SOLID AWAY DRAW FOR ROVERS WOMEN’S TEAM AS THEY CONTAIN SHELS THEGAME
SSE Airtricity
Women’s Premier Division Shelbourne 0 Sligo Rovers 0
THE Sligo Rovers senior women’s team kicked off their season last Saturday with a 0-0 draw away to Shelbourne in Tolka Park.
Chances were always likely to be at a premium for the visitors in this SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division clash and, indeed, Shelbourne enjoyed the lion’s share of possession.
But it was the structure and discipline of Rovers in their defensive efforts that made this a promising foundation to build on for the campaign.
There was two managerial debuts in the respective dugouts as Tommy Hewitt took charge of Rovers for the first time in a competitive fixture while Eoin Wearen, a former Sligo Rovers senior men’s midfielder who played at The Showgrounds in 2015, took charge of Shels’ for the first time.
There was also Rovers’ first team debuts for Muireann Devaney, Kelsey Munroe and Zoe McGlynn who all arrived during the off-season, while Yvonne Hedigan, a Sligo native who signed from Bohemians, was named among the substitutes.
Hewitt also showed his faith in some of the team’s youngest players and was duly rewarded as 16-year-old duo Amber Hardy and Keeva Flynn both excelled.
Rovers survived an early scare when Noelle Murray connected with the Rovers rearguard, they went with the alternative of shooting from long-range. Veteran Noelle Murray saw an opening 25 yards from goal and drew an excellent save from Rovers netminder Amber Hardy.
There was no let up from Shels who tried different approaches to breaking Rovers down, but it was at this point when Muireann Devaney’s reading of the game really began to come into play as she found herself time and again in the right place at the right time to cut a number of potentially dangerous passes that could otherwise have unlocked the defence. Shelbourne’s most inspirational player in the firsthalf was Noelle Murra, who once again looked to make the difference with a fine effort from distance, but it was again met by another great Amber Hardy save.
The start of the second-half saw Rovers battling higher up the pitch, with Muireann Devaney continuing to be at the heart of everything good about this side’s performance while teenager Keeva did not look out of place in defence as she found herself
BEST FOR ROVERS: Muireann
Devaney. The Manorhamilton native’s return was hailed as a real marquee signing and her first team debut certainly lived up to expectation as she put in a massive performance to help keep the shape of the team together and popped up all over the pitch to win some key duels.
TURNING POINT: A fine first-half. One of the unfortunate themes of Rovers’ first two seasons in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division was the concession of goals late in both halves. Getting to half-time with their goal intact and the confidence of a superb defensive performance undoubtedly went a long way towards this well-earned point.
a corner. Her scuffed shot was on target but hooked off the line by Zoe McGlynn.
Shelbourne dictated much of the early play but otherwise struggled to create any clear-cut chances, owing to the work and shape of the Bit O’Red defence to limit Shels’ influence in the final third.
When they couldn’t play through comfortably dealing with more pot shots from distance by the hosts.
Shels finally carved out an opening after 67 minutes when a ball fizzed in from the left flank found Noelle Murray with the goal at her mercy, but Rovers would breathe a sigh of relief as the ball was just too far ahead of her to make sufficient contact to divert it into the back of the net.
The hosts had a chance to nick all three points in the dying minutes. A wicked cross from Keri Letmon found Jemma Quinn in the box but her excellent first-time shot away but it struck the foot of the right post. Rovers could have snatched victory even later when substitute Alice Lillie played Emma Doherty into space in the box but her chance was superbly blocked by Maggie Pierce.
Rovers are next in action in the Women’s Premier Division on Saturday, March 30, when they host Connacht rivals Galway United. Before that they’ve an All-Island Cup Group ‘D’ first round fixture – against Galway – on Saturday week, March 23
(The Showgrounds, 7pm).
Muireann Devaney
Amber Hardy, Keri Loughrey (Eimear Lafferty 84), Amy Roddy, Keeva Flynn, Kelsey Munroe, Emma Hansberry
(c), Muireann Devaney, Zoe McGlynn, Jodie Loughrey (Alice Lillie 88), Paula McGrory (Jessica Casey 81), Emma Doherty
Subs not used: Bonnie McKiernan (gk), Yvonne Hedigan, Sarah Kiernan, Kate Nugent, Lauren Devaney, Ciara Henry Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan, Keeva Keenan (Kerri Letmon 71), Maggie Pierce, Jess Gargan, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle (Mia Dodd 83), Alex Kavanagh, Hannah Healy (Rona McLoughlin 61), Christie Gray, Noelle Murray, Rebecca Devereux (Jemma Quinn 61)
Subs not used: Caoimhe Magee (c), Nia Hannon, Katie McCarn, Lucy O’Rourke, Leah Riley
Referee: Alan Patchell
The number of new faces to The Showgrounds who started for Rovers against Shels last Saturday.