Aine is on fire as Peamount hammer City
LADIES SOCCER
PEAMOUNT UNITED………………………8
CORK CITY………………………………….1
Daire Walsh
AINE O’GORMAN struck five goals at PLR Park in Greenogue on Saturday as Cork City suffered a comprehensive loss at the hands of Peamount United in the Women’s National League.
A Republic of Ireland international centurion, O’Gorman grabbed a first half hat-trick before adding a brace after the resumption. Having come into this game on a back of an emphatic reversal to Wexford Youths, this was another difficult outing in the WNL for Paul Farrell’s City.
On their previous visit to Newcastle last October – at the tail end of the 2021 season – a poor start left the Leesiders with too much ground to cover. Five goals behind by the first-quarter mark, City also fell to an 8-1 defeat on that occasion.
Despite their initial frustrations at being caught offside from a series of promising attacks, Peamount repeated their dream start of six months ago. Although Abby McCarthy got her hands to O’Gorman’s tricky effort in the sixth minute, it subsequently slipped from the Cork netminder’s grasp and trickled agonisingly over the line.
O’Gorman operated in a central attacking role that was in stark contrast to the defensive remit she is given at international level and she showcased her keen eye for the target throughout the opening period.
After being picked out by Sadhbh Doyle’s through-ball just shy of the 10-minute mark, the Wicklow native made no mistake with a smooth finish beyond the reach of the helpless McCarthy.
Eva Mangan and Lauren Singleton did conjure half-chances either side of this strike, but Peamount continued to dictate the proceedings as the action progressed.
O’Gorman forced a fine fingertip save out of McCarthy on 18 minutes before Ciara McNamara’s superb last-ditch tackle denied Erin McLaughlin a path to goal.
It seemed inevitable that the hosts would extend their lead, however, and O’Gorman ensured she would come away with the match ball by firing home at a tight left-hand angle just past the half-hour.
Platform
Skipper Becky Cassin and Mangan were doing their utmost to give City a platform inside the final-third, but it was Peamount who had the final say prior to the interval. Formerly an international star in her own right, Karen Duggan scrambled home a 37th-minute corner to offer the Dublin side an insurmountable 4-0 cushion.
While Farrell shored up his side with the introduction of Danielle Burke and Aoife Cronin on the restart, his opposite number James O’Callaghan added the dependable Alannah McEvoy to the Peamount attack.
Yet it was a starting player who went on to secure the Peas’ fifth goal – the vastly-experienced Stephanie Roche unleashing a magnificent strike into the top left-hand corner of the net. There was a significant hold-up in the moments that followed this goal as Singleton received treatment for a serious-looking injury that unfortunately ended her participation.
This break in play did little to dim Peamount’s appetite and O’Gorman once again got the better of McCarthy from the edge of the box on 63 minutes.
The versatile Peamount skipper wasn’t finished there as she beat the offside trap before slotting home her fifth inside the final-quarter.
McEvoy was eager to get in on the scoring act and when Roche played her through with nine minutes of normal time remaining, she made no mistake with a smart strike from close-range.
Although it was turning into a damage limitation exercise for City, there was to be some solace for them in the dying moments. From a Shaunagh McCarthy free-kick, a Peamount defender inadvertently turned the ball into her own net.
Mangan went close to grabbing a second Cork goal off another attacking set-piece as the final whistle approached, but her curling effort from the left-hand side drifted past Niamh Reid-Burke’s upright.
City will have a short turnaround from this chastening loss as they are due to face Treaty United on Tuesday evening.
PEAMOUNT UNITED: Niamh Reid-Burke; Lauryn O’Callaghan, Tiegan Ruddy, Chloe Moloney (Sarah Duke 71); Dora Gorman; Jetta Berrill (Tara O’Hanlon 64), Karen Duggan (Scarlett Herron 74), Sadhbh Doyle (Lauren Kelly 64), Erin McLaughlin (Alannah McEvoy 46); Aine O’Gorman, Stephanie Roche.
CORK CITY: Abby McCarthy; Nathalie O’Brien, Ciara McNamara, Lauren Walsh (Danielle Burke 46), Shaunagh McCarthy; Kate O’Donovan (Aoife Cronin 46), Becky Cassin (Leah Murphy 82); Zara Foley, Eva Mangan, Lauren Singleton (Aoibhin Donnelly 56); Christina Dring (Nadine Seward 71).
Referee: David Keeler.