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Women’s Match Report: Peamount United (H)

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Howe Good Is Casey?

Athlone Town AFC 3-1 Peamount United

Casey Howe was the star of the show as Athlone Town AFC played Peamount United live on TG4.  

The wind was a factor in early part of the game, but it was a dry evening in Athlone Town Stadium.

Both teams started brightly, and Athlone Town were finding some joy out wide and in the 8th minute a long ball forward from Jesi Rossman found Casey Howe in space on the right wing. Howe got her head up and hit a long cross to the back post which was played back across goal by Chloe Singleton towards Kerry Brown, but Jetta Berrill cleared the ball stopping what could have been the first goal of the game.

We didn’t have to wait too long for the first goal, in the 14th minute a defence splitting pass by Dearbhaile Beirne saw Ellen Dolan race through on goal and a tangle of legs saw her go down in the box and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The young seventeen-year-old Dolan dusted herself off and dispatched her peno into the bottom corner and it was 1-0 Peamount.

Athlone had it all to do and in the 25th minute from a Madison Gibson corner her cross was cleared but only as far as Shauna Brennan who found Gibson who again floated a cross in and it fell to Rossman who’s shot was just narrowly wide.

Peamount could have doubled their lead after 40 minutes when Beirne’s cross wasn’t dealt with by the Athlone defence and Peas recycled the ball well and Captain Karen Duggan found Irish International Erin McLoughlin free just inside the area, but her shot was wide of the far post.

Athlone got themselves back in the game in the 43rd minute. A Shauna Brennan throw in from the left-hand side found Browne who controlled it with her chest and hit a first-time pass over the top for Howe to run through on goal and hit it first time past the onrushing Niamh Reid Burke to level the score 1-1. The pass from Browne was exceptional.

Athlone started the second half brightly and looked for a goal to give them the lead, but they almost went behind in the 56th minute had it not been for a world class save by Katie Keane. Keane still just 17 somehow managed to keep out a super strike from Karen Duggan who from about 30 yards out, which nearly found the top left corner of the goal.

Athlone did find the front in the 63rd minute when a mazy run from Madison Gibson and a chipped ball out to the right found Casey Howe who after a nice bit of skill unleashed a shot which cannoned off the crossbar, but it fell to Gibson who slotted the ball home and but the Town 2-1 up.

Athlone were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute when a nice combination from Kellie Brennan and Roisin Molloy found Howe in the box and her shot was adjudged to have stuck Berrill on the hand and the referee pointed to the spot. Howe stepped up after a substitution from the visitors delayed the kick, she hit it to the right of the keeper, but it struck the bottom of the post and was cleared by Peamount.

Athlone could have wrapped up all three points with 80 minutes on the clock, a wonderful run by Molloy down the right wing saw her beat two players on the end line and with time in the box, Roisin’s pull back to find Gibson unmarked and unlike Maddie she snatched at the chance and hit it over the bar.

Athlone left the best until last, a Peamount attack was broken up by captain Laurie Ryan. Shauna Brennen got on the ball and stepped into midfield playing a lovely, weighted pass to the left wing for Gibson to run on to. Gibson drove down the line and hit a low cross to the near post and what happened next is hard justify with words, but Casey Howe chipped the ball with the outside of her back foot over the Peamount goalkeeper into the back of the net wrapping up all three points for the home side. It left the fans going home happy and all asking the same question “Howe good is Casey?”

It was all over after that, and Athlone Town will be happy with the performance and a nice end to a busy weekend at Athlone Town Stadium.

Athlone Town AFC: Katie Keane, Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan, Jesi Lynne Rossman, Kate Slevin (Roisin Molloy 64’), Chloe Singleton (Jenaya Robertson 64’), Casey Howe (Hazel Donegan 90’), Kerryanne Brown, Laurie Ryan (C), Madison Gibson (Gillian Keenan 88’)

Unused Substitutes: Amy Mahon, Isabel Ryan, Mary Philips, Ciara O Neill, Aoife Murphy-O’Connor, Ciara O Neill  

Bookings: Rossman (14′)

Attendance: 512

AthloneTownAFC.ie Player of The Match: Casey Howe

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