Peamount United 3 Cork City 1

CORK City are still on the lookout for their first win in the Women’s National League after Peamount United got the better of them at Greenogue on Saturday evening.

There were signs of encouragement in this contest for Ronan Collins’ travelling Leesiders, with Eva Mangan cancelling out an Eleanor Ryan-Doyle goal to leave the sides on level terms at the break. However, Ryan-Doyle added her second of the night on 70 minutes and Aine O’Gorman also found the range to leave City with just three points from their opening seven games.

City had made a lively start to the action, with Sarah McKevitt attacking well down the right flank. Nonetheless, Peamount possessed a threat of their own from early on and Lucy McCartan hammered a long-distance drive off the crossbar.

Westmeath native McCartan subsequently turned provider for the game’s opening goal in the 17th-minute. She picked out Lauryn O’Callaghan with an elaborate crossfield pass and the raiding full-back set up Ryan-Doyle for a smooth close-range finish.

Peamount winger Megan Smyth-Lynch was also close to shaking the net with an audacious effort on the left-wing, but it was the Leesiders who enjoyed the brighter end to the opening period.

In unison with McKevitt, Éabha O’Mahony was taking the game to the hosts. Her corner from the right-wing on 42 minutes was met powerfully by the head of her midfield partner Becky Cassin. Peamount custodian Naoisha McAloon tipped the ball onto the woodwork, only for teenager Mangan to sweep home the rebound.

Despite Peamount ramping the pressure on the restart, McAloon came to their rescue in the 53rd-minute. From a breakaway City move, the ball fell into the path of Christina Dring.

Her final strike was firmly struck, but McAloon was on hand to produce a point-blank stop. McKevitt also tested the United netminder with a first-time effort from an acute angle on the hour mark.

The Dublin side were being pushed to the limit by their southern counterparts, but – as has been the case for most of their recent league successes – a final-quarter surge ultimately swung the game in their favour.

From a Smyth-Lynch corner on the right, Ryan-Doyle edged Peamount back in front with a cool header at the far post. This served to deflate the City challenge and Republic of Ireland international O’Gorman wrapped up the three points for the home team with an angled finish on 83 minutes.

PEAMOUNT UNITED: Naoisha McAloon; Lauryn O’Callaghan, Della Doherty (Tiegan Ruddy 71), Dora Gorman (Claire Walsh 63), Deirbhile Beirne; Aine O’Gorman, Karen Duggan, Lucy McCartan, Megan Smyth-Lynch (Rebecca Watkins 71); Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, Alannah McEvoy (Sadhbh Doyle 63).

CORK CITY: Abby McCarthy; Lauren Walsh, Ciara McNamara, Danielle Burke (Riona Crowley 89), Shaunagh McCarthy (Lauren Singleton 81); Éabha O’Mahony, Becky Cassin; Sarah McKevitt (Sophie Liston 81), Eva Mangan (Lauren Egbuloniu 65), Christina Dring; Laura Shine (Katie McCarthy 81).

Referee: Aaron Pisarnik.