O’Gorman and Ryan-Doyle warn United to stay focused in pursuit of double
By Stephen Leonard
BOTH Peamount United captain Áine O’Gorman and team mate Eleanor Ryan-Doyle have warned against allowing any complacency to set in ahead of their side’s FAI Cup Final against Cork City in Tallaght Stadium this Saturday.
Both sides will be endeavouring to get their hands on the coveted prize for only the second time in their respective club histories although Peamount will be the clear favourites heading into the decider.
Eleanor Ryan Doyle of Peamount United
The newly-crowned National League champions have already twice beaten Cork on convincing 3-0 scorelines this season and will be hoping to serve up another victory against the Leesiders and avoid the pain of cup final defeat for the third season in a row.
Indeed James O’Callaghan’s side were stopped one step short of the prize by Wexford Youths in 2018 and ’19 and, while they are strongly tipped to elude such a fate this time round, the league’s top two goal scorers this season, O’Gorman and Ryan-Doyle, are not taking the Cork challenge lightly.
“We certainly can’t be complacent going into this final” O’Gorman told The Echo.
“Cork have got to some quality players, they’re always improving, they’re tactically aware and, look, anything can happen in a cup final” she said.
Ryan-Doyle is of the same view, stressing “Cup finals can go any way. You see that across all sports.
Peamount United skipper Aine O’Gorman
“We might be favourites for this game, but you just can’t take anything for granted when it comes to match like this.
“I think Cork will be coming out raring to go and will be looking to really put it up to us so we’ve got to be ready.”
Certainly Peamount and their faithful do have cause to feel confident given their tremendous form both at home and in the UEFA Champions League in 2020.
A superb run in the National League culminated in a thrilling 3-1 victory over title challengers Shelbourne that saw them successfully defend the title they won last year.
And the Newcastle outfit more than held its own against last season’s Champions League quarter finalists Glasgow City when they met in the opening round of this year’s competition in Scotland, Peamount taking the hot favourites all the way to a penalty shootout where they were edged out in sudden death.
“It’s a great feeling to win the National League for the second year in a row, but we have lost the last two FAI Cup finals and that’s put a real dampener on things” admitted O’Gorman.
“To go from the high of winning the league last year to the low of losing in the cup final is tough, but the players have learned from that experience.
“We’ve got a really good squad now. It’s very hard to pick a starting 11 each week because the bench is just so stacked with talent” she said.
While there may have been disappointment with the decision to move this year’s Women’s FAI Cup Final out of the Aviva Stadium, O’Gorman is focusing more on the game itself.
“I don’t think it will really affect us. At least the game is on telly” she said
“It is unfortunate that supporters can’t be allowed in, but hopefully we’ll still make it a good cup final and we’ll be back in the Aviva soon.”
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