Louise Corrigan knows keeping Wexford Youths’ ace striker Rianna Jarrett quiet at the Aviva Stadium this afternoon will be half the battle in Peamount United completing a coveted double.
Maintaining the focus and desire they’ve shown since the start of the season that’s already delivered the Só Hotels Women’s National League championship will be the other ingredient.
Peamount have beaten Youths in their three league clashes this year as they wrested the title from Tom Elmes’ double winners of 2018.
But they were very tight games, decided by just the one goal, as was the case in last year’s FAI Cup final - the last time Youths beat the Newcastle side.
A showcase loss that just gives further incentive to Corrigan and her team-mates as they strive to exact revenge.
While they started the season well, losing goal poacher supreme Amber Barrett to FC Koln of the Frauen-Bundesliga mid-season looked a major blow to Peamount.
If anything, though, it strengthened their resolve as Ireland international Barrett has scarcely been missed.
“We built ourselves up this year and we’re bigger and stronger than last season,” said central defender Corrigan.
“We had one goal in mind and that’s to win. We’ve done that with the league title.
“The spirit within the camp has been great. Even though losing Amber was disheartening.
“But we stepped up and delivered in every game and we’re here today.”
And Corrigan is relishing renewing rivalries with Barrett's Ireland team-mate Jarrett who, though she topscored with 26 goals in the league this year, has failed to find the net against Peas in their three meetings to date.
“She’s a really, good, strong player and the one I’ll be sitting on,” said Corrigan.
“A tough player to follow and mark. But we’ve a strong team all round and it’s not necessarily about individuals, but which team performs the best on the day.
“Last year we felt that things didn’t go our way on the pitch and that was mentally draining.
“But we’re fitter physically and mentally this year and raring to go.”
For Youths’ skipper Kylie Murphy today is about redeeming a, so far, trophy-less season after winning the treble in 2018.
“I suppose it’s hard to stay on top. We’ve taken a bit of a dip this year,” said midfielder Murphy.
“It would be easy to say we’ve lost players, or this, that and the other.
“But we actually haven’t. We simply haven’t performed consistently well enough as we would have hoped.
“That’s all it’s been down to. And It’s all about making amends for that today.”
With neither side reporting any injury concerns, both expect to be at full strength.
If you haven't already, be sure to like our Irish Mirror Sport and Irish Mirror GAA pages on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
