Soccer
Galway WFC maintain perfect start
Galway WFC 3 : Cork City WFC 0
Aided by a sublime Meabh De Burca strike from outside the box, Galway WFC made it two wins from two starts in the new Contintental Tyres Women’s National League campaign as they saw off the visitors at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday evening.
While the finish of De Burca left a lasting memory, the other scores had more than a shade of good fortune about them as Lynsey McKey and Shauna Fox goals gave the home side a merited victory.
For the duration, they were the better side, but at the same time were made work very hard for a win that maintains their impressive start to the season.
The home team made the breakthrough on 13 minutes when a McKey corner ended up in the net and they had further chances to increase their advantage, but Cork goalkeeper Amy O’Reilly denied De Burca in a one-on-one situation, while the custodian also tipped over a Fox cross shot just before the break.
The visitors lost O’Reilly through injury in the last minute of the half and replacement Maggie Duncliffe could do absolutely nothing as De Burca made it 2-0 on 53 minutes, as she blasted a twenty yard lay off from McKey into the top corner.
Cork certainly offered more of an attacking threat on the resumption and Saoirse Noonan wasn’t far off with a close range shot; while a header from Danielle Sheehy rebounded off the crossbar on 71 minutes.
Shortly afterwards the game was put beyond doubt when Galway WFC right-back Fox took a return pass from Lucy Hannon and launched a cross shot that entered the net via the far post for a 3-0 advantage.
McKey was denied a second when a shot went wide off a post, while Hannon also went close in the closing stages. The visitors also offered a scoring threat in the latter moments, as Tina Hughes kept out a Katie O’Donovan shot, with Katie McCarthy failing to hit the target with the rebound.
The contest saw the home debut of former Salthill Devon player Sadhbh Doyle and the Barna native displayed some of the silky skills that saw her called up by international manager Sue Ronan for senior duty this weekend.
International news
Three Galway WFC players have been named in Sue Ronan’s Republic of Ireland’s senior women’s squad that will travel to Wales for a training camp next week, which will include two games against the Welsh women’s side.
Defenders Chloe Mooney and Sadbh Doyle have received their first international call-ups, and they are joined in the 22-player squad by team-mate and club captain, Meabh De Burca.
There are joined in the squad by Chelsea’s Niamh Fahey, and Julie Ann Russell of UCD Waves.
Friday the 13th – unlucky for some – and Galway United will be hoping it is an unlucky night for runaway leaders Shelbourne on Friday evening. Shels, who are currently 10 points clear of second place United, are still unbeaten in this year’s First Division with 12 wins and six draws to their name.
The Tribesmen go into this week’s pivotal fixture after a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Cork City last Friday at Eamonn Deacy Park. The game had a ‘hit-and-run’ feel to it as Colin Healy’s side snatched all three points with ten minutes to go which ended United’s seven-game unbeaten league run.
BY TOM BYRNE
Even so, United replaced Treaty United in second place on goal difference after the Limerick outfit were defeated 4-1 by Cabinteely at the Markets Field.
Shelbourne have been the team to beat this season as they look odds-on to win this season’s First Division with nine games to go. Ian Morris’ side were hampered by a number of Covid cases in their squad for last week’s game against UCD, where they drew 0-0 at the UCD Bowl. It is expected that they will have players returning for their crucial clash against United at Terryland.
The two clubs have faced each other on 75 occasions. Shelbourne being victorious the more often with 39 wins, United defeating the north-Dubliners 17 times and 19 games ending in stalemate. United have hit the Shels net 86 times while the 2019 First Division winners have scored on 132 occasions against United.
The two teams played out a 0-0 draw at Eamonn Deacy Park in the first game this season, while Shelbourne had the upper hand in the reverse fixture when they overcame United 4-0 at Tolka Park in May.
Goal friendly Shels have struck 36 goals in 18 games so far this campaign, with former Shamrock Rovers man Ryan Brennan bagging ten of those. United will look to Wilson Waweru and Ruairi Keating for their main source of goals, with the latter hitting the net on seven occasions this season. Waweru brought his goal tally to six last week when he scored United’s first equalising goal against Cork City.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the soccer preview, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.
Galway United 2
Athlone Town 2
GALWAY United had to twice come from behind against basement side Athlone Town on Monday night to snatch a draw that was, on balance, probably a little harsh on the visiting side.
Completely outplayed in the opening 45 minutes, United had an absolute howler from visiting goalkeeper, Aaron Myles, to thank for going into the break on level terms; and then needed an equaliser five minutes from time to claim a draw against a side that came into the game having lost all four games they had played this season.
Alan Murphy’s side already find themselves nine points behind the league leaders just four games into the season, and a major improvement is needed if they are to finish in the top half of the table and inside the play-off spots.
Their central midfield was way off the mark on Monday night – both Maurice Nugent and Sam Warde were hauled ashore before the final whistle – and having abandoned the 4-4-2 formation which delivered some decent results near the end of last season, they are struggling to get quality ball into the opposition box.
With Shane Duggan expected to return to central midfield after suspension for this Saturday’s trip to Cobh Ramblers, it might be time to go with some out-and-out wingers and get some cohesion in the side.
The first couple of half chances on Monday fell to the home side, but Mikey Place didn’t get any power behind his second minute effort; while Marc Ludden was well off target subsequently.
The visitors, who had the opening half’s best player in their ranks in the guise of Galway native, Ronan Manning, went close a couple of times themselves in the ninth minute, United surviving thanks to Cian Murphy getting a block on Adam Lennon’s shot; while Kevin Horgan pulled off a ‘worldie’ to deny Joel Coustrain from the subsequent corner.
By that stage, the visitors were starting to get on top, and they took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute when Manning’s corner from the left was met by Taner Dogan at the back post to head home as the United marking was, not for the first time this season, shambolic at a set-piece.
Tempers were starting to fray a little, with both sides having two players finding their way into the notebook of Dublin referee, Oliver Moran, before United were gifted an equaliser in the 41st minute.
Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune
Paul Corcorcan
GALWAY WFC notched a second win in a row in the Women’s National League when they defeated Limerick 6-1 at the Markets Field on Sunday afternoon.
A McKenna Doyle hat trick and goals from Sadbh Doyle, Chloe Singleton and Aoife Thompson helped the Galway women to a resounding win. Five of the six goals for Galway were assisted by Lynsey McKey during what was a stellar performance by the experienced midfielder.
Galway WFC are back in action at Eamonn Deacy Park tomorrow (Saturday, kick off 3pm) when they welcome league leaders Peamount United.
See full match report in City Tribune Sport.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
