- Niall Farrell
- Sun, Jan 29 2012
Emma Mullin was only on the pitch for 45 minutes, but put in a match-winning performance to give Castlebar Celtic a valuable win against Shamrock Rovers on Sunday.
Her brace of goals and constant attacking threat led Celtic to a 3-0 away win, with all the goals coming in the second half.
There were doubts over whether the match would go ahead, with the pitch in Tallaght badly waterlogged after a night of heavy rain in south Dublin. The pitch was passed as fit to play after several inspections, but the match was still dogged by heavy rain.
To their credit, both teams overcame the soggy pitch and produced a relatively entertaining contest. Rovers controlled the first half, but Castlebar were resurgent in the second and rallied to win the match.
The conditions almost helped Castlebar to an early goal, with Shaunagh Jackson's low cross on three minutes leading to a scramble around the home goal. No Castlebar player could stab the ball in and Rovers managed to clear.
Rachel Jenkins had three clear chances in the first half, but failed to score with any of them. Rovers were in control for most of the half- with Castlebar failing to have a shot on target until just before half time. The Hoops owed their dominance to their strength on the wing, where the ball moved more slowly because of the rain.
The subsequent crosses into the Celtic box proved problematic for the Mayo side, with the defensive pairing of Jenny Byrne and Maria Harrington keeping Rovers the only barrier between the home side and several goals in the first half. The ball appeared to hit Lauren Boles's hand after 34 minutes in the Castlebar box, but Rovers saw their claims for a penalty turned down.
The chances kept coming for Rovers. Noelle Murray turned deftly around her marker on the edge of the Castlebar, but spurned her chance to make it three goals in three games and shot just over. Half an hour without a sniff at goal for Castlebar ended just before the break, with Avril Kilkelly drilling a free-kick into the arms of Grace McAuley.
If the first half was about Rovers being in control but failing to take advantage, the second was about Castlebar being clinical on the ball. The introduction of Emma Mullin at half-time proved to be an important tactical change for the visitors. Mullin gave Celtic the attacking outlet they lacked in the first half, again and again stinging Rovers on the break.
A minute after half-time, Mullin was denied only by the outstretched foot of Grace McAuley. The onslaught didn't end there and nine minutes later Celtic were ahead. A botched Rovers clearance and some quick attacking passing left Emma Hansberry unmarked just outside of the box. Hansberry looped her shot over both the defence and goalkeeper, guiding it into the right corner of the goal.
Rovers were left wondering how they were behind after being so dominant for much of the match. Their attempts to find an equaliser were futile though and left them consistently open to a counter-attack. Celtic always looked likely to score again once they attacked, with Mullin a constant threat.
She was brought down in the Rovers box on 83 minutes and scored from the penalty spot herself to double Castlebar's lead. In the final minute of stoppage time, Mullin poked a Shaunagh Jackson cross into the Rovers goal, sealing an efficient second half Castlebar performance.
Shamrock Rovers: Grace McAuley; Niamh Connolly, Carol Conlon, Nicola Sinnott, Lyndsey Hayden; Joanne Ennis, Rachel Jenkins, Nicola Dorley [Aoife Maloney '73], Orlagh Nolan; Hannah Tyrell, Noelle Murray. SUBS NOT USED: Amy Kelly, Bethany Houldsworth, Zara Dillon, Paula Doran, Grainne Walsh.
Castlebar Celtic: Amy Hopkins; Avril Kilkelly, Jenny Byrne, Maria Harrington, Teresa Fahy; Lauren Boles, Trish Moran, Susie Cunningham [Aileen Collins '91]; Emma Hansberry, Ciara Carroll [Emma Mullin HT]. SUBS NOT USED: Grainne Barrett.
Attendance: 30 (unofficial estimate)
Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Emma Mullin
