- Paul Corcoran
- Sat, Mar 12 2022
Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park
Peamount United continued their impressive start to the Women’s National League season with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Galway at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday evening.
A brace from Stephanie Roche and a goal apiece from former Tribeswomen Chloe Moloney and Sadhbh Doyle saw James O’Callaghan’s side claim the three points.
Alan Murphy made just one change to the team that defeated Cork City 3-0 last weekend with Canadian Jamie Erickson coming into the side in place of the injured Nicole McNamara.
Peamount United also made just the one change with Erin McLaughlin, one of the goal scorers from the Peas 6-0 win over Sligo Rovers, being replaced by Jetta Berrill.
There were no chances in the opening ten minutes as the two sides tried to figure each other out but with 12 minutes gone the visitors managed to get the ball over the line.
Tiegan Ruddy sent a lovely ball in from a corner kick with Chloe Moloney coming back to haunt her former club with a great header from the middle of the box. The ball struck the woodwork and Stephanie Roche followed up to smash the ball over the line from close range for her third goal of the season.
The visitors doubled their lead ten minutes later, with another former Tribeswoman involved. Jetta Berrill drilled a low cross from the right flank which evaded the reaches of the Galway defence as Roche claimed it in the box. The striker nudged the ball to former Galway player Sadhbh Doyle who hammered the ball at the net, Hayes Coen made the initial save but the ball agonisingly fell over the line.
There was a major flash point minutes later as it looked like Jenna Slattery was in on goal after an excellent Lynsey McKee through ball. It was between the former Treaty United player and Peas’ goalkeeper Niamh Reid-Burke with the pair colliding in the box. Slattery received a yellow for the challenge but referee Kevin O’Sullivan on another day may have decided to pull out the red card.
Slattery was involved again in the 26th minute after some great play on the left by Russell, a cross was taken away from Reid-Burke’s hands by Therese Kinnevey with Slattery being teed up for the shot, Karen Duggan was the last line of defence with the midfielder stopping the shot in the open goal and clearing it from danger.
Peamount went into the break cruising with Moloney bunding the ball over the line from close range when a Stephanie Roche corner-kick reached the back post in the 41st minute.
Galway went close immediately after the re-start from a Shauna Brennan free-kick, Therese Kinnevey got the header on to Lynsey McKee in the box, the forward fired off a shot, but she rattled the crossbar to the dismay of the home side.
McKee was in on goal again in the 58th minute after a wayward back pass by Alanah McEvoy was sent into her path, she raced towards goal but some great pressure by Chloe Moloney forced the attacker to a tough angle and her shot blazed just wide of the goal.
Galway searched for a foothold in the game throughout the second half and in the 82nd minute they were inches away from one via a Shauna Brennan corner-kick. Second half substitute Aoife Thompson rose highest in the box, but her header flicked just wide of the post.
Roche rubber stamped this victory for the visitors with five minutes to go, the striker spotted Hayes Coen off her line in the Galway goal, and she let fly from the edge of the centre circle – lobbing the goalkeeper from long distance for her fourth goal of the season and her second consecutive brace in this season’s WNL.
Galway WFC: Leah Hayes Cohen; Savannah McCarthy, Therese Kinnevey, Jamie Erickson, Shauna Brennan; Taylor Rutland, Julie-Ann Russell, Lindsay Guerrero (Aoife Thompson 62), Aoibheann Costello (Kate Thompson 86); Jenna Slattery (Emma Starr 62), Lynsey McKey (Abbie Callanan 62).
Subs not used: Abbiegayle Ronayne, Eve Dossen, Roisin Jacob, Chloe Singleton, Maya Rutland.
Booked: Jenna Slattery (23).
Peamount United: Niamh Reid Burke; Tiegan Ruddy, Lauryn O'Callaghan , Chloe Moloney; Alannah McEvoy (Tara O'Hanlon 76), Dora Gorman, Karen Duggan (Sarah Duke Power 88), Sadbh Doyle (Lauren Kelly 76), Jetta Berrill; Stephanie Roche, Aine O'Gorman (c).
Subs not used: Summer Lawless, Rebekah Carroll.
Booked: None.
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.
extratime.com Player of the Match: Stephanie Roche (Peamount United)
