Galway WFC pay the price for concession of soft goals

Galway WFC went down 2-1 at home to Peamount United of Dublin on Sunday in the Continental Tyres Women’s National League.

Manager Don O’Riordan included new signings Marie Curtin, Claudia Hudner and Megan Kelleher, while Kara Mullins is on the comeback trail after a season out with injury.

The outcome however was disappointing, as the concession of two soft goals never allowed them recover from a poor start and while they improved as the game went on, they seldom really looked like rescuing anything from the contest.

Depending on one’s outlook, the side lined out in a 4-5-1 formation or maybe it was 4-3-3, but whatever it was, it struggled as an attacking formation. The outcome was a very crowded central midfield, while out wide Mullins and Hudner looked isolated and far from the action and seldom linked up with lone striker Lynsey McKey.

Normally a winger, the Shannon native was playing in a lone front role and it is a position she certainly has to perfect as she was continuously caught offside.

In contrast, Mullins was a prolific scorer throughout her career, but on Sunday was marooned wide on the flank. That said, she should have given Galway the perfect start, but fired wide from a good position in just the opening minute.

With new players having to be accommodated, last season’s central midfield duo of Ruth Fahy and Grainne Barrett took a step backwards and slotted into central defence and all was going well until the Dublin side struck twice in a five minute spell before the break.

The opener on 38 minutes, saw Fahy directing a pass back towards ‘keeper Melissa Casserly, but unknown to her, Rosanna Maguire had read her intention and she took possession before rounding the unprotected custodian to tap into an empty net for a 1-0 advantage.

The second was a replica finish, as a delivery over the top exposed the home cover and on this occasion Eleanor Ryan Doyle ran on to apply the finish for a 2-0 lead.

Two down at the break, the home side freshened matters up with the introduction of Keara Cormican and Alana Moran for Hudner and Kelleher and a Meadbh de Burca snap shot on the restart gave an early indication of a fresh mindset.

The home side were rewarded with a breakthrough on 57 minutes when Mullins was fouled by Laura Traynor in the box and Curtin despatched the resulting penalty into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

The recovery was on, as Curtin and Lisa Casserly offered a greater threat and further restructuring helped the home side maintain a general edge for the remainder of the game.

Moran brought a save from Dunne at her near post, while the goalkeeper really impressed with a flying save to push away a Curtin effort on 80 minutes. Fahy was just wide of the mark with a header and minutes earlier was superb in defence, when a last ditch tackle ended Doyle’s clear run on goal.

Maguire had a shot tipped over by Casserly, before Susie Cunningham headed a Barrett corner across the face of goal in the final minute, as it cried out for a touch to rescue a point.

Galway WFC are at home again this coming Sunday, when they face Raheny United in the FAI Cup quarterfinal.