Cork Women 1 - 1 Wexford Youths

Lauren Murphy’s 73rd minute penalty ensured Cork Women’s FC got the point they needed to end the Bus Éireann FAI Women’s National League season in third position against Wexford Youths Women’s AFC at Turner’s Cross on Sunday afternoon.

Cork trailed Wexford from as early as the seventh minute after attacking midfielder Maria Delahunty scored a stunning 25-yarder that billowed the net.

However, despite Cork playing second fiddle to Wexford for the majority of the encounter they eventually engineered an equaliser with 17 minutes of normal time remaining.

Firstly, Cork felt they should have had a penalty in the immediate moments before they were actually awarded one as there was an apparent handball in the area by a Wexford defender but seconds later Chrissie Buckley did point to the spot when Susan Donovan was upended in the area.

Left-winger Murphy took on the responsibility of getting the Leesiders back into the contest and side-footed past the Slaneysiders’ goalkeeper Charlotte McCormack.

In the remaining minutes Cork controlled the affair but they did have one major scare on 81 minutes as striker Cherelle Khassal, the most inventive player on the pitch, was clear through on Amanda Budden’s goal but with it at her mercy she drove her shot at the net-minder and Budden saved with her legs.

Khassal went close on a few occasions for the visitors, however including on 33 minutes when she was picked out by striking partner Rianna Jarrett but shot wide of the post.

Right on the stroke of half-time Khassal’s side-volley shaved the side-netting and four minutes into the second-half her excellent pass to goalscorer Delahunty on the right resulted in the midfielder flashing a thunderous shot across Budden’s goal and inches wide.

Though Wexford had the better goalscoring opportunities overall, the introductions of Clare Shine and Denise O’Sullivan, a player that was suffering with illness, certainly steadied the Cork ship in the second period and the duo brought a much needed coolness to the hosts’ play.

And eventually their improved display resulted in Cork getting the outcome needed to end the season in third place.

CORK WOMEN’S FC: Amanda Budden, Amy McCarthy, Ericka O’Sullivan, Mary Barrett (capt), Emma Farmer, Sylvia Gee, Katie McCarthy, Sarah O’Donovan, Lynsey McKey, Susan Donovan, Lauren Murphy.
Subs: Denise O’Sullivan for O’Donovan (45), Clare Shine for McCarthy (53), Valerie Mulcahy for Murphy (87).

WEXFORD YOUTHS WOMEN’S AFC: Charlotte McCormack, Ciara O’Brien, Jessica Gleeson, Nikki Dunphy (capt), Clare Conlon, Edel Kennedy, Maria Delahunty, Linda Douglas, Rianna Jarrett, Cherelle Khassal, Sadie Murphy.
Subs: Fiona Bennett for Jarrett (59), Rachel Hutchinson for Conlon (83).
 

Referee: Chrissie Buckley (Cork).