Both our Under 19 sides maintained their 100% records this past Sunday at the Showgrounds and stretched their lead at the top of their respective league tables.
Josh Mulrennan scored the game’s only goal against Shelbourne, his second in consecutive weeks since returning from injury, to make it three wins from three at the top of the Elite league. Rovers’ Under 19’s have conceded just once in those three games and boast the 2nd best defensive record (after Bohemian FC) in the country since the initial campaign got underway at the end of June. The lads next face a trip to Dublin on Sunday to take on the current bottom side, UCD. The students drew 1-1 at home to Cobh Ramblers this weekend to pick up their first point after successive defeats to Shamrock Rovers and Derry City.
Ella Vahey, Sarah Kiernan and Eimear McIntyre helped Rovers U19 Women to a 3-1 win at the Sean Fallon Centre also on Sunday evening, as they too made it three wins from three in the Shield Group A. Rovers lead the 4-team group by three points at the halfway stage and only need a further four points to guarantee a place in the Shield Semi-Finals. Next up for our women is a Sunday trip to Donegal, a repeat of the group opener that Rovers won 2-1 in August.
Eimear McIntyre had a weekend to remember as she was also on the scoresheet some 26 hours earlier, this time in a frantic 3-3 draw between Rovers U17 Women and DLR Waves. Rebecca Doddy hit her 8th in as many weeks and Brigit O’Reilly scored her first of the season to keep Rovers top of the table on goal difference ahead of Greystones. Rovers meet Greystones away in the Woodlands next Saturday where the hosts have yet to taste victory this summer, drawing two and losing the other three.
Gary Farren scored once again for Rovers U15, his 5th goal in five games, but it wasn’t enough as the lads were beaten 2-1 by Klub Kildare at the Sean Fallon Centre early Sunday afternoon. It was the second 2-1 reverse in succession and leaves the boys with just one point from three games. Rovers are back in action in three weeks time (Oct. 10th) at home to Longford in a must-win game, while hoping for a favour in the other games, if we are to stand any chance of qualifying for the Quarter Finals.
A similar but less daunting prospect faces the U14 side after a 1-1 draw with Kildare on Saturday afternoon at the same venue. Cillian O’Neill scored Rovers only goal for the second week running to add to his equaliser last week in Athlone. It means Rovers sit 3rd after three games and must beat Longford at home (Oct. 9th) on the final day of the season to reach the Quarter Finals. Athlone and Kildare are the only sides who can prevent Rovers from finishing top 3 but they face each other in Westmeath on the final day to leave our fate in our own hands.
Richard Mullan