WNL: City 1-3 Shelbourne

Cork City fell to a 3-1 defeat against Shelbourne at Turner’s Cross on Saturday in their latest SSE Airtricity Women’s National League game.

Shelbourne got off to the stronger start in the game with Noelle Murray firing just over the bar early on. Shelbourne made the breakthrough in the 20^th minute as Alex Kavanagh picked out Emily Whelan in the penalty area who fired home to make it 1-0 to the visitors. Shelbourne quickly doubled their lead in the 24^th minute as Noelle Murray struck from close range.

The visitors continued to dominate the first half with Whelan coming close in the 30^th minute after being set up by Jessica Ziu. Shelbourne got their 3^rd in the 43^rd minute as Alex Kavanagh picked out Ciara Grant with a cross field pass and she beat the offside trap and put it home to make it 3-0 at half time.

City came out the second half much stronger than they had been in the first half and got back into the game in the 47^th minute as Shaunagh McCarthy picked out Nathalie O’Brien on the left wing and she put in a cross that beat everyone and went straight into the top right corner of the net to make it 3-1.

At the other end Shelbourne remained a threat and Abby McCarthy was forced into a good double save to deny Jessica Ziu and Ciara Grant. Nathalie O’Brien nearly made it two after a corner fell to her at the edge of the box but a good save from Shelbourne goalkeeper Amanda Budden did well to save her low shot in the 80^th minute and the game finished 3-1 to Shelbourne.

Cork City and Shelbourne will meet again next Saturday 4^th of September in the Evoke.ie FAI Women’s Cup at Tolka Park with a 2pm kick off.

Cork City: Abby McCarthy (Kirsten Sample 83’), Leah Murphy (Kate O’Donovan 83’), Ciara McNamara (Tiffany Taylor 45’), Danielle Burke, Nathalie O’Brien, Eva Mangan, Niamh O’Donoghue (Rachel O’Regan 45’) (Lauren Singleton 75’), Sarah McKevitt, Shaunagh McCarthy, Christina Dring Laura Shine