The English transfer window was a slow burner, but come the end of it six Irish players found themselves on the move, Tara O’Hanlon’s switch from Peamount United to Manchester City the eye-catching one. Abbie Larkin and Izzy Atkinson left Glasgow City and West Ham, respectively, for Crystal Palace in the Championship, Jessie Stapleton joined Reading on loan from West Ham, Megan Campbell put a frustrating spell with Everton behind her when she linked up with the sizeable Irish contingent at London City Lionesses, while Kate Mooney ended a fruitless five-month spell with Lewes by moving to Scottish Premiership side Hearts – for whom she scored on her debut on Sunday.
Despite all the chat about Denise O’Sullivan upping sticks from North Carolina Courage and heading for Europe – Chelsea, Manchester City, Lyon and PSG having been rumoured to be among her suitors – she remains in the United States. As does Sinead Farrelly whose contract at NWSL champions Gotham has been renewed, Kyra Carusa’s stay at San Diego Wave has also extended. Marissa Sheva, though, is now looking for a new club after confirmation that she has been released by Washington Spirit.
Having made her debut for Palace a week ago, Atkinson capped an excellent display on Sunday with the first of their goals in a 2-1 win away to Southampton, a result that keeps them firmly in the Championship promotion hunt. After their winning streak, though, Birmingham’s gallop was halted by Watford, Louise Quinn and Lily Agg both missing the game through injury. Quinn is the bigger worry, having dislocated her shoulder a week before, making her an unlikely inclusion in Eileen Gleeson’s squad for the Republic of Ireland’s two friendlies later this month, away to Italy and at home to Wales.
In more positive centre half news, Niamh Fahey’s road to recovery after injury gathers pace, the Galway woman starting just her second game of the season on Sunday in Liverpool’s WSL draw with Spurs, while Manchester United’s Aoife Mannion is back in training with the club’s under-21 side after yet another lengthy spell on the sidelines that cost her a place in Ireland’s World Cup squad last summer. And Liverpool’s Leanne Kiernan was back in action too on Sunday for the first time since mid-December, a hip problem keeping her out since then.
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The shock result of the weekend was Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at West Ham, which put a sizeable dent in their title challenge. Katie McCabe missed the game through suspension but while Jess Ziu started for West Ham, she limped out of it after 39 minutes. An historic game it was too, West Ham becoming the first WSL side to field an eleven without a single English player.
Over in Belgium, meanwhile, defender Claire O’Riordan, dropped from the Irish squad of late, like her team-mate Amber Barrett, helped Standard Liège to their seventh clean sheet in their last eight games, their 2-0 away to White Star keeping them level on points at the top of the Super League table with Leuven.
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