By John Kenny at Richmond Park
Raheny United 0-4 Bristol Academy WFC
Raheny United will have it all to do in the second leg of their last-32 UEFA Women’s Champions League tie having suffered a 4-0 defeat to Bristol Academy.
The English side created the better chances over the 90 minutes and Raheny were grateful to their Irish international keeper Niamh Reid-Burke, who pulled off a string of fine saves, for keeping the score down.
It leaves the Irish side with a mountain to climb in the second leg, which takes place at Aston Gate, the home of Bristol City next Thursday.
The North Dublin side started well and created problems for Bristol early on, the best chance for Raheny falling to Rachel Graham, who shot over from the edge of the area,
But Bristol settled and Raheny defender Niamh Walsh almost presented the English side with a goal on 12 minutes as she very nearly turned a cross into her own net.
Reid-Burke then produced a brilliant close-range save on the midway point of the first half, coming quickly off her line to block a first-time shot by Natalia Pablos Sanchon.
And the pressure paid off as Bristol took the lead in the 29th minute after Graham lost possession in midfield. The ball was worked forward quickly to Welsh international Natasha Harding, who hammered the opener past Reid-Burke from inside the area.
Pablos Sanchon, the former Spanish International, almost made it 2-0 five minutes later as she shot across Reid Burke’s goal, just missing the far post and it remained 1-0 at the break.
Academy continued their dominance in the second half with Reid-Burke once again coming to United’s rescue with a one-handed tip-over save from Nicola Watts on the hour mark. Raheny then introduced Irish Under-19 international Clare Shine into the fray.
For all their pressure, however, Bristol almost conceded an equaliser in the 70th minute but for a fine one-handed save by their goalkeeper Mary Earps after Pearl Slattery got her head to a Noelle Murphy free kick.
But Bristol extended their lead on 78 minutes when Reid-Burke pushed a Nicola Watts shot onto the crossbar and Harding followed up to score
To rub salt into the Raheny wounds, Watts scored Bristol's third with an injury-time penalty after Pablos Sanchon was taken down in the area by Slattery, and a Sanchon header moments later completed the scoring for the visitors.
The eventual victors will play the winners of the Barcelona/Slavia Prague tie, the first leg of which takes place in Spain next Wednesday.
Raheny United: Niamh Reid-Burke, Keeva Keenan (Lauren Dywer 40) Niamh Walsh Clare Conlon (Sinead O’Farrelly 80) Pearl Slattery,Rachel Graham, Siobhan Killeen, Rebecca Creagh (capt), Katie McCabe, Noelle Murray, Danielle Sheehy (Clare Shine 55).
