Peamount overcome Treaty to maintain WNL top spot

By Daire Walsh

Peamount United turned on the style in both halves at PRL Park, Greenogue this afternoon to claim a deserved 5-1 victory over Treaty United in the Women’s National League.

 

Thanks to goals from Sadhbh Doyle and Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, the Peas found themselves in pole position for three points during the opening period.

 

Treaty did fire back just before the break through Aoife Cronin, but with Alannah McEvoy, Ryan-Doyle and Karen Duggan subsequently finding the net on the restart, the hosts ticked off another box in their quest for a third consecutive WNL title.

 

It remains tight at the summit of the table, however, with goal difference proving to be the only thing that separates table-toppers Peamount from Dublin rivals Shelbourne in the league standings.

 

Shels looked set to lose ground on the champions, only for a late Rebecca Cooke goal to earn them a precious 2-1 success against DLR Waves at the UCD Bowl.

 

The Drumcondra-based outfit secured a dramatic 4-3 win at the expense of Peamount at Tolka Park a fortnight ago and are expected to push James O’Callaghan’s side all the way this season.

 

Republic of Ireland international Aine O’Gorman and McEvoy were close to breaking the deadlock in the opening-quarter of this game, before Doyle finally shook the net on 25 minutes.

 

Peamount looked set for a convincing triumph when the league’s top-scorer Ryan-Doyle doubled their advantage 13 minutes later, but Treaty threw a potential spanner into the works.

 

Cronin fired past Niamh Reid-Burke a minute after Ryan-Doyle’s first of the contest and this left the visitors a single point adrift (2-1) at the interval.

 

Yet Peamount didn’t panic and McEvoy’s finish on the hour mark restored their two-goal cushion in clinical fashion.

 

Lucan native Ryan-Doyle brought her seasonal tally up to 14 with a typically-assured contribution moments later and this placed the final outcome beyond any doubt.

 

Former international midfielder Duggan followed up with her own goal five minutes from time to round off a near-perfect day at the office for Peamount.

 

Next up for the Newcastle side is an away trip to Athlone Town next Saturday (kick-off 7pm).