Wexford Youths Women v Peamount United (League)

WYW showed again what firepower they have going forward as they blasted eight past a decent Peamount team in Ferrycarrig tonight. With two senior internationals, Rianna Jarrett and Jess Gleeson, both having coming back from long lay-offs tonight, there are now major selection headaches for the WYW mentors for the cup final which looks like it will be a humdinger. WYW started with Mary Rose, Nicola, Ruth, Edel, Ciara, Linda, Kylie, Emma, Aisling and with Claire and Carol up front. WYW started well and Claire and Aisling both had free headers early on which went wide. First goal came on 20 minutes when Kylie put Claire O'Riordan through and she finished with her usual coolness for 1-0. Four minutes later, it was 2-0 when Aisling put in a good cross which was finished by Kylie Murphy from close in. With five minutes to go in the half, Claire made it 3-0 when Carol Breen didn't give up on a ball that was going wide and managed to get it into the Peas penalty area for Claire to volley home. 3-0 to WYW at half-time with Mary Rose Kelly having little to do in the WYW goal.

WYW had an early chance in the second period when Carol Breen headed wide and then the Peas had their good spell of the game. On 6 minutes, they had their first decent effort on goal, when a good effort just skimmed past the far post with Mary Rose struggling. With ten minutes gone, the Peas hit the post and then hit the rebound over the bar when a cooler head was required. Just on 56 minutes, Maria Delahunty came on for Linda Douglas and went wide right. Ciara Rossiter then hit the outside of the post from a rebound from a free by Emma Hansberry before Ciara put Emma through for another cool finish and 4-0. The Peas then had another good effort on goal as a looping free hit the top of the crossbar and out but Mary Rose will probably say that she had it covered. Jess Gleeson then made a welcome return for her first start since Poland and went in centre-half with Ruth Fahy moving into midfield. Claire then finished easily again from a through-ball by Edel Kennedy for 5-0 and her hat-trick. Just when it couldn't get any worse for Peamount, ace striker Rianna Jarrett made her first return for ten months following recovery from an ACL injury and immediately showed her class by scoring with her first chance with a header from a cross by Aisling Frawley and got her brace two minutes later with a lovely left-foot finish for 7-0. Rianna then turned provider with some good work at the near post before setting up the energetic Carol Breen to leave the final score at 8-0 for the home side.

Good performances all over the pitch from WYW and, as like last week, the only issue you'd have is a tendency to over-carry the ball on occasions and bring it into tackles rather than letting the ball do the work. However, the glue that binds all the WYW forwards together is the unselfish work and use of the ball by Claire O'Riordan and I'll give her the nod as my woman of the match. 8-0 to WYW at full-time.