Heartbreak as Cork City have tables turned on them by Bohemians
WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE
BOHEMIANS……………………….3
CORK CITY…………………………1
Daire Walsh
THERE was heartbreak for Cork City at Dalymount Park on Saturday evening as Bohemians came from behind to secure victory over the Leesiders in the Women’s National League.
Having opened the scoring through Aoibhin Donnelly’s 25th-minute finish, City had looked set to claim just their fourth win of the WNL season. However, final-quarter goals from substitutes Aoife Robinson (two) and Niamh Prior meant it was Bohs who came away with the maximum points on offer.
Much of this game took place amid a heavy downpour of rain, and the greasy surface made it difficult for either team to develop a coherent attacking rhythm in the opening exchanges. Nonetheless, Abby McCarthy was forced to claw away a dangerous Isobel Finnegan corner and the Cork netminder also smothered a speculative effort by Bohs centre-half Lisa Murphy on 14 minutes.
Although City didn’t have a clear sight of goal until the second-quarter, they punished Bohs for their lack of a cutting edge at the opposite end. Moments after Laura Shine had headed over from an Orlaith Deasy cross, the ball fell into Donnelly’s path at an acute left-hand angle and she fired superbly to the far corner of the net for a deadlock-breaker.
City did lose Deasy to injury just past the half-hour mark, but with McCarthy producing a brace of excellent saves from Abbie Brophy, the visitors remained in the ascendancy at the interval.
While Danny Murphy’s charges were mostly second best in the possession stakes, it didn’t stop them from finding space inside the final-third.
Still, Bohs persisted with their challenge and skipper Danielle Burke was on hand to block Rebecca Cooke’s goal-bound shot on 52 minutes. Murphy also headed over from close range as the hosts desperately sought a way back into contention.
Before making way for Heidi Mackin on 73 minutes, Nadine Seward had a fierce effort from outside the box that thundered off the crossbar. This was a massive let-off for Bohs, but it proved to be the spark they needed to ultimately come out on top.
From a Finnegan corner on the left wing, Robinson was ideally placed to restore parity with 15 minutes remaining. Buoyed by this equaliser, Bohs almost immediately edged in front when Prior clinically dispatched the ball beyond McCarthy’s reach.
A second goal from the impressive Robinson with two minutes of normal time remaining consigned City to their 15th defeat of the campaign.
BOHEMIANS: Rachael Kelly; Isobel Finnegan, Lisa Murphy, Katie Lovely, Annmarie Byrne (Katie Burdis 46); Rachel Doyle, Kira Bates Crosbie (Erin Phelan 83); Abbie Brophy, Chloe Darby (Aoife Robinson 46), Rebecca Cooke (Niamh Prior 73); Erica Burke.
CORK CITY: Abby McCarthy; Lauren Walsh, Danielle Burke, Ciara McNamara; Chloe Atkinson, Aoibhin Donnelly (Becky Cassin 63), Eva Mangan, Zara Foley, Orlaith Deasy (Shaunagh McCarthy 33); Nadine Seward (Heidi Mackin 73); Laura Shine (Christina Dring 73).
Referee: Sara Dyas.