First round ties in this year’s Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup competition are due to be staged next week.
Five teams made it through the preliminary round to the first round and they have all avoided each other in the draw for round one.
Ballymena United Women defeated Portadown-based Hanover Ladies at the first stage and now face Coleraine Women at stage two. It’s a derby game that has been declared tie of the round.
Greenisland Women got the better of Ballyclare Comrades Ladies, and Craigavon City will provide the opposition in round one.
Antrim Town Women beat Portadown Ladies and they will now face Donegal Celtic Ladies in the competition.
And Bangor Ladies, who were victorious against Valley Rangers Ladies (Kilkeel) in the preliminary round, are looking forward to a derby tie with Comber Rec Ladies.
The tie of the preliminary round was due to be an encounter in the North-West between Strabane Athletic Ladies and Maiden City Ladies from Derry-Londonderry, however Maiden City were unable to field a team and forfeited the game. In round one Strabane are away to Belfast Celtic Ladies.
The teams competing in the early rounds all play in Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association leagues, from Division One to the Development League (Div 7).
The lowest ranked team remaining in the Electric Ireland-backed competition are Civil Service Ladies, who play in the NIWFA development league. They received a bye in the preliminary round and are now set to face Lurgan-based Oxford Sunnyside Ladies in round one.
The teams from the NIFL Women’s Premiership will enter the competition at the round two stage next month.
All first round ties are due to be played on Friday 14 June (7.30pm starts).
The draw in full is:
Wellington Rec Women (Larne) v Sion Swifts Ladies
Antrim Town Women v Donegal Celtic Ladies (Belfast)
Ballymena United Women v Coleraine Women
Greenisland Women v Craigavon City
Comber Rec Ladies v Bangor Ladies
Civil Service Ladies (Belfast) v Oxford Sunnyside Ladies (Lurgan)
Belfast Celtic Ladies v Strabane Athletic Ladies
Image: Glentoran Women won the Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup in 2023. Here Glens captain Jess Foy is presented with the trophy by Electric Ireland’s Anne Smyth.
