Cork Women 2 - 7 Peamount United

Reigning champions Peamount United were in impressive form at Turner’s Cross on Sunday, despite horrendous weather conditions in Cork. On a day when the Women's National League was stunned by the death of Castlebar Celtic FC's Jeremy Dee in a car crash, the league leaders put in a relentless display to inflict a resounding 7-2 defeat on Cork Women’s FC and extend their advantage at the top of the table.

The game kicked off in wet and greasy conditions and it was the visitors that adapted best early on - Stephanie Roche firing an early shot straight into the arms of Trisha Fennelly. 

The women in green continued to build momentum - pushing into their opponents’ half at every chance - until a lovely ball set Lawlor free with 10 minutes gone. The League’s top scorer then rounded Fennelly with ease and slotted the ball home into an empty net to break the deadlock.

Roche blazed another effort for Peamount over before the game’s second goal arrived seven minutes later. Again, it was Lawlor that would claim the score though the wet conditions played a part in helping her header over Fennelly’s goal line. 

The score at least drew the right response from Cork Women’s FC with Lynsey McKey mustering their first effort on target minutes later, before Denise O’Sullivan and Katie McCarthy combined nicely to see the number 11 bundle the ball home at the far post on 22 minutes. 

The teams might have been level four minutes later when McKey worked her way into a great position in the box but her hesitation in trying to ensure a certain goal for the women in red allowed Karen Duggan race across and clear the danger with a well-timed tackle.

Maurice Farrell’s side were going toe-to-toe with the champions at this stage but a mix up at the back allowed Lawlor charge in on top of Fennelly and when the Cork keeper failed to clear the danger, Peamount’s danger woman claimed her hat trick in style.

Roche and Louise Quinn had half chances to extend the visitors’ lead just before half time but they failed to keep their respective efforts on target.

The scoring resumed early in the second half when the tricky conditions allowed Chloe Mustaki beat Fennelly with a shot from distance. Solene Barbance then made it 5-1 five minutes later - the number eight firing a well-taken effort beyond Fennelly’s reach in the home goal.

Denise O’Sullivan and McKey continue to pose Cork’s main threat and McGuirk was forced to parry away a lovely effort from the latter on 55 minutes before Fennelly came out to save bravely at the feet of Mustaki moments later.

The contest continued to range from end to end as Peamount sought to extend their advantage. Farrell’s side, to their credit, never gave up and continued to seek weaknesses in their opponents’ back line with decent movements falling foul of the offside flag on more than one occasion. 

Roche made it 6-1 on the hour mark, signalling the first change of the game from Cork - Claudia Hudner on for Maggie Duncliffe - but Lawlor would score her fourth on 67 minutes, poking the ball home despite a heavy clash with Fennelly. The incident would see Lawlor replaced by Emma Donohue once play resumed.

Cork looked a much tighter outfit for the final 20 minutes and even pulled a goal back on 76 minutes when Hudner fired home from a tight angle after a slightly wayward strike from Katie McCarthy. 

McCarthy herself almost made amends with time running out, bending a lovely free kick around the Peamount wall to force McGuirk into a decent save while substitute Eimear Knightly might have increased the home team’s tally with minutes remaining only to skew a snap shot well wide of an open goal.

Cork Women: Trisha Fennelly, Amy McCarthy, Ciara O’Connell, Nathalie O’Brien, Angie Carey, Emily O’Sullivan, Lynsey McKey (Knightly), Katie McCarthy, Denise O’Sullivan, Claire Shine, Maggie Duncliffe (Hudner). 

Peamount United: Monica McGuirk, Amy McLaughlin, Emily Cahill, Louise Quinn (Corrigan), Karen Duggan, Ruth Comerford, Julie Ann Russell, Chloe Mustaki (Thorpe), Solene Barbance, Stephanie Roche, Sara Lawlor (Donohue).