WNL Round-up: Ciara Maher's injury-time strike sees DLR Waves to victory in seven-goal thriller in Cork

Ciara Maher’s injury-time goal sealed a dramatic win for DLR Waves away to Cork City on an afternoon that looked for so long like it would go the Leesiders’ way.

City led 3-1 going into the final quarter as a brace from Christina Dring and Katie McCarthy’s opener looked set to be enough for the home side.

Rachel Doyle had pulled one back for Waves from the penalty spot, but it was half-time substitute Maher who provided the telling contribution.

She reduced the deficit to a goal with 25 minutes to go and Leanne Payne claimed the equaliser eight minutes from the end before Maher sent the visitors into raptures at the death.

The game had been delayed by half an hour at the visitors’ request and the delay seemed to have affected the away side more as they trailed 2-0 after 21 minutes.

Striker McCarthy got on the end of a Maggie Duncliffe corner to open the scoring and, barely two minutes later, Dring doubled the advantage with a cool finish on the break from a Waves attack.

Waves boss Graham Kelly brought on Maher and switched to a 3-5-2 at the break and Waves pulled one back when Doyle netted her second in two games from the spot after Payne was fouled in the box.

Dring doubled her tally, and restored Cork’s two-goal cushion, three minutes later when she evaded the Waves defence and slotted home from the narrowest of angles.

Waves, who had been on the end of a remarkable comeback at the hands of Limerick seven days earlier, rallied and the final half-hour would belong to them.

Doyle turned provider as her pass set up Maher to have a go from distance, and the midfielder hit the back of the net to once again make it a one-goal game.

Payne then hit the crossbar before a scramble in the Cork City box saw the ball trickle over the line and the striker emerge with her hand in the air.

Waves, to their credit, continued to push and they landed the killer blow in injury time when Catherine Cronin’s shot was blocked and the rebound was swept home by Maher.

In Saturday’s games, the top three all won easily with a combined scoreline of 19-0 to leave the title race as it was ahead of the upcoming midseason break (full round-up here).

Amber Barrett, who leaves for Bundesliga side Koln next week, and Aine O’Gorman both scored hat-tricks as league leaders Peamount beat Kilkenny United 9-0 in Greenogue.

Eleanor Ryan Doyle, Megan Smyth-Lynch and Niamh Farrelly were also on target as the Peas took a 7-0 lead into the break before Barrett and O’Gorman sealed their trebles.

In Galway, Shelbourne continued the pressure on second-placed Wexford Youths with a comfortable 3-0 win, Emily Whelan scoring twice before top scorer Alex Kavanagh completed the job.

Read Paul Corcoran’s report from Eamonn Deacy Park here.

Aisling Frawley scored a hat-trick for the champions as they beat Limerick 7-0 at Ferrycarrig Park, with Rianna Jarrett scoring twice. Kylie Murphy and Ciara Rossiter were also on target for Youths.