Women in Sport: Raheny United – Paving The Way For Women’s Soccer

It was the clash of the titans this weekend in ladies soccer as Raheny United took on UCD Waves in the FAI Senior Cup final on Sunday. The showdown kicked off in the Aviva Stadium and saw the next step in what has really been a superb year for Raheny United and ladies soccer in general. Ending all square after 90 minutes, the Pandas took the lead in the early stages of extra time courtesy of a Siobhan Killeen effort. This was a lead they would not relinquish, and indeed should have been 3-1 up later in the game but were denied by the upright. They held on to their lead and went on to lift their third cup in-a-row after an exciting finish. Looking back on a hugely successful year for the club, Raheny Utd came to the forefront of the sport this year when they became the first Irish ladies soccer team to win all of their Champions League group qualifying games. The team had already featured prominently on the Irish soccer scene, having played in the Champions League last year, before going on to win the league and cup double in the 2013/14 season. These wins were added to their already enormous trophy haul that includes a number of junior All-Ireland titles including intermediate under 14, 16, and 18 FAI Cups, two league titles, two senior cups along with the DWSL League and cup successes. Not only that, but to date the club are unbeaten in 46 league and WFAI cup matches, dating back to November 3^rd, 2012 – an absolutely incredible achievement. Raheny United captain Rebecca Creagh with the Women's National League trophy (Pic: INPHO) Having won the league last season, Raheny Utd then qualified for the Champions League this year – which became a journey through Europe that was tracked by soccer fans across Ireland. Coached by Casey McQuillan, the team headed to Cluj, Romania for the qualifying group games where they made history as the first Irish team to win all of their Champions League qualifying matches. They overcame top seed Cluj on a scoreline of 2-1, second seed CSKA Sofia 2-0 before finally defeating Hibernians of Malta 2-1 and so qualified for the Round of 32 stage. It was at this point that the stumbling block arose for the Dublin side though, as they went head-to-head with Bristol Academy WFC from the English Women’s Super League and lost both the home and away ties. However, a lot can be taken from a year that has really laid the foundations for women’s soccer in Ireland. Despite the halt to their Champions League campaign, the support for the side not only in the local community, but nationwide became a major talking point. Women’s soccer was already making a name for itself in Irish sports annals, but the achievements of this talented squad have really put the game on the national map. Raheny United's Mary Waldron celebrates scoring a goal. (Pic: INPHO) Now, looking ahead to this season, club PRO Jimmy Ambrose explained that over the last few years, Peamount United have been one of their toughest competitors but Wexford and UCD Waves are also the ones to beat. “The commitment of all the girls on the team is fantastic. They travel from all over the country to come training. Training is three times a week with a match on Sunday and the girls are always willing to do work and train hard. “Looking ahead to this season we have the same hopes and goals as every other season. We want to play well and qualify for next year’s Champions League and possibly win the treble of WFAI Cup, WNL and League Cup.” The girls have had so many sporting highlights over the last two years, but without doubt, the one they consider the best is the winning of this year’s Champions League qualifying group. With four senior internationals and seven under 19 internationals within the squad, there’s no doubt that the Raheny United star is going to continue to shine brightly in the coming months. One to watch - Katie McCabe, Raheny United. (Pic: INPHO) And the ones to watch for this season? First up top scorer Katie McCabe has already notched 13 goals including three hat-tricks this season and should be getting the nod soon enough for the Irish senior team. While goalkeeper Niamh Reid Burke had two fantastic games in the games versus Bristol pulling off five world-class saves. Other players to watch also include centre half Niamh Walsh and Pearl Slattery, Rebecca Creagh, Clare Shine and up-and-coming players Keeva Keenan and Lauren Dwyer. Raheny's Siobhan Killenn gets ahead of Anghard James of Bristol Academy (Pic: INPHO)