Peamount United 3

Cork City 1

TWO GOALS FROM the in-form Eleanor Ryan-Doyle helped champions and league leaders Peamount to a 3-1 win over a battling Cork City side at PRL Park this evening.

A high press from the off by Peamount ensured it was a difficult start for the visitors with Cork having to do a lot of early defending close to goal in a repeat of the 2020 FAI Cip final.

Lucy McCartan should have broken the deadlock for Peamount on fifteen minutes. Brilliant build up play from Megan Smyth-Lynch on the left concluded with McCartan crashing a powerful effort off the bar.

Peamount continued to push forward in search of the opener and took the lead just two minutes later courtesy of Ryan-Doyle.

McCartan was heavily involved once again and was brilliant in the build up to the goal. After picking the ball up in midfield, she sprayed  it out to the right for Áine O’Gorman on the run. O’Gorman showed fantastic strength and skill in dribbling past Shaunagh McCarthy before pulling the ball back across goal for Ryan-Doyle, who finished with aplomb into the top corner.

Sarah McKevitt showed wonderful vision on the half-hour mark to find Eabha O’Mahony with a ball over the top. O’Mahony did well to get her shot away but with her effort straight at the keeper. Naoisha McAloon collected with ease.

Cork had their equaliser just before the half-time whistle and well deserved it was having responded brilliantly to Peamount’s early opener.

A cross right into the box from O’Mahony was met by Becky Cassin with a header. McAloon tipped the effort onto the bar with a stunning save but the rebound fell perfectly into the path of Eva Mangan, who hammered the ball home.

Christina Dring had a fantastic chance to put Cork ahead on 53 minutes. The striker found herself one-on-one with the Peamount goalkeeper but McAloon pulled off a sublime save at full-stretch to keep City at bay again.

Peamount have made a habit of turning things up a notch in the second half of games this season and did just that midway through the second half with Ryan-Doyle on the scoresheet again. The former underage international got on the end of a Smyth-Lynch corner with a powerful header which beat Abby McCarthy, and put Peamount back in front.

With seven minutes remaining O’Gorman made sure of the points nestling a curled effort from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

Peamount United: Naoisha McAloon; Lauryn O’Callaghan, Dora Gorman (Claire Walsh 60), Della Doherty (Tiegan Ruddy 67), Dearbhaile Beirne; Megan Smyth-Lynch (Rebecca Watkins 67) , Aine O’Gorman, Lucy McCartan, Karen Duggan; Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, Alannah McEvoy (Sadbh Doyle 60)

Cork City: Abby McCarthy; Danielle Burke (Riona Crowley 88), Shaunagh McCarthy (Sophie Liston 80), Ciara McNamara, Lauren Walsh; Eva Mangan (Lauren Egbuloniu 65), Becky Cassin, Eabha O’Mahony; Christina Dring, Sarah McKevitt (Lauren Singleton 80), Laura Shine.

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Elsewhere in the Women’s National League [WNL] today, challengers Wexford Youths, Shelbourne and DLR Waves recorded big wins as they kept the heat on Peamount. 

Tom Elmes’ Wexford were 7-1 winners over Bohemians at Ferrycarrig Park. It was 3-0 at half time after a double from captain fantastic Kylie Murphy, one of those a penalty, with the other coming from the in-form Aisling Frawley. An own goal and Kim Flood’s first for the club made it 5-0, before former Kildare ladies football captain Erica Burke pulled one back for Bohs with 66 minutes on the clock. But the hosts pushed on, as super sub Lauren Kelly — returning from injury — put the icing on the cake with a late double.

Earlier today, Shels beat Galway WFC 5-0 at Tolka Park. Irish internationals Jessica Ziu and Jamie Finn grabbed goals within the first half-hour, before Ciara Grant and Saoirse Noonan (penalty) made it 4-0 by half-time. Evergreen midfielder Noelle Murray added a fifth in the second half, her excellent chip the pick of the bunch:

What a goal @NoelleM11 🚀 pic.twitter.com/zFEBDCcrgj

— Shelbourne FC (@shelsfc) May 15, 2021

And DLR Waves returned from the Midlands with all three points, Carla McManus’ early headed goal ultimately sealing a crucial win over Athlone Town.