Women's FAI Cup: Athlone 2-0 City

Cork City are out of the Evoke.ie Women’s FAI Cup at the quarter final stage after falling to a 2-0 defeat against Athlone Town on Saturday evening.

City had the better of the first half coming agonisingly close to an opening goal in the 16^th minute as well put in corner found Zara Foley at the far post who headed the ball back into the centre where it found Christina Dring but her effort came off the crossbar and Athlone managed to clear it. City’s set pieces continued to trouble the Athlone defence as they came close again in the 21^st minute. Laura Shine came close in the 26^th after some good build up play but the Athlone goalkeeper made a good save and the first half ended 0-0

City continued to look strong in the second half as Aoife Cronin came close in the 48^th minute however as the second half went on the hosts started to test the City defence with Lauren Walsh getting a vital block to stop a chance in the 52^nd minute and in the 62^nd minute Abby McCarthy was forced into a good save.

The pressure told and a ball from deep found Muireann Devaney who cut in from the right wing into the box and put it away to make it 1-0. Athlone sealed the win in the 80^th minute as Madison Gibson sent a ball across goal to find Gillian Keenan whose first effort on goal was saved by McCarthy but only into the path of Keenan and she followed up and blasted home the second effort to give Athlone a 2-0 win.

Cork City and Athlone will meet again next Saturday at Turner’s Cross in the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League with a 5pm kick off.

Cork City: Abby McCarthy, Zara Foley, Lauren Walsh, Heidi Mackin, Aoibhinn Donnelly (Lauren Singleton 74’), Chloe Atkinson (Ellie O’Brien 77’), Eva Mangan, Kate O’Donovan (Riona Crowley 77’), Aoife Cronin (Shaunagh McCarthy 74’), Christina Dring, Laura Shine.