Grad expectations

John McGrady saluted Cliftonville Ladies’ composure after they saw off the challenge of Crusaders Strikers to clinch the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership title.

Leading through Marissa Callaghan’s second-half penalty, the Reds were pegged back by Megan Ingram’s equaliser before substitute Vicky Carleton sparked wild celebrations with a close-range header to seal the deal.

“We’ve purposefully kept things really, really calm in the changing room for the last few weeks,” explained McGrady.

“Team talks have been different from what they would have been maybe halfway through the season just to try and calm things down because we believed in the players and we believed we had the best team in the League.

“Even at half-time, the message was ‘relax’. We told them not to panic and that if they kept playing the way they were playing, they’d get the goal.

“Credit to the players for being able to compose themselves in that moment in such a big game. There were lots of things going on, Crusaders were coming into the game and maybe some nerves were creeping onto the pitch but we have international players who’d played at the Euros this summer and they’ve used all that experience to help us get back in control of the game.”

On mid-season signing Carleton’s title-clinching heroics, McGrady added: “It’s amazing for Vicky. She’s disappointed not to have started the game so for her to go on and score the goal that clinches the title, I’m delighted for her – and I think that was her proving a wee point too, telling me that she shouldn’t have been on the bench in the first place!”