Drumahoe girls secure first victory

Cliftonville Ladies0

YMCA Ladies extended their unbeaten run in the Frudles NIWFA Premier League to three games after an emphatic victory over Cliftonville at Drumahoe last Wednesday night.

This was a real six pointer game as the victory lifted the young YM side from bottom of the table to sixth place and out of the relegation zone but defeat would have left them adrift at the bottom at the midway stage of the season.

YM started very strongly in front of the sizeable home crowd and took the lead after just five minutes when a McMullan free kick was headed goalwards by McKeever and palmed out by the keeper to the feet of Avilla Bergin who smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

This early goal unsettled the visitors and YM piled the pressure on playing some marvellous football.

McMullan and Sarah Bergin went close to extending the lead but just before half time Bergin almost scored the second but saw her shot go narrowly past the post.

Cliftonville to their credit came out for the second half with re-newed vigour and put YM under serious pressure in the first 20 minutes. YM where unable to find the rhythm they had in the first half but still battled hard to maintain their lead.

Midway through the half though McMullan intercepted a pass and strode towards the Reds goal and calmly passed the ball past the advancing keeper into the net to seal the match.

On 80 minutes the home side added a third when young Hanna Kilgore broke through the Reds defence and coolly lobbed the ball over the keeper into the roof of the net for the goal of the game.

YM have now reached the mid-point of their first season in the Premier League and after playing all sides find themselves with a very respectable record of played 7, lost 3, drew 3 and won 1 and are sixth in the table.

They will hope to continue this excellent form in the second half of the season and secure their Premiership status.