Doyle fires Galway WFC into semi-finals of the Cup

Galway WFC  1

DLR Waves    0

Soccer Wrap by Mike Rafferty

Sometimes teams just do what they have to do in order to succeed and that appeared to be the case in Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday evening as an opening-half goal gave Galway WFC an advantage they seldom looked like losing in this FAI Cup Women’s quarter-final.

It was California native McKenna Doyle who struck for the only goal of the game and, in the process, send them through to the last four for the first-time ever. Here the competition gets a lot more difficult as the top four teams in the league are all still standing, with one of Peamount United, Shelbourne or Wexford Ladies their opponents when the semi-final draw is made.

Billy Clery’s charges were comfortable 3-0 winners when these two sides met earlier in the league and based on overall performance, a home win was expected. To say they laboured somewhat is putting it mildly. Galway WFC dominated the majority of possession, but rarely turned it into a test for visiting goalkeeper, Sophie Lennon.

With the back four in the comfort zone and untested all evening, the onus was on the home side to create and finish and while they did a certain amount, they still struggled in front of goal. Chloe Singleton had an early effort saved at the near post by Lennon, before Sadhbh Doyle released McKenna Doyle behind the cover, but she lashed over from close range.

Doyle atoned for that miss with a splendid goal on 28 minutes. Meadbh De Burca provided the assist down the left and from her cross, the American student ran in to power a header past Lennon for a 1-0 advantage.

While Lynsey McKey dragged an effort wide, most of the chances were falling the way of McKenna Doyle, but her shooting boots required adjusting as the finishing was poor. The resumption saw the home side continue to threaten as Sinead Donovan, Aoife Thompson, Sadhbh Doyle and De Burca enjoyed midfield supremacy, but chances continued to be hard to come by.

Against a better team, they could have been punished and Galway WFC did have a late let off when ‘keeper Abbie Ronayne had to make a smart save at her near post to bat away a Catherine Cronin effort.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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