Cliftonville's hopes of a domestic treble have been ended after they were stripped of their Women's League Cup title for fielding two ineligible players in the final. Beaten finalists Glentoran lodged a complaint with the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) following their 4-0 defeat in the July showpiece at Seaview, and have now been awarded a 3-0 victory. Cliftonville have also been fined £500.
"The NIFL competitions committee found that the two players had not been correctly registered in accordance with the competition regulations," said the NIFL. "The competitions committee acknowledges and thanks Cliftonville Ladies for its openness, integrity and full co-operation throughout the investigation."
Reds striker Caitlin Mc Guinness scored twice in the final, with sister Kirsty and Danielle Maxwell also on the scoresheet to deliver what the side believed was their fourth successive title in the competition. The result has now been overturned, handing the trophy to Glentoran.
Cliftonville and Glentoran meet again in the Women's Irish Cup final at Windsor Park on 24 October. The north Belfast side have already won the league by nine points ahead of their cross-city rivals, but the cup controversy has cast a shadow over their season.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing