Phase two of the FAI Women’s National League kicked off on Saturday evening in Eamonn Deacy Park, but the hosts came out on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline to table-toppers Peamount United.
Galway, having enjoyed the better start, should have been ahead on 10 minutes when Savannah McCarthy put Aoife Thompson through on goal, but on this occasion Thompson under-hit her shot which was dealt with comfortably by Niamh Reid-Burke. Instead it was the visitors who went head when Aine O’Gorman scored from a corner 10 minutes later.
The home side, however, settled and pressed for an equaliser. Lynsey McKey forced Reid-Burke to get down low to save from her strike on 39 minutes, two minutes later Chloe Singleton’s cross looked to have caught the‘keeper out, but in the end it hit the crossbar and went over, while Jaime Turrentine saw her strike go just wide.
Galway continued to press in the second half, but they lacked a clinical edge in the final third. Substitute Elle O’Flaherty broke through the Dubliners' defence only to see her strike go the wrong side of the post, while McKey produced a delightful cross on 75 minutes but was not finished to the net.
Instead 10 minutes later and against the run of the play, Peamount struck the killer blow when a cross from the left found Lucy McCartan free in the box and she struck home to take all three points for the Dubliners.
Billy Clery’s side now has a week off due to the international break as the Republic of Ireland Women take on the Ukraine on Friday evening.
Galway WFC: Amanda Budden, Therese Kinnevey (Tessa Mullins 60? ), Shauna Fox, Keara Cormican(C ), Shauna Brennan (Rachel Baynes 60? ), Savannah McCarthy, Méabh De Búrca, Chloe Singleton, Jaime Turrentine (Elle O’Flaherty 60? ), Lynsey McKey, Aoife Thompson.
