A bridge too far for young City
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Daire Walsh
THEY weren’t lacking in endeavour, but it just wasn’t to be for Cork City in the FAI Women’s Cup final at Tallaght on Saturday.
Manager Rónán Collins has spoken throughout the season about how his squad are on a journey and they will hope to absolve lessons from their chastening 6-0 showpiece loss to a highly-experienced an impressively-assembled Peamount United.
Having overcome league newcomers Bohemians and the revamped Treaty United in the earlier rounds of the competition, this game proved to be a bridge too far for the Leesiders. James O’Callaghan’s Peamount lost out to Wexford Youths in the previous two FAI Cup finals and were in no mood for further heartbreak.
While the absence of a crowd and the decision to hold the game in Tallaght rather than the Aviva Stadium meant this was world’s apart from their last cup final appearance in 2017, this remained a prestigious occasion for this Cork City outfit.
Just four of their starting line-up featuring in the outstanding success against UCD Waves three years ago – Ciara McNamara, Danielle Burke, Saoirse Noonan and Christina Dring. Despite the subsequent departure of some big-name players, the strength of their academy system ensured the Leesiders returned to this level in a relatively short space of time.
Rónán Collins’ side arrived in south Dublin with a plan to stifle Peamount and they largely achieved this objective during the opening-quarter. Setting up in their customary 4-2-3-1 formation, the prodigious Eabha O’Mahony and Becky Cassin were deployed in holding midfield roles and largely cut off the supply line to an opposition attack that was led by Stephanie Roche.
Saoirse Noonan was doing her utmost to unlock the Peamount defence at the opposite end, but the Newcastle outfit were well aware of the danger she could create and were closing her down at every available opportunity. Her switch to the right-flank midway through the opening period added an extra dimension to City’s attack and Sophie Liston also benefited from a stint on the far wing.
In recent away encounters against the big guns in the WNL, a lot of Cork’s hard work was undone by the concession of quick-fire goals. Although they managed to hold out until the break, the same fate befell them in the initial stages of the second half.
Within 60 seconds of the restart, Roche fired home at an awkward left-hand angle, despite Maria O’Sullivan getting her fingertips to the shot. The City back-four were being placed under intense pressure by the high-pressing Peamount and after gathering possession inside the area, Alannah McEvoy laid off to Roche for a superb finish to the bottom right-hand corner on 52 minutes.
From a position where City were very much in contention, they were suddenly faced with the prospect of a comprehensive defeat.
Switched to a lone striker role after Katie McCarthy replaced Lauren Egbuloniu, Christina Dring almost forced City back into the reckoning when she was released on goal in the 57th-minute. However, her final strike skewed harmlessly away from the target.
Whilst O’Sullivan produced a host of fine saves, Peamount were simply more ruthless when it came to capitalising on clear-cut opportunities.
In the space of 10 minutes inside the final-quarter, the Dubliners rattled the net on no fewer than four occasions to make a tough end to the contest for City. O’Gorman, Karen Duggan, Rebecca Watkins and Tiegan Ruddy added their names to the scoresheet in this explosive juncture.
The gap between the sides in the end was somewhat cruel on Cork City and it isn’t a true representation of how they have performed and progress throughout this truncated women’s soccer season.
The hope now is that Cork can now dust themselves off after this difficult day at the office and return in 2021 as a rejuvenated force.