DLR Waves 1 Cork City 1

Christina Dring grabbed a goal in first-half stoppage-time at the UCD Bowl on Saturday to help Cork City secure a draw against basement side DLR Waves in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.

While City came into this game on the back of three league defeats on the bounce, they faced a DLR side that were rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division table following eight straight reversals.

The recent difficult form of both teams meant it was an unsurprisingly tentative opening, but it was City who initially enjoyed the lion’s share of possession. Ellie O’Brien was pushing forward with intent from midfield and Dring was also looking lively alongside Heidi O’Sullivan in attack.

Yet DLR slowly grew into the contest as it developed and it was the south Dublin side who ultimately broke the deadlock on 24 minutes. After a ball dropped awkwardly into the City area off a right-wing cross, Waves attacker Aisling Meehan was on hand to drill a low shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Although this was a setback for the Leesiders, Frank Kelleher’s charges restored parity on the stroke of half-time when Dring rose highest to head a Lauren Homan corner from the left-flank beyond the reach of former City goalkeeper Eve Badana.

This was the perfect tonic heading into the second period for Cork, who had a number of speculative shots from distance before Dring eventually opened their account.

However, DLR posed a threat when they managed to find space inside the City half and netminder Una Foyle came to the rescue of the visitors on 52 minutes with a superb point-blank save.

Nevertheless, City were still causing problems of their own and after Aoibhin Donnelly raced impressively up the left wing on 63 minutes, O’Sullivan unleashed a low shot that was gathered by Badana.

The sides were evenly matched in the third quarter, but City boss Kelleher attempted to inject fresh impetus by introducing the likes of Dorothea Greulich, Fiana Bradley, Eva Loftus and Academy player Amy McCarthy off the bench.

McCarthy certainly provided the City attack with an energetic presence upon her introduction, but despite keeping the DLR defence on their toes in the closing moments of the action, the Leesiders were ultimately forced to settle for a share of the spoils in the end.

DLR WAVES: Eve Badana; Leah Donnelly, Nadine Raymond, Jessica Gleeson, Cliodhna Donnelly; Rachel Doyle (Keelin Dodd 59); Abbie Brophy (Amy Ryan 66), Nadine Clare, Neema Nyangasi (Taylor White 66), Aisling Meehan; Michelle Doonan (Amber Cosgrove 79).

CORK CITY: Una Foyle; Lauren Healy, Ciara O’Driscoll ((Dorothea Greulich 60), Ciara McNamara, Shaunagh McCarthy; Lauren Homan (Amy McCarthy 74), Ellie O’Brien (Eva Loftus 74), Heidi Mackin, Aoibhin Donnelly; Christina Dring, Heidi O’Sullivan (Fiana Bradley 69).

Referee: Daryl Carolan.