Cliftonville Ladies late show leaves Lisburn Rangers stunned and rescues Women's Challenge Cup defence

Belfast Telegraph

18-07-2025

A repeat of the 2024 Final, which the Reds won 5-0, had all the entertainment worthy of a showpiece, with Rangers staging a fightback that looked like taking them into the Quarter-Finals before the thrilling finale that sent Cliftonville through with a 3-2 win.
Fi Morgan had put Cliftonville into the lead with a bullet header from a right-wing delivery after only 17 minutes and they were playing with a confidence that reflected their status as holders.
Rangers' turnaround came thanks to two Faye Loughran goals 10 minutes apart. She was quickest to react when Sophie Kelly-Bradley's free-kick was palmed away by Reds goalkeeper Rachael Norney and headed home from close range on 33 minutes.
Cliftonville were inches away from regaining the lead when Marissa Callaghan created space to shoot inside the box and watched agonisingly as the ball came back off the base of the left-hand post.
That was to prove an even more painful miss minutes later when Loughran met Caiomhe Gelston Mulholland's free-kick to give her team the lead.
With Loughran peerless at the back, goalkeeper Maddy Bell impressive and belief flowing through the rest of the team, Lisburn Rangers were gradually edging towards victory until their hearts were broken by two goals in the final three minutes.
Caitlin McGuinness hit a goal that looked to have sent the game into extra-time with a shot that squirmed under Bell and over the line, but there was more to come.
With little more than a minute to go, a corner was sent to the back post and Morgan broke clear of her marker to head home the winner.
Mia Moore, Aimee Kerr and Rachel Rogan scored twice each as Glentoran Women eased past Greenisland Women 8-0.
Sophie McKnight and Caitlin Carlisle, on her first-team debut, got the other goals for the 2023 winners.
In the night's other tie, Ballyclare Comrades Ladies defeated Carrick Rangers Falcons 3-0.