Bus Éireann FAI WNL latest from the third series of games.:
Cork Women’s FC 0 Wexford Youths Women’s AFC 4
JOHN FLOOD’S Wexford, minus last season’s top scorer Cherelle Khassel, recorded a stunning four-goal victory at Turner’s Cross meaning they are currently just a goal inferior to Peamount United in second however the champions have a game in hand.
Rianna Jarrett’s hat-trick was an obvious highlight of the encounter from the Slaneysiders’ perspective but the attitude and application of his players will have pleased Flood.
The visitors performed with more intensity and outside of Jarrett Maria Delahunty also got on the scoresheet in their second win.
Maurice Farrell will have been disappointed with the Leesiders’ performance, however. Collectively Cork were abject, particularly in the first-half but were more in tune with proceedings after the interval.
Yet Farrell will be aware of the need for overall improvement. Central midfielder Sarah O’Donovan battled well but generally the hosts’ display left much to be desired.
What we learned …
Wexford are defensively sound at present. They have scored seven goals in two league games but interestingly kept successive clean sheets and also ensured Cork could not engineer a single attempt on target by crowding out the attacker in possession on countless occasions.
Defender Lucy Sherwin was excellent for them.
As well as that, the early indications are if Rianna Jarrett stays injury-free Wexford’s ‘goals for’ column will improve from last term. Flood’s unit were the second lowest scorers in the section in the first season with 21 goals but have eight scored thus far in three matches.
Shamrock Rovers 2 Raheny United 3
LEADERS Raheny United registered their third win but displayed character to deny Shamrock Rovers who led Ger McDermott’s outfit twice before eventually succumbing in a five-goal Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium.
Inspired by their beating heart Katie McCabe, scorer of their second goal – a 69th minute penalty which levelled the match for a second time – Raheny were short-circuiting in front of the Rovers’ net despite dominating possession.
Orlagh Nolan gave John Walsh’s charges a 16th minute lead but Caroline Thorpe equalised seven minutes into additional time at the end of the first-half after unfortunate injuries to Rovers goalkeeper Bethany Houldsworth and full-back Elaine Murray forced a delay in play.
Nolan put Rovers back into the ascendancy 61 minutes into the encounter but McCabe’s penalty followed by Noelle Murray’s match-winner created by the irrepressible McCabe turned the tie around in Raheny’s favour late on.
What we learned …
The manner in which Raheny achieved victory in the southside of the capital suggests they are even better-placed this season to challenge Peamount’s supremacy than they were previously. McDermott’s team’s mental strength was questioned last term as they let important points slip by against sides they were expected to beat and those questions were valid.
However, on the evidence presented in the opening three league games Raheny are showing signs of being a championship-winning unit. They have won games performing both excellently and below par and that has got to secretly please boss McDermott.
DLR Waves 1 Castlebar Celtic 3
CASTLEBAR CELTIC lost their first WNL match this season to Peamount 2-0 with Stephanie Roche and Sara Lawlor ensuring Johnny Morris-Burke’s side travelled to Jackson Park seeking their first points of the new term.
However, the westerners achieved their objective in the east and will be hopeful of adding to their points tally when Cork make their way to Celtic Park next Sunday, too. Morris-Burke’s team were expected to beat DLR Waves on the basis Larry Mahony’s side are merely cutting their teeth in the division however Castlebar will be content with their triumph.
Nevertheless, they will be keen to push on this term after finishing fifth in the inaugural and to do that Emma Hansberry and Emma Mullin will have to remain injury-free similar to Jarrett at Wexford.
If they do and continue to lead Castlebar the westerners can impact on the division.
What we learned ….
Mahony’s DLR Waves are in for a torrid opening season but that is to be understood given the infancy of their team’s development. They have already conceded 12 goals in three matches and scored just two and factoring in DLR Waves’ next outing is a trip to Greenogue to face Peamount you would have to fear the worst.
As Cork and Rovers found out last term it ain’t easy at the top level if you are in the process of piecing together a team and unfortunately it is difficult to see life getting easier for Mahony’s unit.