League title joy for Peamount

“IT’S ABSOULTELY fantastic to win the league title after all the obstacles we had in pre-season,” remarked Peamount United manager James O’Callaghan after his side secured the became SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division champions for the fourth time at the weekend.

On top of this O’Callaghan now becomes the first manager in League history to lead a team to three League titles (2019, 2020, 2023) and he was delighted with the team’s success at the weekend.

“It worked out great in the end. The younger players in the team emerged throughout the season and they pushed us all on and it was fantastic to win the title with two games to go.

“We lost so many players in pre-season and then lost our top scorer Kate Mooney and Tara O’Hanlon who was injured.

“But the team just gelled together this season. They have been brilliant, the young players particularly the U19 international players came in and have been great this season.

“For Peamount it’s just brilliant winning this title.

Celebrations after the second goal during Peamount United’s crucial league victory over Wexford on Saturday

“We don’t have the same support as some clubs in the league who are subsidised, we simply don’t have that luxury but to be fair to our team were determined to win the league,” he added.

Peamount United secured a 2-0 victory over Wexford Youths at Ferrycarrig Park.

The result extended Peas lead at the top of the table to 12 points, with two games still to play, but hold a better head-to-head record over second-placed Shamrock Rovers, so they have done enough to be determined as League winners.

The Newcastle outfit will get to lift the trophy in their final League game, at home to Sligo Rovers, on Saturday, November 11 but the hard work is done now and they deserve all of the plaudits that will surely come their way.

It wasn’t easy to get over the line as a second-half brace from Ellen Dolan proved to be the difference in a tight game – their 18th of a campaign that began on March 4.

Player of the match Ellen Dolan

Peamount have been excellent all season with the joint best attack (39 goals scored), joint second best defence (11 goals conceded), most clean sheets (11) and most wins (16).

And they still have two games left over.

The talented Freya Healy at midfield registered the first chance of note in the game when firing over from distance and then had a shot cleared off the line by the superb Lauren Dwyer.

Then she supplied the assist for the opening goal. Collecting a short corner from Jess Fitzgerald, Healy had time to pick out the perfect cross for Dolan to head in from the middle of the six-yard box.

It was a goal worth waiting for.

On 81 minutes, Dolan got her second goal when stretching to meet a cross from Sadhbh Doyle and direct her shot past goalkeeper Claudia Keenan, who got her footwork wrong and could not keep it out.

Peamount had a couple of other half chances after that but they had the goals required to collect the three points that secured the League title.

Mission Complete for the Peas!

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