REDS OFF TO A WINNING START
John McGrady’s Cliftonville Ladies were comfortable four-goal victors at Derry City Women as captain Marissa Callaghan and Northern Ireland international teammate Caitlin McGuinness among the scorers, on top of a Niamh Connolly second half double.
Callaghan open the scoring in the 11th minute by rounding Candystripes goalkeeper Clare Friel, before 18-year-old McGuinness netted on her debut after joining from Sion Swifts.
Caitlin’s sister Kirsty emerged as a second half substitute and she was the provided for Connolly adding a third five minutes after the break, before Connolly bagged her and second and the Reds’ fourth on the hour mark.
The McGuinness sisters were the two notable arrivals at Solitude over the close-season and Caitlin should have done better on 22 minutes, pushing her shot past the far post - after Callaghan had opened the scoring.
Paula McGrory went closest for the hosts - firing past the post on the half hour - before McGuiness made amends for the Reds with a brave far post header that made it two nil at the break.
The game was over as a contest on 50 minutes, as the influential Connolly scored her first, promptly followed by a second on 61 minutes before and she was denied her hat-trick on 72minutes, as the linesman adjudged Kirsty McGuiness’s deft through ball to be offside.
Only a superb save by Friel in the Derry goal kept Cliftonville at bay on 81minutes, as it looked certain that Kirsty McGuiness would open her account for the season.
Derry City Women: Friel, Lafferty, McMullan, Canavan, O'Connor, Gallagher, McGrory, McGonagle, Cregan, Coyle, Doherty subs Barr (not used), Connolly (replaced Doherty 83), Havlin (replaced Cregan 61), Donaghey (replaced O'Connor 69), Boyd (not used)
Cliftonville Ladies: Norney, Davis, Moran, White, Finnegan, McDaniel, C. McGuinness, Callaghan, Connolly, Weatherall, Orr subs McAuley (not used), McConnell (not used), K. McGuinness (replaced Davis 46), Montgomery (replaced Connolly 74), McHenry (replaced C. McGuinness 65)
Substitution 
Substitution 
