Champs Peamount send Rovers packing
SHAMROCK Rovers were defeated by two goals to nil against last year’s SSE Women’s Premier Division Champions Peamount United, an Erin McLaughlin brace netting three points for the visitors who now sit in fourth place in the League table.
The result leaves Rovers third from bottom in the table with four points from their five games played.
The Hoops made one change to the squad that defeated DLR Waves a fortnight ago, Shauna Fox replacing Stephanie Zambra.
Peamount took to the turf in their away strip of sky blue while Rovers lined out in their green and white stripes.
The home side started with four at the back while the visitors lined out with three.
Avril Brierley claimed the first attempt on goal in the 4th minute, pulling wide and to the left of Amanda Budden’s post.
March Player of the Month Joy Ralph almost opened the scoreline in the 8th minute when she turned Duggan on foot of a long ball from Melissa O’Kane, reacting quickly to drive her foot through the ball as Burke back-pedalled.
Peamount’s Freya Healy covered by Scarlett Herron and Lia O’Leary in Tallaght Stadium
The strike had Burke beaten, but pinged off the underside of the crossbar and fell harmlessly to the goalkeeper’s backline.
Peamount responded with an intense press and clocked off two shots from long range – Erin McLaughlin skying one effort over Budden’s head, while Ellen Dolan cut too much under the ball and sent it sailing over the crossbar.
Lia O’Leary and Ralph almost linked up once again for the women in green and white, O’Gorman pickpocketing the ball from Toni Ceno and laying it off to Ralph who charged in space down the right flank.
A crucial interception from Lauryn O’Callaghan did just enough to take Ralph’s delivery off course, the ball bouncing awkwardly for the marauding winger as she lined up to shoot, Burke smothering.
The Portmarnock native had another chance at goal when she deftly cut inside Jessica Fitzgerald and opted to shoot on her weaker right foot, her attempt flashing wide of Burke’s sticks.
The game continued with a frenetic tempo, Rovers goalkeeper Budden urging her teammates to ‘calm down’ in the 17th minute while Collie O’Neill instructed his number 19 to stay up top.
The Hoops goal minder would go on to make several fine saves in both the first and second half but was beaten in the 19th minute when Jetta Berrill linked with McLaughlin whose first touch and finish were sublime.
As the floodlights came to life and the game approached the end of the first half, McLaughlin netted her brace, curling the ball past both Jessica Hennessy and Budden into the top right-hand bin.
At the restart, Under 17s Hoops skipper Katie O’Reilly replaced Scarlett Herron for the home side and soon found her footing down the right channel, cutting inside Rebecca Watkins and winning the physical contest with a strength beyond her years.
In the 52nd minute, O’Gorman played a weighted pass to O’Reilly who quickly read Ralph’s charge into the box and whipped it towards the nineteen-year-old whose momentum took her touch inches past the far left-hand post.
The Hoops dominated possession for the remainder of the second half and had a number of attempts flash high or wide of the goal, yet the Peas continued to look dangerous as they hit on the counter.
In the 85th minute, the visitors had a chance to kill the game when Jessica Fitzgerald delivered a long ball to Kildare native Freya Healy.
Healy then played the ball to McLaughlin who struck on the turn – the Ireland international denied by the on-form Budden.
In the 90th minute, with three additional minutes left to play, Hennessy almost netted a consolation for the home crowd when she headed the ball forward and deep within Peamount United’s six-yard box.
The number five opted to strike rather than roll the ball to substitute Stephanie Zambra, the Mullingar natives shot too high to trouble Burke.
Speaking to shamrockrovers.ie after the final whistle, Collie O’Neill reflected on his side’s defeat.
“Football is about trying to put the ball in the back of the net and they did it with their chances and we didn’t do it with ours – it’s as simple as that.”
On Under 17 Academy star Katie O’Relly, who replaced Scarlett Herron after the restart, and her talented teammate, Tallaght native Ella Kelly, who made an appearance in stoppage time, O’Neill opined.
“Since they’ve come into training they’ve added that extra bit of enthusiasm and extra bit of energy.
We’re trying to bed them in slowly but… I think it might be time to take the reins off and just let them go.”
The Hoops now travel to Cork City on May11, where they will take on Danny Murphy’s Rebels at Turners Cross for their second League fixture this month – kick off 5pm.
