Just two of our Academy teams remain in action in The 2021 season, with our Women’s Under 17 and Men’s Under 19 teams both playing in Dublin this weekend.

It’s League Semi-Final day for our Women’s team tomorrow at AUL Complex against Shelbourne. Aaron O’ Connor’s side face The Dubliners having finished second in the initial group phase of the competition.

The girls have enjoyed a brilliant season and will be confident going into the game that they can reach the final.

On Sunday, Our Men’s Under 19’s travel to Tallaght Stadium to take on Shamrock Rovers at 3pm. This is the final game of the season for the lads, who can be proud of their efforts in 2021. A win could see Rovers finish as high as second in the table whereas the hosts can win the league with a victory.

Best of luck to both teams

Our Under 19 men’s hopes of winning the Elite League were ended on Sunday afternoon at home to Derry City. Having led the league since the opening day, two defeats on the spin had seen us slip from first to third in recent weeks. It meant this game became a must-win before a final day trip to leaders Shamrock Rovers next Sunday. Derry sat one place and one point behind us after defeat to Cork last weekend but arrived in celebratory mood following their EA Sports cup final win over Bohemians on Thursday night. Like Rovers however, defeat would have signaled the end of their campaign before a final day reunion with the side they just beat on penalties.

It was a predictably cagey opening ten minutes only made notable for how often the referee’s whistle was blowing despite a couple of fairly innocuous challenges. One such decision on 12 minutes led to a free kick 40 yards from goal wide on the left. With the City defence expecting a cross, Kailan Barlow cheekily aimed a shot at the near post that bounced a foot wide and had the Derry keeper scrambling. That buoyed Rovers and moments later Barlow threaded a perfect pass to Josh Mulrennan, inside the right back, but his shot was dragged wide of the far post. We were clearly on top now as Cillian Heaney broke at speed down the right. He beat two players before crossing for Barlow unmarked in the centre but the ball was just half an inch too high as it skidded off the playmakers head and out for a goal kick.

The game came to a standstill just after the quarter hour when Derry midfielder (No.35) landed awkwardly high on his shoulder and neck. Thankfully though, he was up and walking around shortly after being substituted. The long delay meant the game receded back to how it began with no real chances created until the stroke of half time. Rovers had two corners and a succession of throws before losing possession and allowing the away side to break. Derry worked it well out wide to (No.2) who squared for Michael Harris to roll home the opener. Barlow incredibly smacked the crossbar straight from kick off as Rovers sought an instant response but went in 0-1 at the interval.

One goal five minutes before the break was followed by another five minutes afterwards. A ball through the middle of the pitch was cleverly flicked forward by (No.33) and immediately released Orrin McLaughlin. He was already on the turn and raced in on the home goal before smashing it off the inside of the far post and doubling City’s lead.

Mulrennan and Sean McAteer were replaced by Aidan McHale and Jason Devaney as Rovers pushed forward and Derry began to retreat. A wonderful pass from Peter Maguire over the top fell right in the path of the marauding left back Darragh Ellison, he got a touch to the ball before being wiped out just inside the area and the referee took no time to correctly award a penalty. Barlow scored to make it 1-2 with 20 minutes still to play.

It was all Rovers now as we forced several corners that caused panic in the City defence. Eanna Clancy had several shots blocked as did substitute Ciaran Jennings. The best chance though, fell to Barlow four minutes from time. The ball wasn’t cleared properly from a corner, and it fell to the Rovers’ number 10 who found himself through on goal just a few yards out and at a slight angle. Derry waited on an offside flag that wasn’t coming as Barlow shot low but without much power and the keeper managed to get across and push it wide. More corners and free kicks followed but to no avail while Derry twice broke and amazingly hit the crossbar with a shot from distance on each occasion. City effectively wasted time near the home goal as added time ticked away and the game came to an end. Bohemians 2-1 victory over St. Patrick’s Athletic moved them to the top of the league and four points clear of the Bit O’ Red with just one game to play.

Richard Mullan

Our Academy season is now coming towards it’s end as we have just two teams still playing out their respective seasons.

Our Under 17 Women’s team are in action next Saturday in their League Semi-Final away to Shelbourne at The AUL Complex.

Aaron O’ Connor’s side finished second in the initial group stage to qualify for the Semi-Final after a final day defeat to DLR Waves last weekend.

This weekend however sees our Under 19 men’s team host Derry City at 2pm on Sunday at The Sean Fallon Centre. The Candystripes are fresh from winning the Under 19 Cup midweek against Bohemians after a penalty shoot out at The Brandywell.

Rovers were beaten 3-0 by St Patrick’s Athletic last Sunday and know a win is needed to bring their league title hopes to the final day next weekend against Shamrock Rovers.

Admission is free on Sunday and all support is greatly welcome.

Our Under 19 men’s team is sponsored by EJ Menswear who are situated on Grattan Street in Sligo Town and online at ejmenswear.com

Four games took place across the weekend with both male and female Under 17 & Under 19 teams in action.

Our Under 17 men’s team hosted Cavan Monaghan on Saturday at The Sean Fallon Centre knowing a win was required to have any chance of progressing to the Semi-Final.

The team did their bit winning 6-0 with two goals from Michael Clifford and a goal each from Shane Rooney, Conor Cannon, Aaron Heaney and Daire McCarthy. This meant Rovers would need a favour from Finn Harps against UCD however it wasn’t to be as The Dubliners won 6-4 in Donegal and secured second spot in the group.

Our Under 17 women’s team travelled to UCD to take on DLR Waves in a game they needed to draw to secure a Semi-Final spot. The girls gave it their all but ended up losing 3-0 on the day, meaning their season came to an end, finishing in third place.

On Sunday afternoon our Under 19 men’s team faced St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin. The lads were in top spot going into the game against The Saints, who had just returned from their UEFA Youth League exit during the week. The home team were clinical in front of goal and ran out 3-0 winners.

Our women’s Under 19 team hosted Bohemian FC at The Sean Fallon Centre in their league Semi-Final. A large crowd were in attendance in what promised to be an entertaining game. The away side led 1-0 at half-time in a tight and cagey affair with both teams having chances. Bohs scored twice in the second half to secure a spot in the Final on a scoreline of 3-0.

Well done to all the squad and management of our Under 17 men’s and Under 19 women’s teams on their commitment throughout the season and a big thanks also to the families of all the players for their support. Their season’s are now finished and can look ahead to a break before coming back for more in 2022.

This weekend sees our Mens and Womens Under 17 & 19 teams all in action across Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, Our Under 17 women travel to Dublin to take on DLR Waves at 3pm on The UCD Sports Campus. With the team already qualified for the League Semi-Final, a point will guarantee top spot in the group against the second placed Dubliners. The sides played out a highly entertaining three all draw in the return game at The Showgrounds.

At 2pm our Under 17 mens team host Cavan/Monaghan at The Sean Fallon Centre. The lads are third in the league table going into the game, with the visitors behind them on goal difference.

Qualification for the Semi-Finals are still up for grabs. A win for Rovers along with defeat for UCD against Finn Harps would see The Bit O’ Red leap frog the College into second place. If UCD draw, Rovers will need to win by three goals or more in order to advance.

On Sunday, our Under 19 Women’s team host Bohemian FC in the League Semi-Final. This promises to be a great occasion for the squad who will play at home on The Sean Fallon Centre at 2pm. The sides drew earlier in the season however Rovers picked up the three points as the away side unfortunately played an ineligble player on the day.

Rovers go into the game having topped the original group and finished off last weekend with a 3-2 win over Carlow/Kilkenny.

Admission is free and we encourage all supporters to come out and get behind the team.

Our Under 19 men’s team also play on Sunday at 2pm in a massive group game against St Patrick’s Athletic. The Saints are just returning from their UEFA Youth League defeat to Crvena Zvezda during the week. Rovers lost to Bohemian FC last time out and need a result to remain on top of the group going into the last two games. The game takes place in Tolka Rovers ground in Dublin.

Both of our women’s teams took centre stage at the Showgrounds on Saturday and Sunday as our four male academy sides had the weekend off. Two fantastic days saw ten goals scored across two games, five in each, as Rovers won by the odd goal in both and booked their respective places in the Shield Semi-Finals.

After tasting defeat for the first time in seven games last time out, our WU17s bounced back to beat Greystones United 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at the Sean Fallon Centre. Having won 2-0 in Dublin three weeks ago, Rovers completed a league double over United to ensure qualification for the Semi-Finals with one game to spare. Orna Murphy struck first and Jessica Casey’s brace secured the three points and kept us top of the table by that same margin. We face DLR Waves (2^nd on 7pts) in the final group game next weekend needing just a draw to guarantee top spot while that result might not be enough for our opponents as they could yet be overtaken by Greystones or Athlone Town. Finishing first would mean home advantage for the Semi-Final so there’s plenty for us still to play for.

Twenty-Four hours later and it was the WU19s turn to celebrate. Goals from Sarah Kiernan, Kate Nugent and Helen Monaghan helped Rovers to a 3-2 win over Carlow/Kilkenny at the Sean Fallon Centre. It was our 5^th win in the 6^th and final group game and assured us of 1^st place as we finished three points clear of Donegal in second. The result also means Rovers will have the advantage of hosting the Semi-Final at the Showgrounds. Bohemians will be our opponents after they beat Bray 4-0 yesterday to take the runners-up spot in Group B. Hopefully the result will be the same as it was on June 27^th of this year when the sides last met in the First League phase, Rovers running out 3-0 winners on that occasion.

Richard Mullan

It will be a quiet weekend on the pitch this week as just two fixtures take place at The Sean Fallon Centre on Saturday and Sunday.

There are no men’s fixtures this weekend so both women’s teams are in action, with The Under 17’s hosting Greystones at 2pm on Saturday.

The girls are in first place in the group table with three games remaining. Victory here would set them up well going into the last two matches. The visitors are currently in second spot.

On Sunday at 2pm, our Under 19 women’s team host Carlow/Kilkenny on the astro.

Our Under 19’s are also currently in top spot, with a point guaranteeing that position as this is the final group match. The visitors are in third spot behind Donegal on goal difference.

In other news, Under 19 men’s defender Peter Maguire has been named as Player of the Month for September. Peter featured in wins over Cork City, Cobh Ramblers, Shelbourne and UCD as he and his team mates are in top spot in The Under 19 Elite group.

On Saturday afternoon, our U14 ‘s finished their season in style by beating Longford Town 4-0 at the Sean Fallon Centre. Conor Langan (twice) and Cillian O’Neill were once again on the scoresheet to add to a strike from Johnny Mcguinn. Rovers went into the game needing a win to guarantee 3^rd place in the group but, unfortunately, results elsewhere went against the boys denying them a spot in the Quarter Finals as a best placed team. A slow start to the summer saw the team fail to win any of their first five games but performances and results improved tremendously to the point that they finished the season with a record of four wins and two draws from the final eight games.

Later that day at the same venue our WU17’s suffered defeat for the first time in their own Shield group, going down 2-0 to Athlone Town. The result could have gone either way but the girls can still take solace in the fact that they remain top of the table after four rounds. A draw between Greystones and DLR Waves means Rovers remain two points clear of the former and three ahead of the latter with two rounds of games to play.

Their U17 male counterparts were in action on Saturday evening also, travelling to Baldonnell to take on UCD. It was another tight game where Rovers were once again unlucky to be beaten, this time by just the odd goal in three, Michael Clifford with the consolation. UCD therefore leapfrog Rovers into 2^nd place with one game remaining and two points between the teams. The final round of fixtures take place on October 23^rd when Rovers host Cavan/Monaghan in a must-win game. UCD travel to Donegal that day to take on Finn Harps and we will need a favour from our neighbours if we are to make the Semi-Finals.

Sunday afternoon and the Sean Fallon Centre saw our U15 side completely mirror the U14’s from the day prior. Another 4-0 win for Rovers, once again against Longford Town, but unfortunately for the second day running it wasn’t going to be enough to qualify for the Quarter Finals. Cillian McGing scored his first ever league double for Sligo Rovers as Daire Patton and regular goalscorer Gary Farren completed the scoring as the U15’s campaign came to a close.

Finally, it was a tough trip to Dublin for the U19’s as they were beaten for the first time in the Elite league this season. Josh Mulrennan scored once again but Bohemians 3-1 victory at St. Aidan’s CBS ended the last unbeaten record in the league and helped the hosts close the gap to Rovers at the top to just two points. Derry City beat Shelbourne and moved 2^nd just one point behind Rovers with four rounds of fixtures to play in what should be a really exciting run-in.

Richard Mullan

The latest International window sees The Republic of Ireland competing at many age groups since Thursday with Rovers’ having five players representing their country in important European Qualifiers.

On Thursday, at Turners Cross in Cork, Ireland Under 17’s defeated Andorra 5-0 with Conor Walsh playing 90 minutes in goal. Walsh recently signed his first professional contract with the club and continues to impress on the international stage. Under 17 defender Daniel Kelly, fresh from his goal against Finn Harps last weekend, was among the substitutes. The pair will again be available for selection tomorrow evening as Ireland host North Macedonia at 7pm at the same venue. The team also host Poland three days later in their final game of the window.

Johnny Kenny, Niall Morahan and Luke McNicholas (on loan at Cliftonville FC) are part of the Ireland Under 21 squad who travel to Montenegro today ahead of Tuesday’s European Qualifier in Podgorica. The side defeated Luxembourg 2-0 yesterday at Tallaght Stadium. Former Rovers academy graduate Liam Kerrigan, currently at UCD, started the game and impressed as he helped earn his side a first half penalty. Kenny was also included in Tom Mohan’s Ireland Under 19 squad for a training camp in Spain this week, however his Under 21 call up means he will travel to Montenegro instead.

Tuesday’s game kicks off at 4.30pm.

Our 500 Club Committee have held the monthly members 500 Club draw for August and September with €2,800 handed out between twenty supporters.

The 500 Club continues to be one of our most important fundraisers with over 500 supporters making monthly contributions.

To join The 500 Club you can visit https://srfcdirect.com/fundraising/500-club/ or by emailing michaelclancy04@gmail.com with your name and contact details.

         August Winners:

€500 – Michael McTiernan, Oakfield Crescent

€100 – John Kavanagh, Hazelwood

€100 – Padraig McKeown, Howth Road, Dublin

€100 – Seamus Breslin, Knock, Co. Mayo

€100 – Mary McGowan, Marymount, Sligo

€100 – Shane Martin, Park Rd, Monaghan

€100 – Keith Patterson, Carney, Co. Sligo

€100 – Seamus Gallagher, Crossmolina, Co. Mayo

€100 – Raymond Shorthall, Kells, Co. Meath

€100 – Dermot O’ Hara, Calry, Sligo

        September winners

€500 – Michael Phelan, Ballisodare, Co. Sligo

€100 – Joe Gallagher, Gallagher Parade, Sligo

€100 – John Needham, Hazelwood, Sligo

€100 – Mark Heraghty, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

€100 – Con Cullen, Surrey, England

€100 – Sean Feeney, Stradbally, Co. Laois

€100 – Marcus White, First Sea Road, Sligo

€100 – David Taylor, Dunally, Co. Sligo

€100 – Ultan Mulvihill, First Sea Road, Sligo

€100 – Christy Murphy, Drum, Kilsellagh, Sligo

We would like to thank The 500 Club Committee for their continued hard work and support of the club and to all 500 Club members for their participation in this important fundraiser.