The match was shown live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ2 HD in Ireland and was refereed by Marie Ward, assisted by Deirdre Nolan and Olivia Syned with Natasha Valenti as Fourth Official.
[3][1] The two managers were already acquainted, as Raheny's Terry Eviston had previously been in charge of Athlone Town when Castlebar's Adrian Carberry had been a player at the League of Ireland club.
Deirdre Doherty had missed recent fixtures while attending college in England, but Castlebar retained her registration and she agreed to come back to play in the match.
On 67 minutes Sarah Rowe made a foray up the right wing and found Hansberry, who played the ball inside for substitute Emma Mullin to score the equaliser.
On 84 minutes Raheny went back ahead when Caroline Thorpe was controversially[8] adjudged to have been fouled by Castlebar's young goalkeeper, and scored the resultant penalty kick herself.
Castlebar equalised again in the last minute of normal time, when another substitute Deirdre Doherty fired a powerful long-range shot past Niamh Reid Burke.