PEAMOUNT UNITED MANAGER James O’Callaghan feels tomorrow night’s probable title decider “should be a great advertisement for the Women’s National League,” as his defending champions face Shelbourne.
Peamount can retain their title on home soil at PLR Park, Greenogue, tomorrow night [KO 6pm, live on FAI TV] or their Dublin rivals could pip them at the post.
Shelbourne are currently top of the league on 28 points and this is their final game of the season. Win, and the silverware winters at Tolka Park. But Peamount sit just one point behind with a game in hand, so if they’re victorious, they can also win the league.
A draw and it comes down to the last game of the season as Peas — who represented Ireland with distinction in the Champions League, though were beaten by Glasgow City on penalties earlier this month — travel to Wexford Youths on 5 December.
“It’s a really exciting game and we’re really looking forward to it,” O’Callaghan says. “We can’t wait. It should be a great advertisement for the Women’s National League.
“Shelbourne are a top side, they’re a very fast, technically good team so we’re really going to have to be on form.”
This is a golden chance for Shelbourne though, the Reds having finished second last year.
And Dave Bell’s side will be hoping for a case of third time lucky, having fallen to Peamount in the league and the Women’s FAI Cup this year already.
“If I thought that we were going to be in this position at the start of the season then I would have taken it,” Bell said. “Obviously Peamount beat us earlier in the season; we’ve buckled ourselves down and we’ve worked hard and it comes down to this game.”
There will be a host of top international talent and big names on show tomorrow night with Áine O’Gorman, Stephanie Roche, Karen Duggan, Niamh Farrelly, Claire Walsh and Niamh Reid Burke in the Peamount ranks, while Shelbourne host an abundance of talent themselves in Jessica Ziu, Emily Whelan, Pearl Slattery, Noelle Murray, Ciara Grant and Izzy Atkinson.
Atkinson spoke to The42 earlier this week, with two pieces coming from the Shels youngster before kick-off tomorrow night.
This weekend’s WNL fixtures
Peamount United v Shelbourne
Saturday, November 21
PRL Park, Greenogue
KO 18:00
Referee: Paula Brady
Cork City v Wexford Youths
Sunday, November 22
Bishopstown Stadium
KO 14:00
Referee: Graham Kelly.
Mike Sherry joins Gavan and Murray to preview the big one in Twickenham:
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
