Peamount United 4

Athlone Town 0

Dave Donnelly reports from Greenogue.

PEAMOUNT UNITED ARE two wins away from becoming the first team to win three successive Women’s National League titles as they eased past Athlone Town in Greenogue.

Spectacular strikes in each half from Lucy McCartan saw the champions to a comfortable victory after Steph Roche had sent them on their way inside six minutes.

Sadhbh Doyle was also on target late in the first half as the Peas bounced back from last week’s FAI Cup semi-final exit to Wexford Youths.

A reaction was always expected from James O’Callaghan’s side, who have lost just twice domestically all season, and they dominated from the first whistle.

The home side had already begun posing problems for a young midlands side when Ava Dolan was caught in possession by Aine O’Gorman and unceremoniously pulled the winger down.

Roche, who recently reached the second-last stage of RTÉ’s Ultimate Hell Week survivor show, curled the resulting free kick home from 20 yards to give Peas the ideal start.

It could easily have been two moments later as O’Gorman ghosted in behind the defence but she couldn’t find the target from a tight angle.

Striker Roche almost bagged her second shortly afterwards, only for Athlone keeper Abbiegayle Ronayne to pull off a brilliant stop low to her right.

The inevitable second goal wasn’t long in coming, and it was one to remember for McCartan, who opened up and curled a wonderful shot into the top corner from 25 yards.

Ronayne was performing heroics to keep Athlone in the game, rushing from her goal to deny Doyle midway through the first half.

Athlone enjoyed a purple patch just past the half hour as Emily Corbett forced Naoisha McAloon into action for the first time and Kellie Brennan curled a shot wide.

The sucker punch arrived three minutes before half-time as some slick Peamount passing saw right-back Lauryn O’Callaghan find Doyle in the box and she rounded Ronayne.

By the time to second half kicked off, the rain had really started to hammer down and it affected both sides’ ability to keep the ball on the ground.

McCartan bagged her second, and Peamount’s fourth, ten minutes into the second half with a fine looping shot from all of 30 yards.

Athlone looked to have survived the initial wave when O’Callaghan saw her shot crash back off the post, but Peas continued to press and McCartan got her reward.

Substitute Megan Smyth-Lynch, who replaced Doyle after she appeared to twist her knee, was twice denied by the impressive Ronayne late on.

First, the keeper dashed across to prevent a certain tap-in at the back post, before denying the winger with a fingertip save.

A wonderful through-ball from Dora Gorman sent Smyth-Lynch through and she tried to dink the ball over the keeper, but Ronayne stretched to turn the ball behind.

Peamount are now seven points clear of Shelbourne, who play Treaty United tomorrow, with three games to play.

Peamount United: Naoisha McAloon; Lauryn O’Callaghan, Rebekah Carroll, Chloe Moloney, Deirbhaile Beirne; Dora Gorman, Lucy McCartan (Orlagh Fitzpatrick 82), Sadhbh Doyle (Megan Smyth-Lynch 65); Aine O’Gorman (Louise Masterson 82), Alannah McEvoy (Lauren Kelly 59), Steph Roche.

Athlone Town: Abbiegayle Ronayne; Fiona Owens, Chloe Flynn, Jessica Hennessy, Lucy-Jane Grant; Ava Dolan, Aoife Haran, Laurie Ryan; Roisin Molloy, Emily Corbet (Aisling Mahony 61), Kellie Brennan.

Referee: Paula Brady

Women’s National League, other results

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