Glens secure Challenge Cup with Reds shootout win
Glentoran won the Challenge Cup, beating Cliftonville 4-2 on penalties after a goalless final at Windsor Park. The victory gave Kelly Bailie a fitting end to her 30-year spell with the east Belfast club: aged 46, she scored the decisive spot-kick in her final match.
Cliftonville had more of the possession and several chances, but Glentoran defended resolutely and neither side scored in normal time. Ellie Scott made a late save to deny Toni-Leigh Finnegan, then the shootout saw Cliftonville miss three penalties while Glentoran converted four. The final had been delayed by three days because of Storm Boelo, and Cliftonville had also been stripped of their League Cup title after fielding two ineligible players against Glentoran.
In short
- Glentoran beat Cliftonville 4-2 on penalties.
- Kelly Bailie scored the decisive kick in her final match.
- The final finished 0-0 after normal time.
Explained simply
Glentoran and Cliftonville are two established football clubs from Belfast, and their women’s teams compete in Northern Ireland. The Challenge Cup is a knockout competition, with teams progressing through rounds to reach a one-off final.
Windsor Park is Northern Ireland’s national football stadium and hosts major matches. A drawn final can be decided by a penalty shootout, in which players take turns attempting to score from the penalty spot.
Kelly Bailie spent 30 years at Glentoran, making the final significant as the end of a long club career. The clubs had also recently been involved in a League Cup eligibility dispute, which resulted in Cliftonville losing that title.