League Report: Galway WFC 1 - 1 Shelbourne

Shelbourne dropped their first points of the season when they travelled west and played out a 1-1 draw with Galway in the Women’s National League on Saturday evening.

The home side took the lead at Eamonn Deacy Park after a cracking effort from Chloe Singleton, but Jessica Ziu got on the end of a great Shelbourne move in the second half to give the visitors a share of the points.

Noelle Murray had an effort saved by the hands of Amanda Budden in the opening minutes after a great cross from Ciara Grant. Murray flicked the shot in the air as soon as she received the ball in the box but Budden was able to palm the shot away.

Lynsey McKey got involved in the 23^rd minute after some tenacious play across the midfield by Galway. The move began with Aislinn Meaney who played the ball to Tessa Mullins who then worked the ball to Chole Singleton.

Singleton passed the ball into the path of McKey who shot from just inside the box but sent the ball just over the crossbar.

 There was danger for the home side just two minutes later when Alex Kavanagh slipped a ball through the defence to Grant who crossed the ball drawing Budden off her line to slap it away.

 Billy Clery’s side took the lead in the 29^th minute after a Singleton intercepted a Rebecca Cooke pass. The midfielder ran on after her first touch and drove the ball into the back of the Shelbourne net from outside the box only just squeezing the ball by Rachael Kelly.

Budden was called into action once again in the 40^th minute when Shelbourne won a free-kick on the edge of the Galway box. Ciara Grant struck the shot and the goalkeeper managed to make the save and nudged the ball against the crossbar before gathering it into her arms.

Lynsey McKey came close to doubling Galway’s lead in the 43^rd minute when Aoife Thompson crossed from the baseline to the right of the Shelbourne box. The midfielder took on the snapshot but Kelly made a great save to deny Galway a second goal.

Early in the second half Thompson had a chance of her own to double Galway’s lead after a fantastic long ball from Meaney found the striker right in front of goal. Thompson took the ball down with her chest before firing off a shot but Kelly again came to Shelbourne’s rescue and denied the forward.

The visitors drew level on the hour mark with a move started by a searching ball from Pearl Slattery. Grant picked the ball up outside the box and squeezed the ball through Galway’s defence to Jessica Ziu who managed to stroke the ball by Budden and into the back of the net.

Galway nearly took the lead again in the 70^th minute after a McKey passed unlocked Brennan and allowed her send a long cross in from the left flank towards Méabh de Búrca. De Búrca managed to make contact with the cross despite being under pressure from the Shels defence but she nodded the ball just wide of the goal.

The Reds put plenty of pressure on The Galway Girls in the latter stages of the game but Dave Bell’s side could not find a winner in Eamonn Deacy Park.

Credit too has to go to the Galway defence who dealt with wave after wave of Shelbourne attack as the visitors pushed to take home the three points.

Galway WFC: Amanda Budden; Savannah McCarthy, Shauna Fox, Keara Cormican, Shauna Brennan; Chloe Singleton (Sinead Donovan 88), Tessa Mullins, Meabh de Burca; Aoife Thompson, Aislinn Meaney (Ellerose O'Flaherty 57), Lynsey McKey (Jamie Turrentine 88).

Subs not used: Abbiegayle Ronayne, Aoife Lynagh, Lucia Lobato, Therese Kinnevey.

Booked: Shauna Fox (77),

Sent off: None.

Shelbourne: Rachael Kelly; Rachel Graham, Rebecca Cooke, Isibeal Atkinson, Pearl Slattery; Alex Kavanagh, Jamie Finn, Noelle Murray; Ciara Grant (Kate Mooney 80), Emily Whelan (Niamh McLaughlin 65), Jessica Ziu.

Subs not used: Jennifer McDade, Jessica Gleeson, Jessica Gargan, Mia Dodd, Niamh McLaughlin, Amanda McQuillan, Ella O'Connell.

Booked: Ciara Grant (55) Noelle Murray (90) .

Sent off: None.

Referee: Richard Connor

Attendance: 0

ExtraTime.ie Player of the Match: Ciara Grant (Shelbourne)