Rianna nets winner

Women keep pressure on leaders

RIANNA JARRETT headed home a 76th-minute winner against hosts Galway as Wexford Youths maintained the pressure on leaders Peamount United in the Continental Tyres Women’s National League on Saturday.

The Ferrycarrig Park side know they can’t afford any slip-ups when the Dublin team are loaded with quality and in such good form. That brings a huge pressure itself but Youths were able to deal with it and get the win.

It was far from easy. Galway dominated possession as Wexford failed to keep the ball. However, when they did attack the hosts struggled to curtail their advances, with Orla Casey pulling the strings off the striker in her first start of the season and Aisling Frawley a livewire on the wing.

Given that Galway dominated possession, much fell on the shoulders of the centre-half pairing to repel attacks. The duo of Orlaith Conlon and Lauren Dwyer were excellent against the loaded Peamount attack and were rock solid again in this contest.

Wexford started with a good tempo and took the lead when Claire O’Riordan won the ball back high up the field.

Becky Conroy fed it through to Frawley on the right edge of the area and she fired high past Tina Hughes to the net.

Conroy dragged a shot wide from distance and O’Riordan broke through but saw her shot saved by Hughes.

A defensive mistake almost allowed Sadhbh Doyle an equaliser but she fired over the crossbar from close range.

Later in the half, Casey dribbled her shot narrowly wide from the right side of the area and then sent Hughes flying to her left to keep out a powerful right foot shot as Wexford went in at the break ahead.

Galway came out full of intent after the re-start and equalised when Aislinn Meaney fired home from just inside the Wexford box. It wasn’t until the visitors made changes that they offered a different proposition for their hosts.

Rianna Jarrett moved though the middle, Orla Casey dropped back into the hole, Claire O’Riordan went left and Aoibhín Webb right. Jarrett tested Hughes with a shot from the edge of the area before heading in Webb’s corner to give Youths the lead back.

Jarrett again forced Hughes into another fine save as the game moved towards the end and Wexford hung on to take the win. It’s back to Ferrycarrig Park for Youths on Saturday, as they host Cork City in a 6.30 p.m. kick-off.

Wexford Youths: Sophie Lenehan; Nicola Sinnott, Lauren Dwyer, Orlaith Conlon, Amy Walsh; Edel Kennedy; Becky Conroy, Kylie Murphy, Orla Casey, Aisling Frawley; Claire O’Riordan. Subs. - Rianna Jarrett for Conroy, Aoibhín Webb for Frawley, Becky Cassin for O’Riordan, also Ciamh Dollard, Ciara Delaney, Cliodhna Ní Shé, Katrina Parrock.

Galway United: Tina Hughes; Carlie Schecht, Shauna Fox, Méabh de Búrca, Sadhbh Doyle, Aislinn Meaney, Lynsey McKey, Emma Starr, Elle O’Flaherty, Lucia Lobato, Tessa Mullins. Subs. - Aoife Thompson for O’Flaherty, Chloe Singleton for Starr, Sinéad Donovan for Schecht, also Louise Creaven, Sarah Baynes, Caroline Carter.

Referee: Vicky McEnery (Westmeath).