Athlone Town 3-0 Peamount United
ATHLONE TOWN HAVE been crowned Women’s President’s Cup champions once again.
The Midlanders lifted the inaugural title last year, and retained it with a convincing 3-0 win over Peamount United on home soil this afternoon.
Ciarán Kilduff’s FAI Cup champions tuned on the style in the second half to down the 2023 league winners.
Chloe Singleton bagged a quick-fire brace off the bench, before Casey Howe rounded off the scoring. Singleton was an injury doubt for the fixture, having missed training during the week, but the 65th-minute substitute ultimately proved the difference.
After an even first half, Athlone ensured captain Laurie Ryan would be lifting her third trophy in a calendar year after a three-goal blitz in just under 10 minutes.
Singleton finished off a brilliant counter-attacking move in the 77th minute to get Town off the mark. Madi Gibson had missed a penalty seven minutes earlier, but the hosts overcame the setback and moved into the ascendency.
Chloe Singleton has Athlone Town ahead!
— LOI Women (@LoiWomen) March 2, 2024
What a counter-attack from the hosts 🤌
ATH 1-0 PEA
📺 LOITV https://t.co/I3o8n9vQD8…#LOI24 | #ATHPEA pic.twitter.com/BfN4mqLlLw
Five minutes later, they doubled their lead with Singleton on target again. The 23-year-old turned home a corner, which came off the back of new Peamount signing Ciara Maher impressively clearing the ball off the line.
And in the 86th minute, Howe got in on the act with a close-range finish after good work from Gibson down the left.
It was a cruel late undoing for James Callaghan’s Peamount — but a statement of intent from Athlone ahead of the new SSE Airtricity League Women’s Premier Division season, which kicks off next weekend.
ATHLONE TOWN: Katie Keane; Kellie Bennan, Kayleigh Shine, Jesi Rossman, Shauna Brennan; Katie Slevin (Jenaya Robertson 65), Kerryanne Browne (Chloe Slingleton 65), Laurie Ryan, Roisin Molloy (Gillian Keenan 83); Maddi Gibson, Casey Howe.
PEAMOUNT UNITED: Niamh Reid Burke; Lauryn Callaghan, Jetta Berrill, Ciara Maher, Deirbhile Beirne; Freya Healy (Louise Masterson 80), Karen Duggan, Sadhbh Doyle (Erica Burke 56), Jess Fitzgerald; Erin McLaughlin, Ellen Dolan.
Referee: Ray Matthews.
***
Elsewhere, Manchester City — momentarily, anyway — went top of the Women’s Super League after a 2-1 win over Everton this afternoon.
Irish internationals Courtney Brosnan and Heather Payne were on the losing side. Goalkeeper Brosnan produced some impressive saves, but there was little she could do about either of the City goals.
Fantastic save from @court_brosnan18 to keep out Coombs! 🙌#BarclaysWSL @EvertonWomen pic.twitter.com/OgPjEYHPN4
— Barclays Women's Super League (@BarclaysWSL) March 2, 2024
The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute after Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw capitalised on an Everton defensive error to continue her hot goalscoring streak. Lauren Hemp doubled their lead in the 55th minute with an excellent finish. Hanna Bennison hit back on the hour-mark, but the Toffees couldn’t find an equaliser.
Chelsea face Leicester City tomorrow evening as they look to go level with City at the top, while Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in a sold-out North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium.
Elsewhere it’s Aston Villa v Liverpool, West Ham v Manchester United, and Bristol City v Brighton & Hove Albion in a bottom-of-the-table battle.
