League Report: Galway 0 - 3 Peamount United

Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park

Peamount United secured their sixth win in a row with a 3-0 victory over Galway at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday afternoon.

Stephanie Roche scored a goal in each half to put the visitors in front with Aine O’Gorman rounding out the scoring with her 11th of the season.

Both sides came into Saturday’s game on the back of two midweek games. Stephen Lally made no changes to his starting XI from Galway’s win against Athlone Town on Tuesday night, while James O’Callaghan made one change for Peamount with Lauren Kelly coming in for Alannah McEvoy.

Saturday’s game marked Kelly’s first start for United since her move from Wexford Youths earlier this season and she marked it in style with two assists to her name, setting up both of Roche’s goals.

Peamount had a sustained period of pressure in the opening ten minutes with James O’Callaghan’s side holding on to the ball for long periods and Eleanor Ryan Doyle having a first crack on goal but only managing to send it over the crossbar.

The pressure paid off in the ninth minute when O’Gorman chased down a long ball up the field by Tiegan Ruddy. The midfielder floated a cross from the right wing across to the back post where Lauren Kelly was able to head the ball down and back across goal, allowing Roche a tap in for her third goal of the season.

Galway struggled to create anything on the attack in the first half although they managed to effectively neutralise a strong Peamount attack, limiting the visitors to just the two shots on target in the opening period and that was with a gale force wind behind them.

That second effort on target came in the 24^th minute when goalkeeper Hannah Walsh managed to punch Ruddy’s free-kick over the crossbar to keep the deficit to just one goal.

Roche had a chance to double the lead early in the second half after Galway failed to clear their lines but her shot wasn’t the strongest and Walsh gathered it easily.

The home side got their first effort on goal in the 51^st minute when Savannah McCarthy barged through the Peamount box to meet a Lynsey McKey corner-kick but the defender couldn’t keep her header on target and the ball went wide of the goal.

Despite Galway coming more into the game as the second half progressed it was Peamount who struck again with Roche smashing a left footed volley into the goal, Kelly provided the assist. The midfielder once again nodding the ball down for the striker, this time from a Karen Duggan cross.

United struck again in the 78^th minute with O’Gorman getting on the scoresheet with Dora Gorman spotting the midfielder on the run in the box with a neat through ball after Peas’ captain shook off her marker.

O’Gorman was one on one with Hannah Walsh but made no mistake as she placed the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal to secure another vital three points in the race for the WNL title.

Galway WFC: Hannah Walsh; Shauna Brennan, Meabh de Burca, Ruth Fahy (Anna Fahey 60), Therese Kinnevey, Savannah McCarthy; Nicole McNamara (Kate Slevin 60), Julie-Ann Russell, Chloe Singleton (Aoife Thompson 74), Emma Starr; Lynsey McKey.

Subs not used: Leah Hayes Cohen, Elle O'Flaherty, Saoirse Healy, Abbie Callanan, Aoife Lynagh, Becky Walsh.

Booked: Ruth Fahy (23).

Peamount United: Naoisha McAloon; Lauryn O'Callaghan , Dearbhaile Beirne (Lucy McCartan 69), Tiegan Ruddy; Aine O'Gorman, Lauren Kelly (Alannah McEvoy 74), Dora Gorman, Karen Duggan, Sadbh Doyle (Chloe Moloney 84); Stephanie Roche, Eleanor Ryan Doyle.

Subs not used: Niamh Reid Burke, Summer Lawless, Orlagh Fitzpatrick, Sarah Duke Power, Rebekah Carroll.

Referee: Marc Lynch.

extratime.com Player of the Match: Stephanie Roche (Peamount United)

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— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) August 7, 2021