WPD Preview: Peamount United vs Cork City

Cork City FC Women are Dublin bound this Saturday as they travel to PLR Park for a 5pm kick-off against Peamount United. Tickets are €10 at the gate for those supporters making the trip; the game can also be watched on LOITV.

Coming off the back of a sobering 4-0 win at home to high-flying Shamrock Rovers, the mood in the camp remains upbeat with manager Danny Murphy remembering how much City pushed Peamount in the previous meeting between the sides when a late Lauren Walsh goal set up a grandstand victory.

“We go into every game trying to win it. We don’t go into games to keep the score down or draw,” said Murphy in the pre-match press conference, “Going there this Saturday we’ve got nothing to lose. We are good enough to beat any side in the league in my opinion. It just has to be a 90-minute performance instead of a 45 or a 60”.

“When we played Peamount at home the first half wasn’t great, we done some good things, but the second half was so much better. It’s in our players to do it and they can do it.”

Eva Mangan is unlikely to make the game having picked up a knock in training prior to the Shamrock Rovers game and joins Chloe Atkinson and Zara Foley on the injury list.

Peamount are celebrating the fortieth anniversary of their found this year in style as they currently sit six points clear of second placed Shelbourne on the league table, hoping to add to their three league titles in the coming months. The Peas also remain in the Women’s FAI Cup and will take on Athlone Town FC in the quarter-final.

One to watch is Peamount’s 25-year-old left back Dearbháile Beirne. The former Leitrim inter-county footballer, appeared on Ireland’s fittest family in 2017 and has represented the Republic of Ireland in a diverse sporting career. The former DLR Waves and Shelbourne player scored a stunning right-footed strike in a 1-0 home win against Bohemians in the first game back after the summer break.

Peamount have won 13 of their 15 games to date, drawing once and losing on one occasion. They have kept 9 clean sheets in the process. Midfielders Jess Fitzgerald and Karen Duggan were both selected on the team of the week after last weekend’s fixtures.

The Dubliners will miss star striker Kate Mooney, who had scored 10 goals for Peamount, prior to moving to Lewes FC in the English Championship.