LAST UPDATE | 18 Oct 2020
OH MY WORD 🤩☄️
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 18, 2020
What a start to the North London derby! Katie McCabe's terrific free kick puts Arsenal ahead! pic.twitter.com/kVm2PX1u0V
IRELAND CAPTAIN KATIE McCabe got Arsenal off to a roaring start in today’s Women’s Super League [WSL] derby clash with Tottenham Hotspur, which the Gunners won 6-1.
The Dubliner stood over an early free-kick from a tight angle right of the penalty area and whipped a vicious inswinger that cracked the top of the post before hitting the net.
Prolific Dutchwoman Vivianne Miedema struck her 50th WSL goal to open a stunning hat-trick before Caitlin Foord brought the advantage to 3-0 by 15 minutes.
Miedema’s other goals came before half time and Joe Montemurro’s side led 5-0 at the break, before Foord added another in the 64th minute and Lucia Leon’s goal shortly after came as nothing but a consolation for Spurs.
There were several other Irish internationals in WSL action today ahead of the Girls In Green’s all-important Euro qualifier against Ukraine on Friday.
Goalkeeper Grace Moloney and her Reading side will be pleased with a 1-1 draw with Manchester City, while Brighton’s Irish contingent of Denise O’Sullivan, Rianna Jarrett and Megan Connolly were all involved — and impressed — as the Seagulls drew 2-2 with Everton.
Cavan star Leanne Kiernan and US-born goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan were on the bench as West Ham fell to a 4-2 defeat to Manchester United. US World Cup-winning duo Tobin Heath and Christen Press scored their first goals for Casey Stoney’s Red Devils in that one, while Alessia Russo bagged the other two for the winners.
And defender Harriet Scott played the full 90 minutes for Birmingham City as they beat Bristol City 4-0.
Elsewhere, Niamh Fahey’s Liverpool side were beaten 2-1 by Ruesha Littlejohn’s Leicester City in the Championship. Galway woman Fahey saw yellow, while Littlejohn came off the bench as the clock ran down.
In Scotland, there was plenty of Irish interest in the Glasgow City-Celtic league opener. Clare Shine made a welcome return to action with Glasgow, sprung on as a substitute in the 80th minute to help her side see out a 2-0 win.
Donegal teenager Tyler Toland also appeared off the bench, making her Premiership debut after a recent loan move from Man City, while Keeva Keenan played almost 90 minutes for the Hoops.
In Germany, Donegal striker Amber Barrett scored her third goal in three outings to power FC Koln to the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga after a 2-1 win over TSG Hoffenheim yesterday.
Diane Caldwell shook off an ankle niggle to appear as a substitute in SC Sand’s 1-0 defeat at Werder Bremen, while there was disappointment for Claire O’Riordan as the Limerick native saw yellow and her Duisburg side were beaten 5-2 by Wolfsburg.
Louise Quinn was absent as Fiorentina lost 1-0 to Verona in Italy, and goalkeeper Marie Hourihan — although ruled out of Ireland’s qualifier with Ukraine through injury, as explained further by Pauw this morning — was between the posts as her SC Braga team enjoyed a massive 8-0 victory in Portugal yesterday.
- Additional reporting by Emma Duffy
Catch up on yesterday’s domestic action here.
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