CORK City manager Danny Murphy was fulsome in his praise of Kiera Sena after the teenager grabbed her first competitive senior goal for the Leesiders in their Women’s Premier Division clash against Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Saturday.

A day before she turned 16, Sena magnificently drilled a free-kick to the bottom corner of the net to offer City renewed hope in their 13th league game of 2023.

Earlier Bohs goals from Niamh Prior and Ciara Maher ensured the visitors ultimately succumbed to a 2-1 reversal, but Murphy believes Sena showed she will be a talent to watch going forward.

“She’s an exceptional player. She’s got so much potential and we know she can do that. 

“That’s what we were saying to her ‘let her take it!’

“She’s more than capable and she’s got a bright future ahead of her,” Murphy said in the aftermath of last Saturday’s trip to Dublin.

“We’re going to have to be careful. Gradually building her up into a full game. It will only stand to her. I honestly do think she’s a future international for this country.”

PROMISING

While netminder Abby McCarthy produced some fine saves, City did get into some promising attacking positions over the course of the contest.

Although he acknowledged they need to be more clinical when scoring opportunities arise, Murphy is happy that his side are moving in the right direction despite picking up just two points thus far this season.

“I think that we had a 20-minute period in the first half where we dominated it quite a bit and probably should have scored in that 20-minute period. We didn’t take our chances.

“It’s just being a little bit more clinical and picking the right choice of pass, weight of pass. Who you’re playing it into. What foot they need to get a shot off on, and just being a bit more clinical there when we’re in the final third.

“We’re improving on it every week and we’ve just got to keep improving on it.”

Even though City won’t be in Women’s Premier Division action again until August 19 — thanks to the forthcoming World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand — Murphy’s charges will now embark on a new challenge in the All-Island Cup.

City kick-start their Group D campaign at home to DLR Waves this weekend and with games against Treaty United and Crusaders also on the horizon, Murphy is hoping to make a big splash in this inaugural tournament.

“We’re going to be taking it as seriously as we’re taking the league, because we want to keep improving and keep developing.

“Hopefully we do as well as we’d like to do in the cup competition. That will stand to us when we go back into the league,” he added.