Ladies record success

COLERAINE Ladies picked up their first victory of the season after a hard fought 2-1 win against Mountjoy Ladies…

Coleraine Ladies travelled to Omagh for their first away game of the season against Mountjoy Ladies.

The game started with both sides trying to feel their way into the game, as Coleraine grew into the fixture they saw chances come and go for Kirsty Gillis, Abbie Alexander and Alison Nicholl, while Mountjoy were unlucky hitting the cross bar from a free kick. The visitors thought they had taken the lead in bizarre circumstances as a clearance from Naomi Lewis near the half way line bounced over the Mountjoy keeper and went in, only for the referee not to give it.

Coleraine finally made the breakthrough when good play down the left hand side by Caitlin Gourey teed up Kirsty Gillis to finish low into the bottom corner to put Coleraine into a one-goal lead. Mountjoy however returned fire when Naomi Lewis mis-judged a long ball over the top which saw their striker latch onto and round ‘keeper Lynsey Hassan to slot into the goal making it one apiece at the interval.

Coleraine again came out strongly from the break determined to get the next goal when Megan Alexander supplied Carla Dickie with a long through ball only to see the keeper save it for a corner. Coleraine finally made the breakthrough they had been looking for when Lizzy McNougher side stepped her marker to play in Alison Nicholl who finished her goal into the far corner.

The home side continued to look a way into the game and almost got it but for a block tackle and clearance made by Shairee McVey. Coleraine Ladies should have been out of sight by this stage, Shairee McVey put a well-positioned free kick wide, Alexander, Gillis and Nicholl all had further efforts saved or off target.

Coleraine were almost made to pay for this when a determined Mountjoy managed to get behind the defence and blast over. Mountjoy really piled on the pressure the last ten minutes to try and get the equaliser and pushed forward, in turn pushing the Coleraine team back, which forced them into a shuffle of formation which almost paid off when the ever hard working midfielder Sam Miskimmon got herself onto the end of cross only to see her header once again saved by the Mountjoy keeper.

The Ladies held on for a well earned three points as they face Ballymacash at home next Thursday night.