The year goes from good to exceptional for Irish captain Katie McCabe who marked her 100th English Super League appearance for Arsenal on Sunday evening by being part of the team that won a record 13 league games in a row by beating West Ham 3-1.
She was just one of the two Republic of Ireland players, out of six starters, who ended up on the winning side in the latest round of Super League fixtures, Reading’s Diane Caldwell playing her part in a remarkable bottom-of-the-table meeting with Leicester, Rachel Rowe scoring twice in stoppage time to give Reading their first win of the season.
No joy elsewhere, though, not least with three of the Irish squad’s goalkeepers. Megan Walsh had a day she’ll want to erase from her memory, Brighton thrashed 8-0 by Spurs, Courtney Brosnan hadn’t a good time of it either in Everton’s 3-0 defeat on home turf by Manchester United, while Grace Moloney remains in exile at Reading, once again left out of the squad.
Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell, meanwhile, started for Liverpool in their fourth successive Super League defeat, losing 2-1 away to Manchester City.
Irish players had a happier time of it in the Championship, Birmingham City’s pair of Quinns, Louise and Lucy, getting the goals in their 2-1 win over Sheffield United to move them up to sixth in the table, while Bristol City stay top after a 2-0 win away to Charlton, Chloe Mustaki creating the first of their goals from a corner.
On the continent, captain Kyra Carusa led HB Koge to a 4-0 win over Farum to stay top of the Danish league, while Niamh Farrelly was a late sub for Parma in their scoreless draw away to Sampdoria. Amber Barrett, meanwhile, came off the bench for Potsdam in their 5-0 trouncing by Freiburg, a result that leaves them bottom of the Bundesliga.
