Wexford FC Women v Peamount (All-Island Cup)

Important game for the home side and a hurdle which they overcame relatively comfortably and perhaps a bit easier than the single goal scoreline suggests. Wexford began with Maria, Della, Lauren D, Kylie, Becky, Aoife, Ellen, Lauren K, Rossi, Freya and Aisling. Both sides began the game fairly tentatively and good chances were at a premium for much of the first half. However, on five minutes, Ciara Rossiter set up Kylie Murphy with a nice through ball, but Kylie’s volley was hit straight at Amanda Budden in the Peas goal and it rebounded to safety. On 14 minutes, Ellen Molloy managed to have a free run on the Peas goal but pulled her shot wide of the target. It took the Peas until 21 minutes to manufacture any threat on the Wexford goal, but it went a yard or two wide of Wexford’s upright. As the half progressed, Wexford got a bit more expansive, and the Wexford defence of Aisling, Della, Lauren D and Freya looked more and more comfortable, with Freya De Mange doing particularly well whilst marking the Peas main threat, Becky Watkins. As the half neared its end, Wexford applied some further pressure on the Peas goal by way of a decent free-kick by Freya and a couple of corners. The breakthrough came for Wexford on 38 minutes when Ciara Rossiter was put through on goal and her neat volley inside the far post gave Budden no chance for 1-0 to Wexford. It remained 1-0 to Wexford at halftime.

Wexford continued to look the more potent force in the second half with Ellen Molloy having an effort a yard over the Peas crossbar on five minutes. At the start of the half, Leah McGrath had been introduced for Wexford. On seven minutes, a shot from outside the area by Ellen Dolan for the Peas was hit straight at O’Sullivan. Later, the Peas did force O’Sullivan to push away athletically a good effort on goal, but it was ruled out in any event for offside. Millie Daly then came on for Wexford and later Siun Murdiff. Nearest Wexford came to increasing their lead occurred on the half-hour mark when Budden did well to smother a shot on goal by Leah McGrath. Peamount did apply some pressure right at the end but the home side continued to look secure and Wexford reached the semi-final on the basis of a 1-0 scoreline. In addition to the solid defensive line by Wexford, there was plenty of graft further up the field through Becky Cassin, Aoife Kelly, Kylie Murphy and Ellen Molloy, while Mary Phillips and Becky Watkins impressed for the away side. 1-0 to Wexford at full-time.