Sunday 8th October – FAI National Cup Round 2

Lakewood 6 – 2 Carrigaline

The home side opened the scoring on the 9th minute. Good pressure from Heather Kennedy on the wing forced the ball backwards and Zara Foley nipped in with a first time shot from the edge of the box to slot it low past the keeper.  Maria O’Sullivan was sharp off her line between the sticks and was called to make two crucial saves during the first half. The Lakewood back 4 of Jess Sheehan, Amy Lynch, Emma O’Connor and Ellen Sheridan kept the Carrigaline attacks at bay and stood up to the test of a strong Carrigaline attacking force throughout the encounter. It was Eabha O’Mahony who put daylight between the teams just before the half time whistle, O’Mahony reacting quickest to a clearance and she got her reward from a direct dribble into the box at the heart of the defence. Finishing with a low drive to the near post.

Carrigaline came back well at the start of the second half and looked to be right back in the game with a goal on the 48th minute from a corner.  From the tip off Lakewood replied, good interlinking play in the center from Claire Nevin and Megan Sheehan who put Foley through in the box and she tucked it away low to the corner to reinstate the 2 goal lead.  Lauren Singleton came off the bench to add to the Lakewood attack. Niamh O’Donoghue was the central playmaker in Foley’s hat-trick with good vision and passing from deep. Getting onto the end of the through ball Foley rounded the keeper, side stepped a covering defender and passed it to the net. Ally Hurley, Jessie Morley and Ella McCarthy also came off the bench.  Morley particularly unluckly not to open her tally for the season and Hurley just hitting wide at the front post from a cross.

It was Foley that was simply unstoppable in front of goal, adding Lakewood’s 5th on the 66th minute with Claire Nevin involved again in cutting open the defense with a through pass.  O’Mahony slotted the 6th on the 77th minute to complete the scoring in a what was a well deserved victory to see them into the next round.