Peamount down to second as they share spoils with Wexford Youths

Daire Walsh

As a result of their 1-1 draw with Wexford Youths at Ferrycarrig Park this evening, defending champions Peamount find themselves in second place in the Women’s National League.

Alannah McEvoy had given the Newcastle outfit an early lead in the sunny south-east, but an Aoibheann Clancy penalty eventually cancelled out this strike.

Courtesy of their 3-1 win over Cork City at Turner’s Cross, it is Shelbourne who now lead the way at the WNL summit.

Noel King’s charges do have a game more played than the title holders, but with Wexford also in the running, the race for league supremacy gets more compelling with each passing week.

It was the perfect start to the contest for Peamount, who were returning to domestic action following their recent Champions League exertions in the Netherlands.

Just six minutes into the contest, McEvoy was on hand to finish off a goalmouth scramble and leave the visitors in the driving seat.

Buoyed by this excellent opening, James O’Callaghan’s side immediately looked for ways to extend their advantage.

Stephanie Roche and Eleanor Ryan-Doyle – top-scorer in this season’s WNL – both threatened, while Aine O’Gorman also offered a strong presence around the middle-third.

Wexford grew into the game as the action progressed, however, and Karen Duggan was forced to head one of their efforts off the line on the half-hour mark.

At the beginning of a season, a missed penalty by Kylie Murphy was one of the pivotal moments in Youths’ 1-0 reversal to Peamount at the same venue.

When the hosts were once again awarded a spot-kick in this game, it was Clancy who stepped forward and she made no mistake from 12 yards.

This restored parity in the 35th-minute and the sides were ultimately inseparable at the break.

A big half of football lay in wait for both sides and Roche was unfortunate to see her first-time volley drifting over the crossbar four minutes after the resumption.

O’Gorman also fired off-target as the game moved into the final-quarter of play, but a second goal ultimately eluded the Peas.

Wexford also had their attacking moments, though, and the point they garnered from this fixture could prove crucial in the final shake-up.