Riverstown 8 Avondale 1 

RIVERSTOWN were too strong for newcomers Avondale in the GE Healthcare CWSSL U17 Round 2 at the GACA grounds in Riverstown with Lily O’Riordan netting five times in an 8-1 victory.

This was Avondale’s first competitive game at this level and showed some impressive skills as a team and will no doubt make a valuable contribution to the league as they held their more illustrious opponents for long periods of the game.

This was end-to-end football, with chances being created by both teams almost on a regular basis and if it not for the excellent goalkeeping skills of both sets of keepers the outcome could have been noticeably different, with Avondale even hitting the post twice early in the second half.

Riverstown had a chance as early as 10 seconds in the game, Caoimhe Richmond running down the centre before seeing her effort well blocked by Avondale keeper Beth McCarthy which was followed by another effort by the striker which went over the bar.

Avondale had a chance moments later when Helen McCarthy drove down the wing only to see her effort stopped by Shauna Richmond in the Riverstown goal, and who had to save again from the forward a minute later who managed to get behind the defence and get a shot in at goal.

The breakthrough came in the 7th minute when Caoimhe Richmond stabbed the ball into the net and the home side doubled their lead two minutes later when Lily O’Riordan beat the offside trap and made no mistake from 12 yards.

Riverstown were piling on the pressure and added a third in the 11th minute courtesy of Caoimhe Richmond, and although Avondale continued to come forward they went even further in arrears when Riverstown’s Nora McGlynn tapped into an empty net from a counter attack.

Avondale’s Helen McCarthy’s cross was met by Riverstown keeper Shauna Richmond while at the other end Riverstown’s O’Riordan attempted to chip the keeper which went over the bar, but the home side extended their lead even further just before the break courtesy of O’Riordan for her hat trick.

Avondale pressed forward looking for the morale-boosting goal but were denied by the post twice in as many minutes early in the second half as it seemed that nothing was going their way.

Avondale keeper Beth McCarthy did well to block an incoming Caoimhe Richmond before the visitors scored their only goal of the match when Lola Curham slotted the ball home from close range in the 53rdth minute, and almost had a second moments later when Helen McCarthy drove through the centre only to be denied by Shauna Richmond in the Riverstown goal.

Beth McCarthy saved well again from Caoimhe Richmond before Riverstown’s Lily O’Riordan added another two goals midway through the second half to seal a good performance from the home side and a commendable showing from debutants Avondale.

RIVERSTOWN: Shauna Richmond, Emma Cotter, Aoife O’Neill, Grainne Guest, Sophie Daly, Kelly Graham, Amelia Doyle, Lucy Moriarty, Caoimhe Richmond, Nora McGlynn, Lily O’Riordan, Sarah Long, Kate McGarry, Ellie Carey, Claudia O’Callaghan. 
AVONDALE: Beth McCarthy, Roisin McGonigle Walsh, Chloe Riordan, Elizabeth Murphy, Andrea Toye, Elle Donovan, Lola Curham, Ellen Collins, Helen McCarthy, Debbie McCarthy, Ruby Lee, Hannah Cronnin Referee: Aoife O’Brien