Cork City lose All-Ireland Cup opener at home to Peamount
Ellie O'Brien, Cork City, with possession at Turner's Cross against Peamount United. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cork City opened their Avenir Sports All-Ireland Cup campaign with a defeat at Turner’s Cross.
Frank Kelleher’s players were under pressure from the minute the game kicked off and goals from Antea Guvo, Ruby Gallagher, and Mia McGonnell got the win for the Dubliners.
The Rebel Army are now facing an uphill battle in a bid to qualify for the next round as their remaining games are away to Cliftonville and defending champions Galway United.
City played with a rotated team, with six changes made to the group that started last weekend against Shelbourne in Tolka Park.
The biggest addition to the group was goalkeeper Clodagh Fitzgerald and Republic of Ireland underage international made her name known by making a number of last-ditch saves over the course of the 90 minutes.
The first one fell to Jessica Fitzgerald and this was pushed out for a corner that came to nothing.
Guvo was the next player to break through, and she was outmuscled by Lauren Healy in the box.
The Dubliners then won a free-kick and Jessica Fitzgerald set up Abigail Villiers-Tuthill for a close-range shot that was stopped on the goal-line by Clodagh Fitzgerald in the 9th minute.
The goalkeeper followed that up by adjusting her position and getting to an attempt from distance by Guvo in the 24th minute.
Carla McManus also tried her luck during this period, and her low attempt went straight into the hands of Clodagh Fitzgerald.
It was all one way traffic, and Peamount found the road they were looking for in the 34th minute. That came from Rebecca Watkins splitting the City defence with a pass to Guvo, and she rolled the ball in at the St Anne’s End.
Things got worse for the home side before the break as Niamh Cotter had to go off with an injury, and Ciara McNamara was brought on as her replacement.
Peamount picked up where they left off after the restart, and City continued to hold firm by staying compact and forcing their Dublin rivals into wide positions.
Peas’ continued to create chances, with one blazed over the bar by Guvo from right in front of the posts.
The striker’s next touch involved picking up a Watkins cross and McNamara got in to block the shot in the 55th minute.
Kelleher reacted by introducing Eva Mangan and Keira Sena, and the attack-minded duo immediately injected a new lease of life into the City forward line.
Heidi O’Sullivan was the first player to take advantage of this, and she hit the crossbar from distance in the 68th minute.
Peamount held firm through this and got the win when a move put together by Watkins found Gallagher. The substitute kept her composure and got her name on the scoresheet in the 80th minute by hitting the roof of the net.
The Dubliners polished the win in injury time when McGonnell fired in after the ball hit the underside of the crossbar.
Clodagh Fitzgerald; Zoe Finnerty, Ciara Fitzpatrick, Niamh Cotter, Lauren Healy, Shanaugh McCarthy, Heidi Mackin, Ellie O’Brien, Heidi O’Sullivan, Lauren Homan, Fiana Bradley.
Ciara McNamara for Fitzpatrick (43); Kiera Sena for Homan (60), Eva Mangan for McCarthy (60), Doroetha Greulich for Bradley (72).
Leona Heffernan; Toni Marie Ceno, Mary Philips, Lucy McCartan, Abigail Villiers-Tuthill, Karen Duggan, Sorcha Melia, Jessica Fitzgerald, Rebecca Watkins, Antea Guvo, Carla McManus.
Ciara Maher for Guvo (76); Ruby Gallagher for Melia (45), Neale Byrne for Ceno (88), Mia McGonnell for Watkins (88).
Ian O’Keeffe
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