Galway women rise to occasion on team’s historic league debut

Galway WFC 2 Wexford Youths 2

Representative football is back in Eamonn Deacy Park, and if the fare on offer in Sunday’s Bus Éireann National Women’s League clash between Galway WFC and Wexford Youths Ladies is anything to go by, then there are plenty of entertaining Sunday afternoons ahead at the Dyke Road venue.

Almost 36 years to the day when Galway Rovers made their bow in the national league, a Galway ladies representative side played in the national league for the first time.

And like that Sunday afternoon of August 28 in 1977, the new Galway side got off the mark with a well-deserved draw.

The crowd of about 400 people who were there on Sunday to witness the historic occasion saw a battling performance from a home side which, despite dominating in terms of possession and territory against the side that finished third last season, had to twice come from behind to take a richly-deserved point.

Had they failed to do so, it would have been very rough justice on a side that played some decent football – and all of it on the ground, rather than in the clouds – and never let any sign of nerves affect their play.

“Having nerves can go two ways, and thankfully on this occasion they worked in our favour and they didn’t let themselves down. Sometimes we took a lot out of the ball, and there is a lot we can improve on. That said, I’m disappointed we didn’t get the win, but we’ll take a draw to start the season with,” said manager Nigel Keady after the game.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.