This game was a must-win for Shelbourne and the pressure was evident at Tolka Park as Cork City made it extremely difficult for The Reds.
It was Cork who opened the scoring at Tolka through a Becky Cassin penalty after Zara Foley was taken down in the box by Leah Doyle. Cassin made no mistake with the penalty, firing into the top left corner.
Shelbourne managed to get one back just before the break, with Cassin putting the ball into her own net following a fantastic Alex Kavanagh corner kick. Cork probably feeling unlucky not to be going in at half-time ahead.
It was Megan Smyth-Lynch who was the hero for the Reds as in the 87th minute she struck a wonderful effort from outside of the box to make it 2-1 to the Champions.
Shels keeper Courtney Maguire also deserved plaudits for saving a certain goal for Cork in the dying moments of the game.
Galway WFC 2 DLR Waves 3
DLR Waves made the trip to the West to take on Galway WFC at Eamonn Deacy Park and came away with the win after a thrilling contest.
It was Galway who struck first in the seventh minute after great work by Julie-Ann Russell on the right-hand side, she dribbled into the box, squared to Elle O’Flaherty who finished to give Galway the advantage.
Their lead didn’t last long however, and in the 10th minute DLR’s Shauna Carroll dribbled past numerous players in the Galway box and struck high into the net to make it 1-1.
Only a few minutes after, Carla McManus’s shot was saved onto the crossbar from goalkeeper Abbiegayle Ronayne, but Katie Malone followed in to put the Waves ahead.
In the second half, Galway managed to get one back early on, with Jamie Erickson rising highest in the box from a corner.
It looked as though the game would end a draw, but in the 84thminute Waves keeper Eve Badana put a long ball over the top for Avril Brierley to run onto, and Brierley did exceptionally well to chip Ronanye in the Galway goal and win her side the game.
Peamount United1 Bohemians 0
PEAMOUNT kept themselves in the title race with a big derby win over Bohs – a Stephanie Roche penalty in the first half that got them the win.
Lisa Murphy took down Alannah McEvoy in the box and a Peamount penalty was awarded. Roche slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0 and the Peas hung on from there surviving a last gasp Bohs chance.
DLR Waves stars Anna Cantwell and Joy Ralph pictured after the Republic of Ireland U-17 women’s side drew 3-3 with Portugal last week. Their senior Waves colleagues beat Galway 3-2 away on Saturday (see report below).
