Safe to say, none of the Irish abroad had a happier weekend of it than Ballinasloe’s Heather Payne, her already lengthy list of honours with Florida State University’s Seminoles stretching yet further on Sunday when she was part of the team that beat North Carolina 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference final.
On they march towards the national title, that tournament beginning next Friday.
Back on European soil, Irish captain Katie McCabe was part of the Arsenal team that maintained its perfect start to the Super League season, a 4-0 win against bottom club Leicester making it six wins out of six.
Goalkeeper Megan Walsh was the only other Irish player to end up on the winning side in the Super League, although while her Brighton side beat West Ham 5-4, that made it 12 goals conceded by her in their last two games after the previous week’s 8-0 trouncing by Spurs, which led to manager Hope Powell’s resignation.
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Izzy Atkinson came on as a sub for West Ham in that defeat, while Diane Caldwell was on the losing side in Reading’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, a result that leaves them second from bottom in the table, level with Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell’s Liverpool who were beaten 1-0 at home by Aston Villa.
In the English Championship, meanwhile, two goals from Louise Quinn couldn’t save Birmingham from a 3-2 defeat away to London City Lionesses in a game that saw the respective squads feature seven Republic of Ireland internationals – Quinn, Lucy Quinn, Jamie Finn, Harriet Scott and Eleanor Ryan-Doyle for Birmingham, and Hayley Nolan and Lily Agg for London City.
On the continent, Tyler Toland made her La Liga debut for Levante when she came on as a sub in their 3-0 win at home to Sporting Huelva, a result that keeps them in third place in the table, level with Atletico Madrid and seven points behind Barcelona who lead the way with eight wins out of eight, their latest a 4-0 win over Real Madrid.
No joy, though, for Amber Barrett who was finally released from her right-back role with the Bundesliga’s Potsdam, playing up front against SGS Essen in a 2-1 defeat that leaves Potsdam bottom of the table.
Kyra Carusa had a happier weekend of it, scoring the first goal in reigning champions HB Koge’s 3-0 win away to Sundby to stay five points clear at the top of the Danish table.
