Disappointing end to learning curve of first campaign in the WNL
Rovers women lose at home to DLR Waves in their final game of 2022
SSE Airtricity WNL Series 27
Sligo Rovers
DLR Waves
S1 5
LIGO Rovers concluded their inaugural season in the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League with a 5-1 home defeat to DLR Waves at The Showgrounds on Saturday last. Kate Mooney was in inspired form for the visitors as she scored a hattrick, while Kate Malone and Amber Cosgrove scored a goal each. Lauren Boles netted a consolation goal for the Bit O’Red.
Earlier this season, DLR Waves were 3-0 winners over Rovers in the first ever WNL game played at The Showgrounds on March 12, before claiming a late 3-2 victory at home in May.
Rovers should have taken a fifth minute lead when a swift counter-attack saw Gemma McGuinness pick out Emma Doherty with a superb pass. Doherty’s effort was subsequently saved by Eve Badana.
DLR Waves made the hosts pay for that miss just four minutes later when a precision ball over the top by the highly impressive Kate Mooney
COMPOSURE: Amy Boyle Carr in action for Sligo Rovers last Saturday afternoon.
picked out Kate Malone who lobbed Amy Mahon with a shot from a tight angle to open the scoring.
Rovers found it hard to break down a well-organised DLR Waves side but it wasn’t for the want of trying.
Emma Doherty and Katie Melly
SKILL: Rovers winger Gemma McGuinness in action against DLR Waves last Saturday.
pressed high and often to force mistakes from the visitors, while Kerri O’Hara was always a danger on the break from right-back whenever she got her foot on the ball.
DLR Waves, who led 1-0 at half-time, had a perfect start to the second-half
ON THE MOVE: Emma Doherty, Rovers’ top scorer this season, takes on the DLR Waves defence. when Sophie Watters fed the ball to Kate Mooney who took one deft touch to take out her marker, Orna O’Dowd, and clear the path to goal before finishing from an acute angle.
Rovers responded well to this and really should have halved the deficit when Emma Doherty’s pass sent Katie Melly through one-on-one with goalkeeper Eve Badana who denied the Sligo native a first goal of the season. Just a minute later DLR Waves were gifted an opportunity to effectively put their likely win beyond doubt when Aife Haran conceded a penalty following a foul on Kate Mooney. It was Mooney that stepped up to take the spot-kick and she made no mistake to put the visitors 3-0 up.
With little under 20 minutes to play, Waves went further ahead as Kate Mooney completed her hat-trick. Kerri Letmon’s determined running down the left-flank saw her graft her way into the box before laying the ball off for Mooney who finished from close-range.
DLR Waves saved their best goal for last in the 80th minute when Rovers’ inability to deal with a ball into the box saw it eventually fall to substitute Amber Cosgrove, whose powerful strike found its way into the back of the net with the help of the underside of the crossbar.
Rovers kept plugging away and finally got something to show for their