Galway WFC show well despite defeat to star-laden Peamount

Galway WFC 2

Peamount United 5

On a day when the international-laden visitors might have provided most of the flair and goals at Eamonn Deacy Park, the performance of the newly-formed local side should be suitably acknowledged as they made a real contest of it in this Bus Éireann Women’s National League contest on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors were certainly worthy of their one goal interval advantage, as You Tube sensation Stephenie Roche fired them ahead with a drive from the edge of the box on 20 minutes. The striker has achieved world-wide acclaim for a recent strike away to Wexford Ladies.

The duel between former colleagues Becky Walsh and Julie Anne Russell was fascinating, and while it was the winger who generally came out on top, the right-full also had her moments when she could get close enough to the international flyer.

Her speed, ball control and quality deliveries provided a regular supply to a trigger-happy Peamount front-line and from such a cross, Aine O’Gorman missed a sitter just before the breakthrough.

The home side should have levelled matters on 41 minutes, but after being released by Ruth Hannon, Sinead Taylor’s first touch was poor and goalkeeper Monica McGuirk advanced to gather. Then on the stroke of half-time, a free kick from outside the box by Grainne Barrett was saved by the custodian.

There was to be no let up by Peamount and Ruth Comerford made it 2-0 after 48 minutes and only a brilliant reflex save by Melissa Casserly denied them a third, as she somehow pushed away an O’Gorman close-range effort.

A handball presented Galway WFC with an outlet to pull one back on 54 minutes and Taylor duly obliged to make it 2-1 with a low blast past McGuirk. Twice in quick succession, the striker had chances to level matters, but after getting no power in her first effort, she dragged her second wide of the post.

Russell punished the home side on 59 minutes with a close-range finish to the roof of the net, and three minutes later it became 4-1 as Roche cracked a left-footed effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Urged on by a large home support, the home side responded well to the set back and Taylor was again the finisher with a powerful effort from inside the box to make it 4-2. New signing Lynsey McKee then broke through, but was denied by the advancing McGuirk.

Striker Áine O’Gorman got her reward for a good afternoon’s work, when some neat inter passing got her behind the home cover to make it 5-2 on 71 minutes.

Twice Taylor almost added to her tally in the closing stages, but some outstanding defensive work by Grace Murray and Susan Byrne denied her on both occasions.