BEATTIE BAGS QUICK FIRE HAT-TRICK
Champions Glentoran eased to a three-goal win at Sion Swifts thanks to a 13-minute hat-trick from striker Kerry Beattie.
The Northern Ireland international hit a quickfire treble between the 63rd and 76th minute to secure Billy Clarke’s side the points - the equivalent fixture last season saw the only match in which the Glens dropped points in a shortened campaign, when they went down to a 4-3 loss.
The first half was a cagey affair with few clear-cut openings for either side, before the game was decided by Beattie’s goals.
After opening the scoring just after the hour, the 18-year-old struck again just a couple of minutes later to tap home her second before claiming the match ball when she connected with a cross into the box after the Glens had made the most of the space that had opened up at the back following a period of Sion pressure.
Sion Swifts Ladies: McElhinney, Neal, Walsh, McCarter, Burns, Crompton, Lynch, McDaid, Brown, McVarnock, O'Hagan subs Chambers (replaced O'Hagan 79), Callaghan (not used), McCool (replaced McDaid 85), Doherty (not used), Toland (replaced Lynch 83)
Glentoran: McKinnon, Timoney, Foy, E. McMaster, Caldwell, Rogan, Kelly, Andrews, Maxwell, Beattie, Bailie subs A. McMaster (replaced Rogan 64), McKearney (replaced Caldwell 83), Mervyn (not used), Wade (not used), Hamilton (not used)
Substitution 
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