The start of the current Women’s National League could not have got off to a worse start for Castlebar Celtic, after four games the Hoops are pointless and rooted to the bottom of the table as the only side without a point to their names. It is still early days but Adrian Carberry’s women will be hoping they can pick up their first win of the season in the Connacht derby against Galway WFC in Eamonn Deacy Park on Sunday afternoon at 2pm.
Celtic’s last outing in the league was back at the end of September when they went down 3-2 at home to Peamount United despite finding themselves 2-0 up through a Rachel Kearns’ strike and a Peamount own-goal after just half an hour. That game also marked Emma Hansberry’s 50th league appearance for the Hoops
Since then they were knocked out of the FAI Senior Cup at the semi-final stage by UCD Waves on a 3-0 scoreline in Jackson Park, and their league clash against Cork City Women’s FC was called off last Saturday night.
Bar their opening day 3-0 loss on the road to Raheny United, Celtic have been unlucky in their three other league games going down by just a single goal in each tie, losing 2-1 away to both Wexford Youths and UCD Waves, along with their most recent league loss to Peamount.
Carberry will be hoping the likes of Hansberry, Shaunagh Jackson, Nicole Foley along with Sarah Rowe and recent signing Aoife Herbert can be key players in their push back up the table.
Galway WFC come into the game having produced their best performance of the season when holding Raheny United to a 2-2 draw in Santry Stadium on Sunday last. 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. Galway took the lead on 16 minutes through a Ruth Fahy goal, although they were pulled level just after the hour mark, Marie Curtin slotted home a penalty not long after and they almost held out for the win until they were pegged back level a minute before full time
