Excitement is building as Dungarvan United take on Carrick United in the Waterford Women’s & Schoolgirls League Cup Final at Ozier Park this evening.
Lucinda Shrubb’s Dungarvan go into this match in search of a first ever league and cup double for the Kilrush Park ladies.
They finished the season strongly, defeating Benfica 5-1 in the play-off to win the league, before defeating the same opposition 4-1 days later in the cup semi-final.
Michael Clarkson’s Carrick team may go into the match as underdogs but that will not phase them. Goals from Erika Kiely & Rachel Rees were enough to book their place in the final, following a 2-1 win over Park Rangers.
Kick off at Ozier Park is at 7pm this evening. WLR caught up with both camps before the big match.
Dungarvan United - “It’s a measure of how far we’ve come”
Dungarvan are going for the double having recently been crowned league champions.
Dungarvan United manager Lucinda Shrubb says they have been working toward this moment for many years, and it would be great to add cup final success to an already hugely positive year.
“It would be a great achievement. Not only for the ladies’ side of the club, but for the whole of Dungarvan United. When teams are winning games, it spreads a feel good factor across the whole club. We’ve been working towards this moment with many years. It’s the first time we’ve had the opportunity to do the double. To be able to achieve it this year, after Covid and having no soccer last season - it would be a huge reward for all of us involved.”
Dungarvan United - Women's League Champions 2021.
Shrubb won't be buying into the favourites tag ahead of tonight's Cup Final.
Lucinda says Carrick have been a benchmark for her side in the past and she is expecting a closely fought encounter.
“Carrick are a great team. They won the league in 2019 before Covid came. They’re one of the teams that we would have aspired to match. It’s great that we’re now competing with them on an equal footing. It’s a measure of how far we have come, as a team and a club.”
Being on the cusp of a league and cup double is the result of hard work.
The entire team have bought into the principles taught on the training pitch by both Lucinda and team coach Tommy Butler.
The application of the players is unparalleled, and it has been emphasised that the position Dungarvan United could potentially find themselves in this evening is down to the hard work of past coaches as well as present.
“There’s myself and Tommy involved with it this season - but everyone before us has played a big part in bringing us to where we are. There’s no big secret really. The harder we work in training, the better we get. Results have gone our way in the last couple of seasons because we work hard, we play hard and we train hard. The girls themselves, they’ve bought into the vision of what the ladies’ soccer team should be, and the results have followed.”
Carrick United - “It would be massive for the club”
Carrick manager Michael Clarkson admits that the Blues might be worthy favourites ahead of the tie, but remained quietly confident that it will be his side celebrating come the sound of the final whistle.
The Scotsman believes his team started too slowly in their league defeats to Dungarvan, and he thinks his charges can certainly fight their corner.
Action from when the sides met earlier this season.
“Dungarvan definitely go in as favourites, based on the two games we’ve already won this year. However, based on games that we’ve played - I believe that I’ve seen a lot of stuff that we can take away from those. If we play our own game, I believe that we can definitely upset the apple cart.”
Creating opportunities and starting games on the front foot goes a long way. Clarkson was delighted with his team’s showing in their semi-final win over Park Rangers. The confidence from that victory will serve Carrick well come 7 o’clock.
“The girls are a great bunch. I see it on a weekly basis. We’re trying to bring the confidence we express in training into the match day. In the semi-final against Park Rangers, the girls played really well. They played the game we know that they can play. Even though it was 2-1, in hindsight, we missed 6 or 7 chances that on any other day - we would have put them away.”
Winning the Waterford Women's Cup would be the result of three years hard work for Carrick United Ladies tonight.
Clarkson says that with so many young players in his squad - a win would be huge for the club.
The Carrick United Ladies team which won the cup in 2018.
“I’ve been involved with these girls for the past three years. We’ve won the league three years ago. We were the first ladies team to win the league in many a moon. That was great. For this bunch of girls, we have 5-6 16-17 year old girls in this team. If we can go on and win a cup, it would be massive not just for the team, but for the club as well.”
WLR will have reaction and analysis from the game - both on air, and here - at wlrfm.com.
