Rovers and Pea’s all square in derby

Too often, Dublin Derby’s disappoint, reports Christine Allen.

Not this one.

This fixture demanded stand-out individual performances and delivered in what was an entertaining 1-1 draw at Greenogue Park.

Chloe Moloney was one such soldier, shadowing Emily Corbet as the number 10 weaved like a mirage in the April heat in the eyeline of former teammate Amanda Budden.

At the other end, Maria Reynolds and Scarlett Herron clocked an incredible shift to muzzle the home side’s bite – forcing Karen Duggan, Sadhbh Doyle, Becky Watkins and Antea Guvo to pull the trigger at a distance that left Katie Keane untroubled.

Following a number of lukewarm chances at either end, the final twenty of the first-half ramped up – Peamount ensnaring Rovers in their own half.

Encircling the Hoops, the former Champions looked to wound their stunned opponents with a switch on the wings that threw their rivals off balance.

Having accomplished her mission out right, former Hoop Sorcha Melia was directed to man the left and very nearly scored the opener with a blistering drive that flashed across Keane’s goalmouth.

Rebecca Watkins too came close for The Peas, her shot whizzing past the left hand post.

The game gradually leveled out as a series of midfield turnovers disrupted Peamount’s rhythm, allowing Rovers to regain their bite on the counter.

A visionary long ball from Littlejohn may have tempered Rovers foreman Collie O’Neill’s half-time team talk as O’Gorman found herself in acres of space down the right.

Refusing to tempt fate as the green shirts swarmed, the Hoops captain whipped in a swirling cross toward Corbet who got the better of Philips and cracked it first-time. But Budden was equal to it—reacting sharply to keep the score level at 0-0

Rovers came out swinging on the restart, fizzing the ball with pace across the Peamount turf and it was a Jaime Thompson long ball towards the evanescent Ella Kelly that led to the visitors opener.

Budden, vacating her goal to beat the Tallaght native to the ball, could only watch as her clearance spilled fortuitously to Corbet.

Remaining composed, the marauding forward expertly controlled the ball with a single touch before launching it towards the unguarded goal but Moloney, echoing Maradona’s ‘ hand of god’, blocked the shot and conceded the foul.

“She’s giving me [Declan] Rice energy right now.” Avril Brierley forewarned on the LOITV co-comms as Littlejohn spotted the ball 20 yards out in the 51st – placing it with panache into the bottom right hand corner.

Stung from their stupor, Peamount hurled the proverbial kitchen sink at the visitors, as Doyle, Melia, Watkins and Guvo roared to life.

Both Melissa O’Kane and Reynolds were indispensable throughout their press, winning the ball in both defense and midfield as they spun the Peas faster than a Funderland Carousel.

Joy Ralph’s introduction in place of Corbet added another string to The Hoops bow as the dexterous forward switched between the left and right flanks, stinging Budden’s hands with a clean strike.

As the game entered the final 20’, Peamount substitute Carla McManus flashed a header that spun the ball a whisker past the right hand post.

It was a foreshadowing of what was to come and Peamount earned the leveller in the 74th – another inviting corner from Jess Fitzgerald finding Mary Philips at the back post who headed home.

There were two claims for a penalty in the 91st and 92nd respectively – Philips and Moloney the villains in the eyes of the Dublin 24 travelling contingent but the referee adjudicated no foul on both occasions.

Despite both sides best efforts, the game ended 1-1 at Greenogue Park.

Read more about the Rovers Women on Christine’s fanzine.