Riverstown 1 Springfield Ramblers 3

SPRINGFIELD Ramblers will meet Carrigaline in the GE Healthcare CWSSL U19 Cup final following a 3-1 win on a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon at the GACA grounds in Riverstown, coming back from an early goal to secure their place.

The visitors started the game well, forcing Riverstown back into their own area, having a couple of chances on goal which were either wide or blocked by the defence.

However, in the third minute in their first move forward and against the run of play the home side took the lead when Lily O’Riordan managed to get behind the Springfield defence and ran towards goal slotting the ball past Katie McCaul Walsh for the opening score.

Springfield battled to get back into the game, Isobel O’Leary’s free being punched away by the Riverstown keeper Lucy Greene and had another chance in the 12th minute when Julia Moreno’s effort was blocked by the defence and duly cleared away as the visitors looked for the equaliser.

Chances came Springfield’s way after the first water break with Ava Field’s 25-yard effort well saved by Greene who also did well to repel O’Leary’s effort from the edge of the area and another effort from Field, while Friederike Van Dem Bassche’s chance went over the crossbar as Riverstown were forced to defend.

The equaliser finally came after the 38th minute when Van Dem Bassche found herself in the centre and duly sent the ball past Greene, and almost had a second just before the halftime whistle only for Moreno’s chipped effort from close range being well held by the Riverstown keeper.

Springfield continued to press forward in the second half, but couldn’t get a decent shot on goal as the Riverstown defence was doing an excellent job holding their lines and fighting for every ball with very little separating the sides with plenty of midfield play.

Springfield’s persistence paid off in the 60th minute when a corner kick fell to Moreno on the far post and duly sent the ball into the far corner to give Springfield the lead.

Riverstown attempted to get back into the game but were thwarted by a solid Springfield defence who were preventing the forwards from getting any decent shot on goal as the visitors continued to press forward themselves.

Play at this stage was still going from end to end with both defences doing their job well, with the slightest touch or mistake could have easily brought turned the game in the final few minutes.

The third and final goal came in the 86th minute when a corner kick was headed into the back of the Riverstown net by Amy Kennedy as the visitors secured their passage into the final.

Springfield Ramblers will now meet Carrigaline who defeated Macroom 4-1 in their semi-final clash in Carrigaline that same evening, with the final expected to be played in St Colman’s Park on April 10 – yet to be confirmed.

RIVERSTOWN: Lucy Greene, Martha Patoka, Emma Cotter, Lucy Moriarty, Grace McNamara, Maeve O’Mahony, Sophie Mulhall, Lily O’Riordan, Faye Lonergan, Amy Cuthbert, Sarah Long, Amelia Doyle, Denise Begley.

SPRINGFIELD: Katie McCaul Walsh, Amy Meade, Bethany Meade, Chi Chi Ositadinma, Robyn O’Sullivan, Rebecca Meade, Isabel O’Leary, Emily O’Brien, Ava Field, Amy Kennedy, Julia Moreno, Nina Lehmberg, Friederike Von Dem Bussche.

Referee: Hector Ramierez