City’s women look to future with good young players
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Daire Walsh
CORK CITY WFC brought the curtain down on their Continental Tyres Women’s National League campaign at the Morton Stadium last Saturday evening, when Shelbourne LFC recorded a 5-1 victory over the Leesiders.
Speaking after the game, Cork manager Frank Kelleher was disappointed with the result on the night, but did emphasise that they are currently in a transitional period, and that he believes they will continue to improve in the next couple of years.
“Yeah, it is disappointing. What I would say as the season ends is that what we have to realise really with this team, is that for four or five years they’ve been in a bad place. Overnight things don’t change, but over two or three seasons things do, and that would be my view,” Kelleher remarked.
“I think next year we’ll be stronger and the year after we’ll be stronger again. We know what we have to do in Cork City Women’s. Some of the performances today, second-half, were excellent. I thought we moved the ball very well, but yeah, Shels are ahead of us at the moment. No doubt about it.”
One of the brightest performers for Cork in the game was winger Tara O’Gorman, who claimed her side’s only goal with a spectacular finish on 56 minutes. Kelleher agreed that it was a superb effort from O’Gorman, and also felt that his charges were unlucky with a couple of other chances that fell their way.
“It was a really good finish. It was a great pass through, and she took it very well. She put it right over the goalkeeper, and if I’m honest, I think we were unlucky with a couple of other chances. We’d a couple of one v ones with the goalkeeper that I think on another day they go in for you.”
While acknowledging that Cork will need to bring some new players into the club before the start of next season, Kelleher has been impressed with the application of young players like Saoirse Noonan and the aforementioned O’Gorman in recent months.
“I have no doubt where we need to strengthen. Defensively we need to sign two or three players, I’ll be very honest with you.
“In the middle of the park, just some of the players are tired now because they’ve had a long season.
“It’s fantastic that these young players this year, like Tara O’Gorman, Saoirse Noonan, Evelyn Daly, Sophie Hurley, the girl who came on right-back at the end, is 16 years of age, are improving.
“They’ve gained experience of just playing in this league for the first time this year, and that’s going to benefit them hugely next season,” Kelleher added.