Set piece failures cost city the game
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Daire Walsh
CORK CITY WFC manager Frank Kelleher believes his side’s frailty at set-pieces played a significant part in their 4-0 defeat to Shelbourne LFC in the Women’s National League last Saturday.
Still on level terms with 55 minutes gone on the clock at the AUL Complex, City were ultimately undone by the pin-point deliveries of Ireland international Isibeal Atkinson.
“What happened was three set-pieces to be honest with you. We have the video analysis and the set-pieces, we knew exactly where the first set-piece was going to go. That’s got to be down to how we react to those situations and do it better,” Kelleher explained after the game.
“In set-pieces at this level, you’ve got to know what you’re doing. They punished us, simple as. If we defended well on our set-pieces, it’s a 1-0 game. You’ve got to do that at this level, it has got to be better.”
Atkinson was selected in the Shels match day squad alongside four of her team-mates from Colin Bell’s international set-up. Danielle Burke and Saoirse Noonan were back in the City starting line-up following a hectic schedule with the Ireland U19s, while senior star Amanda Budden was named on the bench.
Though Budden was fit and available for selection, Kelleher placed his trust in Eve Badana for their latest encounter with the 2016 league champions.
“It’s one of those situations. We’ve two very good goalkeepers. They’re pushing each other. Amanda obviously was away this week with Ireland and Eve was obviously with us. From a tactical point of view, Eve was able to be there for the tactical stuff.
“It’s a tough decision, but I thought Eve did very well. I thought she came and collected crosses. She came off her line and went through the crowd a couple of times. She saved two one v ones.” When City faced Shels in the opening game of last year’s campaign, a stoppage-time Jamie Finn goal denied the Leesiders a morale-boosting triumph in the Morton Stadium. The north Dubliners were off the boil for large stretches of 2017, but Kelleher believes they are beginning to hit top form once again.
“We’ve work to do. There’s no doubt about it. I think today we know the level of Shelbourne. They look to be like the Shelbourne of two years ago. That’s my view.
“They dropped a bit last year and everybody knew it, but they look to be back to where they were two seasons ago. They’re a top side. We had a game plan. We executed it for 55 minutes, it just didn’t work for us today,” Kelleher added.