WNL: CCFC 0-3 Shelbourne

Cork City fell to a 3-0 defeat in their first home game of the new SSE Airtricity Women’s National League season at Turner’s Cross on Saturday. Shelbourne were quickly out of the blocks testing City goalkeeper Abby McCarthy early on which she was forced into a good save to prevent. Shelbourne however kept up the pressure and took the lead in the 5^th minute after Emily Whelan got the ball in the final third and did well to beat Abby McCarthy. Shelbourne doubled their lead in the 12^th minute when Saoirse Noonan found herself on the end of a deep Alex Kavanagh cross and she fired it home from close range to double Shelburne’s advantage. Shelbourne continued to have the advantage for much of the first half pressing the City defence and forcing Abby McCarthy into several fine saves to deny them another goal with the best save coming in the 25^th minute to deny Noonan a second goal. The second half was a quieter affair, while Shelbourne continued to dominate possession and territory City started to edge back into the match threatening the Shelbourne goal more as the half went on but in the final minutes Noonan wrapped up all three points for Shelbourne when she got the ball on the right hand side in the penalty area after good work from Emily Whelan and Noonan kept her cool and finished from a tight angle to make it 3-0 to Shelbourne at full time. City are next in SSE Airtricity Women’s National League action on the 17^th of April after the international break when they travel to the Oscar Traynor Centre to face Bohemians WFC with a 2pm kick off. CORK CITY: Abby McCarthy, Nathalie O’Brien, Ciara McNamara, Lauren Walsh, Shaunagh McCarthy (Lauren Singleton 89’), Becky Cassin, Éabha O’Mahony, Eva Mangan (Laura Shine 68’), Christina Dring (Leah Murphy 89’), Sarah McKevitt (Nadine Seward 78’), Lauren Egbuloniu (Kate O’Donovan 89’).