- Michael Cooke
- Sat, Mar 06 2021
Michael Cooke reporting from Charleville AFC
Cork City got their first win of the pre-season campaign, beating Treaty United 3-1 at the home ground of Charleville AFC.
The sides were tied at one apiece at the interval before a superior second-half display by City saw them emerge victorious.
Goals from Becky Cassin, Sophie Liston and Christina Dring saw Rónán Collins’ side to victory after Aoife Cronin had given the Limerick side an early lead.
The Leesiders were coming into the game on the back of a heavy 6-0 defeat to Peamount last week and, while it took them time to settle, they eventually got the job done.
Aoife Horgan was Treaty’s highest goalscorer last season with six goals and she almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute.
She latched on to a cross before heading over from inside the box. A minute later, the Limerick side threatened once more as Olivia Gibson hit the post from around 20 yards.
Cronin gave Treaty the lead with a breakaway goal as she won the race for possession out wide on the left and carried the ball inside the box before slotting it in the bottom corner.
Cork City almost managed a quickfire equaliser but Sarah McKevitt’s effort went wide.
Treaty were caught in possession playing from the back and the ball fell to Cassin, who tried an audacious chip over Medbh Ryan in the Treaty goal, but her shot went over the bar.
City shotstopper Lea Hayes Coen was equally as busy at the other end and she was forced to make two saves in the next three minutes to deny both Cronin and Aine Walsh.
The Leesiders had a chance of their own when Lauren Egbuloniu received a ball over the top but her shot from the edge of the box sailed over.
Six minutes before half time, City edged even closer when Becky Cassin won a free kick outside the box, which she then took herself.
Her fine effort was parried by Ryan and panic ensued in the Treaty goalmouth only for Ciara McNamara to blaze over from close range.
City drew level two minutes before half time thanks to Cassin, whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected over Ryan and into the net.
Jenna Slattery and Gillian Keenan each missed chances for Treaty in the closing stages and the sides were deadlocked at the interval.
Wholesale changes were made by both managers at half time and City’s Liston made an instant impact by scoring against her native county within two minutes of the restart.
She got the ball inside the box and her first-time finish found the net to put City in front for the first time.
Collins’ side were starting to dominate and Eabha O’Mahony’s shot went across the face of the goal before Eva Mangan drew a save from Michaela Mitchell, who had taken over from Ryan in the Treaty goal.
Dring was another one of several half-time changes and she almost doubled City’s advantage just after the hour mark.
Treaty found it hard to create openings in the second half and a rare chance for a second goal fell to Cara Griffin, who showed great ball control before shooting over the bar.
Treaty’s task became even tougher with ten minutes left as City scored for a third time, courtesy of Dring.
The winger made amends for her earlier missed effort where she got on the end of a long-ball over the top from Lauren Singleton before striking home from close range.
Shauna McCarthy was introduced when Liston got a belt of a ball to the nose and she had a chance to score in injury time, but she could only shoot over from close range.
It made no difference in the end and City can now look forward to their next friendly with confidence as they take on the DLR Waves in eight days’ time.
Cork City: Lea Hayes Coen (Abby McCarthy 46); Nathalie O’Brien (Zara Foley 46), Ciara McNamara (Danielle Burke 46), Riona Crowley (Lauren Walsh 46), Shauna McCarthy (Lauren Singleton46); Kate O’Donovan (Eva Mangan 46), Becky Cassin (Kelly Leahy 46); Leah Murphy (Nadine Seward 46), Laura Shine (Eabha O’Mahony 46), Sarah McKevitt (Sophie Liston 46 (Shauna McCarthy 84)); Lauren Egbuloniu (Christina Dring 46)
Treaty United: Medbh Ryan (Michaela Mitchell 46), Eve O’Sullivan (Anna Shanagher 46) Clodagh Doherty (Esra Kengal 70), Shannon Parbat (Jesse Mendez 54), Alana Roddy (Emer Carey 46); Jenna Slattery (Emma Costelloe 46), Aoife Horgan (Tara O’Gorman 46), Olivia Gibson (Lauren Keane 46); Aine Walsh (Cara Griffin 46), Aoife Cronin (Rebecca Horgan 46), Gillian Keenan (Aoife Horgan 60).
Referee: Anthony Buttimer
Extratime.ie Player of the Match:
