‘I just saw the ball coming and I knew I had to get a connection on it’ – Galway’s Anna Fahey on scoring the winning goal against Athlone Town

Paul Corcoran reports from Athlone Town Stadium

Galway left it late to secure their first win in six games when they came out on top with a 2-1 victory over Athlone Town at Lisswollen on Tuesday night.

Chloe Singleton opened the scoring for Galway, with Lucy Jane Grant equalising for the home side in the second half but it was Anna Fahey who separated the sides in the 86^th minute with an excellent header and her first ever Women’s National League goal.

The forward entered the fray midway through the first half when she replaced the injured Nicole McNamara and she would go on to make a huge impact for the Tribeswomen in a tough match for both sides.

“Coming on to such a high tempo game, you make sure that you get into the game as quick as you can and settle down because ultimately you’re coming on to make an impact,” Fahey said, speaking to extratime.com after the game.

“For me it was just settling into the game and trying to get up to match speed and putting the ball into the back of the net, that’s what I was sent on to do and I was happy to help the team out and get that goal.

“It was tough, especially with a few decisions not going your way, that’s when you have to keep the heads on and just stick to your own game.

“Games like today, it’s about grinding out the win at the end of the day, sometimes it won’t go your way but that’s when, as a team, you have to all stick together and work hard to get the points.”

It was a dramatic way to net your first goal in the WNL with it being the winner and scored in the last five minutes of the game.

Lynsey McKey was the provider, with a great corner-kick from the right of the goal and Fahey timed her run in the box to perfection, rising to meet the ball and heading it into the left side of the goal to give the Tribeswomen the three points.

“It was all a bit surreal to be honest, I don’t really remember much of it,” Fahey explained.

“I just saw the ball coming and I knew I had to get a connection on it, it was getting toward the end of the game and the tension was building up, it’s easy to let the heads drop but I saw it coming towards me and I just thought ‘get my head on this and see how it goes’ and lucky enough it went in the back of the net so I was delighted.”

Galway’s attention now turns towards Saturday’s fixture against WNL Champions Peamount United and Fahey believes they can run James O’Callaghan’s side close this weekend.

“We fancy our chances, we know the quality we have in the squad, we see it in training every day and it’s just about having that belief in ourselves on the pitch.

“We know we can match the best teams we just have to go out and do it and keep working hard and the results will start to go our way.”

The Tribeswomen host Peamount United at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 4pm).

League Report: @AthloneTownAFC 1-2 @GalwayWFChttps://t.co/DbVir5H3Qapic.twitter.com/8FkzNAPJ4f

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) August 4, 2021