League leaders Galway dropped their first points of the season as the pretenders to the throne and reigning Champions were forced to settle for a point in a hotly contested clash at a chilly PRL Park.
Despite being down a host of bodies James O'Callaghan's side, six points behind the flying visitors at kick-off, cleverly altered their set up from their usual 4-2-3-1, opting for a three at the back that saw the likes of skipper Karen Duggan dropping into the heart of the defence, as well as hard working striker Ellen Dolan starting in the middle of the park.
The visitors, boasting the league's top two scorers in Julie-Ann Russell and Jenna Slattery, looked comfortable in possession early as both sides cancelled each other out. Both keepers remained untested in the first half, although Irish International Erin McLoughlin flashed a shot across goal having shown great pace to get in behind.
In a tense affair, Lynsey McKey went close next for the visitors, smashing her shot from the right hand side of the area that narrowly missed the far top corner.
And just before the break Jetta Berrill, having been slipped through by McLoughlin down the right, burst into the area and looked in on goal but shot just past the near post.
The second half was a slightly more open affair, with the sense that just one goal might be enough for either side.
Just after the hour mark Irish U-19 International Freya Healy raced clear on goal - latching onto Avril Brierly’s clever flick - but was brilliantly denied by Canadian centre back Jamie Erickson as she was about to pull the trigger inside the box. And from the resulting short corner Healy turned well before smashing straight at the commanding Jessica Berlin.
The game began to open with both teams going all out for the victory. Fellow Irish International Jess Fitzgerald struck sweetly from the edge of the area narrowly missing the target.
The Galwegians responded well to the bout of pressure and were unlucky not to get in front when Eve Dossan rose highest in the area to knock the ball down to the feet of Rola Olusola but with her back to goal from two-yards out, saw her back heel eventually cleared.
As the game entered the dying embers both sides went agonisingly close to snatching the win. Following a well worked 30-yard free kick in which Peas midfielder Fitzgerald cleverly slipped in Ellen Dolan much to everyone’s surprise, the angle just got the better of the attacker but still managed to get a shot away.
And straight down the other end went the visitors who saw Aoibheann Costello’s cross from the left wing almost creep into the top corner forcing Niamh Reid-Burke to tip over.
Despite their best, and tireless efforts, both sides were forced to share the points on this occasion with a truly exciting title race building nicely.
Elsewhere, Bohemians beat Treaty United 2-1 at Dalymount Park, with Sarah Power and Savannah Kane scoring either side of a Katie Lawlee goal for the visitors.
Shelbourne won 1-0 away at Wexford, thanks to a first-half goal from their captain Pearl Slattery, while a Colleen Kennedy goal saw Cork City get the better of Sligo Rovers on their own turf by the same scoreline.
Athlone Town won 3-0 at home to DLR Waves, thanks to three first-half goals. Roisin Molloy got the opener after just two minutes, before Chloe Singleton added a brace before the break.
Peamount United: Niamh Reid-Burke, Lauryn O’Callaghan, Jetta Berrill, Rebecca Watkins , Erin McLoughlin, Freya Healy, Jess Fitzgerald, Ellan Dolan, Karen Duggan, Avril Brierley (Louise Masterson, 82’), Toni Marie Ceno
Galway United: Jessica Berlin, Aoibheann Costello, Isabella Beletic, Jamie Erickson, Jenna Slattery, Kate Thompson, Rolake Olusola (Emily Kavanaugh, 82’), Lynsey McKey, Julie-Ann Russell, Therese Kinnevey, Eve Dossen (Emma Duffy, 82’)
Referee: Alan Franklin
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