UEFA Women’s Champions League Round of 32, First leg
Late goals leave Raheny facing a daunting task
Raheny United 0
Bristol Academy 0
Raheny United have been left with an impossible task in their quest to reach the last-16 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, after a Natasha Harding-inspired Bristol Academy recorded a comprehensive first-leg victory at Inchicore last night.
The 1,248-strong crowd created a positive atmosphere in the home of St Patrick’s Athletic, but with the outstanding Harding finding the net in both halves, Raheny simply couldn’t contain their cross-channel counterparts.
The WNL champions had started the game in lively fashion but, as the opening half wore on, Bristol started to display the quality that helped them to secure a top-tier European place last season.
A through-ball by Spanish attacker Natalia Pablos on 14 minutes almost resulted in an own-goal from Shauna Newman but goalkeeper Niamh Reid-Burke was relieved to see her defensive header drifting past the post.
Mazy run
But it came as no surprise when Bristol broke the deadlock after 29 minutes.
Nikki Watts embarked on a mazy run through the Raheny rearguard before finding Harding on the right-hand side. The Welsh winger had enough time to eye up the target before delivering a clinical strike into the far corner of the net.
Raheny suffered a further blow six minutes prior to the interval when injury led to an early withdrawal for right-back Keeva Keenan.
Reid-Burke kept the hosts within touching distance with a brace of first-half saves, and when Watts unleashed an audacious attempt upon the resumption, the goalkeeper produced an acrobatic stop.
Bristol goalkeeper Mary Earps was finally called into action towards the end of the third quarter when Pearl Slattery’s towering header forced the save.
Bristol were always dangerous in possession, though, and their second goal arrived 12 minutes from time.
Watts was once again thwarted by Reid-Burke, but when the ball rebounded into the danger zone, Harding was on hand to supply a crisp finish.
This proved to be an insurance score on the night for Bristol and following further goals in stoppage-time from Watts (from the penalty spot) and Pablos, they are now in pole position to progress to the next stage of the competition.
Raheny United: Reid-Burke; Keenan (Dwyer, 39), Slattery, Walsh, Conlon (O’Farrelly 80); Sheehy (Shine, 55), Graham, Creagh, McCabe, Killeen; Murray.
Bristol Academy: Earps; McCatty, Rose, Matthews, Dykes (Brown, 89); Harding, James, Ingle, Yorston (Del Rio Garcia, 78); Watts, Pablos.
Referee: E Lampadariou (Greece).