CORK CITY manager Rónán Collins admitted his side were a mixed bag in their 3-3 draw with Bohemians in the Women’s National League at Dublin’s Oscar Traynor Centre on Saturday.

Trailing early on through an Erica Burke goal, the Leesiders subsequently fired back with a Lauren Egbuloniu brace. Laura Shine was also on target in the second period, but finishes either side of it by Aoife Robinson and Chloe Darby ensured Bohs denied their opponents a first win of the season.

“We’re ones for entertainment anyway, that’s for sure. Disappointed with the way we started. I think the rest of the first half was very good. I thought we were quite dominant for parts, but they always kept a threat Bohs.

“They’re very physical, they won the ball back well and they were organised. I thought we coped really well with that,” Collins said after the game.

“We got two goals and really got ourselves back into the game. I think the second one we conceded was really poor.

“I think we had them on the ropes a bit [at that point]. We just dropped that off and when we dropped that off, they made a few changes that just gave them a bit of fresh life.

“At 2-2, we could have really felt sorry for ourselves a bit, but I think we’ve done well to get that third goal.

“Then obviously Bohs have pushed on.”

As he looks to galvanise his troops for this weekend’s encounter with DLR Waves at Turner’s Cross, there are a number of positives for Collins to reflect upon.

Aside from Egbuloniu – in a new role on the right-flank, having spent most of 2020 as a striker – Éabha O’Mahony and Becky Cassin were a dynamic force in central midfield.

“She [Egbuloniu] is learning that area more. There was the two goals today, where she’s threatened off the shoulder. She has that and I thought defensively she did her duties quite well as well.

“She moved the ball well in the first half. Happy with her performance today,” Collins added.

“I thought she [O’Mahony] really went looking for it. She had some really good passages of play. I think Becky did as well for large parts.

“There’s a huge onus on them in the middle there, but they’re good players to do that for us.

“They did for large parts of the game. If we can get them to do that more often, then we’ll compete with the best. Because they really are upping their levels all the time. They’re two very good players.”