Galway Women's FC host Castlebar Celtic on Sunday at Eamonn Deacy Park (2pm ), buoyed by their draw with current champions Raheny United.
The Galway women produced their best performance of the season when holding Raheny United to a 2-2 draw in Santry Stadium on Sunday. In doing so they became the first team to take points off the reigning champions this season, and were unlucky not to get all three points as United grabbed the equaliser in the dying moments of the game.
Manager Don O’Riordan made a number of tactical and positional changes to his side following their less than impressive performance against Wexford. With the elements in their favour Galway dominated the first half and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 16 minutes. Ruth Fahy rose superbly to head home a Marie Curtin free kick loping it past Niamh Reid-Burke in the Raheny goal.
Conditions began to worsen in the second half as Noelle Murray equalised for the hosts on 64 minutes. However the Galway women were back in front four minutes later when Kara Mullins was upended in the box and Curtin slotted home the resulting penalty.
Galway held the lead until the 89th minute when it took a Katie McCabe volley to rescue a point for the Pandas.
“We said before the game we needed a big performance and I’m delighted to say we got a high intensity display all over the park,” said manager Don O’Riordan. “ We didn't lose any individual battles today. This now sets us up nicely for next Sunday’s Connacht derby in Eamonn Deacy Park against Castlebar Celtic. Derby games are always special and I expect Sunday to be no different.”
Galway WFC: Hughes; Fox (Cunnngham 55 ); Cormican; Curtin; Kelleher; De Burca; Fahy; Casserly; Mullins; Jacob (Hughes 72 ); McKey.
