Galway WFC still waiting for their first win of the season

Galway WFC 3

Castlebar Celtic 4

The home side were on the back foot from the first whistle in this Continental Tyres Women’s National League contest at Eamonn Deacy Park on Sunday and it took them a long time to shift up a gear and chase what was a lost cause at half-time.

Three down at the break, the home side then exchanged goals with the visitors, before a late flurry produced a brace that saw them come up just short in a dramatic finale.

Overall, the outcome was disappointing as the two sides went into the contest chasing a first win of the season and from the opening exchanges it was Castlebar who made their intentions clear with a power and drive that did not exist in the home selection.

U-17 international Sarah Rowe was a revelation in the opening quarter and twice Tina Hughes was tested in the opening minutes. However, there was little she could do as Rachel Kearns fired the visitors ahead on 11 minutes and the custodian was also left helpless by a cross shot from the very impressive Emma Hansbury shortly afterwards that opened up a 2-0 gap.

By now Galway WFC had no recognised striker on the park as Kara Mullins had departed the fray with an injury and with her replacement, Aisling Hughes, slotting into midfield, it meant Lisa Casserly taking up the lone front running role.

While Castlebar weren’t exactly creating loads of chances, they certainly maximised the opportunities that came their way and they made it 3-0 on 41 minutes when Aoife Herbert slotting home from the spot, after Ciara Cormican had upended Hansbury in the box.

At the other end, chances were nonexistent as just a Roisin Jacob shot that was blocked in the box offered any sort of finishing threat.

In contrast to the opening half, Galway WFC offered more bite on the resumption and maybe if Lynsey McKee displayed a little more urgency she might have got to a Meabh De Burca through ball before Rachel King on the edge of the box.

The home side were rewarded with a breakthrough on 50 minutes when a Marie Curtin free-kick struck a hand in the box and from the resulting spot kick the Limerick native slotted the resulting penalty past King to reduce the arrears to 3-1.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.