead, it was Pegasus who doubled their lead just two minutes later.
Having won a penalty corner, they finally made their chance pay when an initial strike was saved before Pam Glass fired her rebound effort into the roof of the net to make it 3-1.
In the dying stages of the tie, Kearney had another chance to score for Ballymoney.
A long ball saw the forward left 1v1 with the Pegasus goalkeeper, but unfortunately for her, the opposing defence recovered well before her strike was well saved, and Pegasus ran out 3-1 winners.
Vets Cup final action
