Rovers girls host first home game
OVER 200 YOUNG GIRLS ATTEND FOOTBALL FEST AT THE SHOWGROUNDS.
THE result may not have gone the way of the Sligo Rovers Women’s Under 17 team, but Saturday was about the bigger picture.
Prior to kick-off in the girls’ first home game at The Showgrounds, over 200 young girls from the region took part in the ‘FIFA Live Your Goals’ football festival.
A large proportion of the young football enthusiasts stayed to watch the Rovers girls take on Galway having defeated Peamount in the opening game of the season last weekend.
Galway, tipped by many to win the league, ran out 2-0 winners on the day thanks to goals from Anna Fahey and Kayla Brady.
Despite scoreline, Rovers were not too far off their opponents on the day, and Head-Coach Damon Kearney feels there were positives to take from the game, and the day as a whole.
“It’s a great day for the club. We were up against very good opposition in Galway. Overall, there are things we can improve on but we’re quite happy with the performance as well. Our main objective is not to worry about results but the performance. There is a lot of potential in this squad that we have. Galway physically are ahead of us at the moment but I think there wasn’t a lot between the two teams. There are promising signs for the future especially when we have this young squad. To see so many young girls out at the festival earlier and for them to see so many girls in the Bit O’Red shirt and give them that aspiration to play for the club in the future.
“I think Galway are going to be there or thereabouts. They have got some really outstanding players, a lot of girls are involved in the international set up as well. Their centre-half is just back from being away with the Irish under 19s during the week so I suppose they have a good squad. In our section I would expect them to be at the top. I have a lot of belief in our group. I think they’re capable of going forward and getting into the top half.”
Kearney was delighted to see such a great atmosphere at the game, largely created by participants of the festival earlier in the day.
“It was a festival of football. It was great for the women’s game in the region. For too long it has been neglected. It’s been a fantastic day. The turn out was brilliant. These girls are role models for the younger generation, both Sligo Rovers and Galway. Today showed how good women’s football can be, especially in the western region so there are good signs for the future.”