By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers gave Women’s Premier Division title-chasing Shelbourne an uncomfortable 90 minutes at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening where a Kate Mooney hat-trick sealed victory for the Dublin side.

Leading by two goals midway through the opening half, Shelbourne looked set for a comfortable win, but the Sligo Rovers players hadn’t seen that script and got back into contention with the goal-of-the-game from Anna McDaniel before the interval.

While Shelbourne dictated and enjoyed lots of possession in the second-half, they were also uneasy at times.

That was evident when referee Kate O’Brien ignored pleas for a second-half penalty on the hour that resulted in a yellow card for goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan’s complaints from the other end of the pitch.

There was also a yellow card for Shelbourne defender Keeva Keenan in the closing stages, apparently for time-wasting at a goal-kick.

There was nothing sluggish about Shelbourne for the opening exchanges as they were lively and surged forward, intent on taking control .

Sligo Rovers ‘keeper Bonnie McKiernan made an early save and Cara King had a chance for the Bit O’Red, but was closed down quickly by a Shelbourne rearguard that was controlled by the impressive Pearl Slattery.

Shelbourne remained in the ascendancy and Keeva Flynn made a crucial interception in the sixth minute before Bonnie McKiernan saved from Roma McLaughlin.

After absorbing the Shelbourne onslaught, the Rovers rearguard was penalised and the Dublin side hit the front from a 20^th minute Kate Mooney penalty that just eluded Bonnie McKiernan and trickled into the net.

Mooney put Shelbourne into the comfort zone five minutes later when she claimed her second goal of the afternoon.

However, that comfort zone was only an illusion and the Dublin side had no answer to a mazy Anna McDaniel run on 31 minutes that left the Shelbourne ‘keeper picking the ball out of her net.

Trailing by a goal, the Bit O’Red resumed the second-half smartly and Anna McDaniel was narrowly wide in the 48^th minute.

Shelbourne countered and Mackenzie Anthony was denied by a fine Bonnie McKiernan save, but the crucial third goal arrived in the 65^th minute when Mooney finished from close range for her hat-trick.

Both sides made changes in the closing 20 minutes with Shelbourne substitute Gabriella Del Pico making an impact without hitting the target.

Anna McDaniel had a late chance for the hosts, but was narrowly off target and while the Dublin side deserved the victory, the Sligo Rovers performance will certainly boost confidence for next weekend’s WFAI Cup tie against DLR Waves at the Showgrounds.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Sarah Kiernan, Keeva Flynn, Alana Doherty, Eimear Lafferty, Emma Hansberry, Muireann Devaney, Katie Melly, Cara King, Anna McDaniel. Subs – Mairead McIntyre for Doherty 56 mins, Kya McKenna for King 68m, Róise Burke for Kelly, Lauren Devaney for Flynn and Morgan Burnap for Melly all 81m.

Shelbourne – Amanda McQuillan; Keeva Keenan, Nia Hannon, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle, Alex Kavanagh, Rachel Graham, Rebecca Devereux, Kate Mooney, Roma McLaughlin, Mackenzie Anthony. Subs – A Clancy for Graham and R Cooke for Devereux both 65 mins, G Del Pico for McLaughlin 71m, M Wollmer for Mooney and G Quinn for Doyle both 75m.

Referee – Kate O’Brien.

Assistant-referees – Shane O’Donoghue, Keenan Deering.

Fourth official – Mark Houlihan.

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers return to action in the Women’s Premier Division at the Showgrounds on Saturday against a Shelbourne side that could go top with a victory if Athlone Town fail to beat Peamount Utd later on Saturday evening.

That’s a big incentive for the Dublin women, but they won’t find it easy against a Sligo Rovers side that has demonstrated tremendous battling qualities despite an injury crisis that has sidelined a number of key players.

Shelbourne will be starting to like the journey to the Showgrounds as they make it back-to-back trips into the North West with a five-goal haul to their credit from the last outing a fortnight ago in the All-Island Cup.

Title-chasing Shelbourne’s top-of-the-table encounter against Athlone Town was rained-off last weekend while the Bit O’Red lost the bottom-of-the-table encounter against DLR Waves at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray.

While the Bit O’Red lost to Shelbourne and DLR Waves, there was a common theme that contributed to those results and that was squandered goal chances.

Against Shelbourne, the Bit O’Red could have had two goals in the opening three minutes and further chances were also wasted while there was a four-goal haul for Noelle Murray.

It was the same pattern against DLR Waves where wasted opportunities in the opening half were punished when the Dublin side scored on the hour and then battened down the hatches against some serious pressure for the remainder.

A return of five goals in 10 outings for the Bit O’Red tells the story, three goals in the WPD and two in the All-Island Cup.

Rachel McGoldrick is the top scorer on two goals, but she hasn’t featured since she equalised in the 1-1 draw against Bohs in April after she sustained an injury in that game.

Injuries have plagued manager Steve Feeney over the past two months, but that is beginning to ease a little now and Katie Melly has returned to the team.

Muireann Devaney is also available this weekend and Lauren Devaney started last Saturday and delivered a solid performance against DLR Waves.

Paula McGrory will miss the Shelbourne game as she will be away with the Garda team in Germany at the European Women’s Police Championships.

The Gardai are in a group that includes Austria, France and Norway. Paula scored a hat-trick for the Garda team when they defeated the Czech Republic last March to qualify for the tournament in Germany this week, but she should be available for next weekend’s WFAI Cup tie against DLR Waves.

The key requirement for Sligo Rovers on Saturday is some goals. The team has consistently created chances in every game this season, finishing some of those chances on Saturday will have a hugely positive impact and will also boost confidence.  

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers failed to capitalise on numerous chances as they were edged out by DLR Waves in the tightly-contested Women’s Premier Division (WPD) encounter at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray on Saturday evening.

DLR substitute Amber Cullen scored with her first touch in the 60th minute after some hesitant defending by the Bit O’Red and that was sufficient as the Dublin women battened down the hatches for the remainder.

DLR survived an onslaught from the Bit O’Red to earn a first win of the season in this basement battle that will see the teams meet again in the WFAI Cup in a fortnight.

Both sides enjoyed periods of dominance in a scoreless opening 45 minutes with DLR’s best chance arriving midway through the half when Michelle Doonan raced through, but she was denied by a Bonnie McKiernan save.

At the other end Leah Kelly and Anna McDaniel missed opportunities for the Bit O’Red on 16 and 18 minutes and that ultimately proved costly.

DLR also looked tentative under the high ball and ‘keeper Eve Badana was fortunate to avoid conceding a goal, but it also required a timely intervention by Lauren Devaney close to the interval to keep the Sligo Rovers goal intact.

DLR Waves enjoyed the better of the early second-half exchanges and were rewarded with that lead goal.

Sligo Rovers countered immediately and Katie Melly had a fine effort saved in the 63rd minute while Bonnie McKiernan denied Michelle Doonan for a second time soon after.

Steve Feeney introduced Muireann Devaney, Paula McGrory and Rebecca McIntyre with about 25 minutes remaining and that saw the pressure increased on the hosts with Anna McDaniel and Emma Hansberry both going close.

However, DLR held on in a frantic four minutes of added time to pick the three points and close the gap on the Bit O’Red at the bottom of the table.

DLR Waves – Eve Badana; Leah Donnelly, Chloe McCarthy, Keelin Dodd,
Jess Gleeson, Rachel Doyle, Neema Nyangasi, Amber Cosgrove, Cliodhna Donnelly, Michelle Doonan, Eve Conheady. Subs – Amber Cullen for Dodd 60 mins, Nadine Cleary for Conheady 78m, Taylor White for Cosgrove and Lauren Strong for Doonan both 85m.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Eimear Lafferty, Keeva Flynn, Alana Doherty, Lauren Devaney, Emma Hansberry, Katie Melly, Kya McKenna, Cara King, Anna McDaniel. Subs – Muireann Devaney for Doherty, Paula McGrory for L Devaney and Rebecca McIntyre for McKenna all 68 mins, Róise Burke for Kelly 81m.

Referee – Jason Moore.
Assistant-referees – John Hanney, Conor Harkin.
Fourth official – Christopher Daly.

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers will travel to the Carlisle Grounds in Bray on Saturday for a Women’s Premier Division (WPD) basement battle showdown against DLR Waves on the new FIFA Quality-Approved  artificial grass pitch at the home of Bray Wanderers.

The new pitch had its first outing in the League of Ireland when Bray hosted Dundalk in mid-March after playing the first three games away and Saturday’s encounter will be the first WPD game at the venue as DLR Waves move from the Belfield Bowl for this encounter.

This a huge game for both teams with DLR Waves anchored at the foot of the table with one draw from nine outings, four points adrift of the Bit O’Red, one victory and two draws.

An encouraging aspect for both managers, Steve Feeney and Laura Heffernan of DLR Waves, has been a gradual improvement in respective performances over the past month or so with DLR picking up a point last time out in the WPD with a 1-1 draw against Cork City.

However, DLR will go into this game on the back of two home defeats in the All-Island Cup against Wexford and Lisburn.

This game will also be a dress-rehearsal for the first round of the FAI Cup a fortnight later at the Showgrounds, but that will be of secondary importance on Saturday.

Last season the Bit O’Red defeated DLR Waves by 3-1 in the FAI Cup with goals from Anna McDaniel, Kelsey Munroe and Paula McGrory, but the Dublin women won both WPD encounters.

For the Bit O’Red, the outcome will most definitely be influenced by player-availability with manager Steve Feeney still without Kate Nugent, Amber Hardy, Jessica Casey and Rachel McGoldrick who are all on the injured list while Paula McGrory feature.

The return to action last week of Katie Melly for the final 15 minutes in the All-Island Cup was a boost and if she is fit to start on Saturday it will certainly bolster the prospects at the Bray venue.

Neither side is too proficient on the scoring front. DLR Waves have hit the target nine times in all competitions, but have conceded 41 goals while the Bit O’Red have scored five goals and conceded 28, but in 12 outings have also kept three cleansheets.

Battling qualities have been evident on a weekly basis from the Bit O’Red and that was demonstrated last weekend where a five-goal deficit against Shelbourne wasn’t a fair reflection on the overall performance, but an inability to convert some gilt-edged chances was a major issue.

There won’t be much to separate the teams on Saturday in what will be a hugely competitive encounter and the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is likely to emerge with a victory.

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers exited the All-Island Cup in the final group game against Shelbourne at the Showgrounds on Saturday.

Two goals in each half from Noelle Murray and a lone Mackenzie Anthony strike gave a Dublin side a merited success, although the scoreline doesn’t reflect the chances that the hosts created, especially in the opening half.

The Bit O’Red could have had two goals in the opening three minutes from Kya McKenna and Anna McDaniel, while midway through the half, Muireann Devaney’s shot flashed across the Shelbourne goal with ‘keeper Amanda McQuillan getting a vital touch at the expense of a corner.

Shelbourne also created some chances, but Rovers keeper Bonnie McKiernan was in excellent form.

However, the final 10 minutes of the half proved fruitful for the Dublin side, with Murray claiming her first goal following a poor Sligo clearance, and she added a second soon after in somewhat similar circumstances.

Anthony put the game out of Sligo’s reach with a good finish in the 41st minute to leave it 3-0 at the interval.

Sligo Rovers resumed smartly, and Eimear Lafferty’s effort skimmed the woodwork on 47 minutes, but Murray completed her tally with a couple of opportunist long-range efforts on 60 and 68 minutes.

In typical Sligo Rovers style, the home players kept battling, and while they had a goal disallowed for offside, Alanah Doherty was narrowly over with a good effort in the 87th minute.

It wasn’t all negative for the Bit O’Red either, as Katie Melly returned from injury for the final 15 minutes when she replaced Leah Kelly, and 15-year-old Ava Hallinan made her senior debut when she replaced Alice Lillie in the closing minutes.

Ava was nominated for the Under-15 FAI Schools’ International Player of the Year in May and has a bright future in the game with Sligo Rovers.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Eimear Lafferty, Alice Lillie, Keeva Flynn, Sarah Kiernan, Leah Kelly, Muireann Devaney, Alanah Doherty, Cara King, Kya McKenna, Anna McDaniel.
Subs – Katie Melly for King and Morgan Burnap for Kelly, both 77 mins; Róise Burke for McKenna and Lauren Devaney for Kiernan, both 82 mins; Ava Hallinan for Lillie, 87 mins.

Shelbourne – Amanda McQuillan; Nia Hannon, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle, Noelle Murray, Gabrielle Del Pico, Roma McLoughlin, Jessica Gargan, Aoibheann Cleary, Lucy O’Rourke, Mackenzie Anthony.
Subs – K. Mooney for McLoughlin at half-time, R. Devereux for Slattery and K. Keenan for Anthony, both at 67 mins, and C. Maguire for McQuillan and A. Sheridan for Clancy, both at 73 mins.

Referee – Robert Dowling.
Assistant referees – Darren Corcoran and Richard Storey.
Fourth official – Michael Connolly.

By Conall Collier

The mid-season break for the Women’s Premier Division (WPD) sandwiched between the second and third round All-Island Cup (AIC) group action will give Sligo Rovers boss Steve Feeney an opportunity to plan for the remainder of the season in the midst of an unprecedented injury crisis.

That was evident in the last outing when the Bit O’Red travelled to Belfast for a crucial AIC game against Linfield with 14 players, but earned a draw when one of the three substitutes, Róise Burke, grabbed a 90^th minute equaliser.

The draw came at a price with a lengthy first-half delay after yet another player, Kate Nugent, was added to that injury list. She had to be removed from the pitch by ambulance and returned to Sligo on the team bus via Sligo Hospital.

Kate was replaced by Keeva Flynn while in the second-half Kya McKenna and Róise Burke were introduced after Linfield took a 63^rd minute lead.

However, a tenacious team effort produced that late Bit O’Red leveller that leaves the group wide open ahead of this Saturday’s final group game against Shelbourne.

“We went to Belfast for the game against Linfield and we only had 14 players with another 14 unavailable due to injuries, illness or school commitments,” stated Steve Feeney.

“We had a chat before the game and stressed to the girls that while we were light on numbers with only 14 players, we had lots of quality and that was more important.

“For the team to come away from Belfast with a point was absolutely brilliant and says so much about them as a group.

“The substitutes against Linfield added to the quality of the team and while Róise (Burke) got the goal, both Keeva (Flynn) and Kya (McKenna) also made big contributions.

“It might have looked like we were struggling, but that wasn’t the real picture and there’s no point in padding out the bench just for the sake of extra numbers,” he added.

The group in the All-Island Cup is wide open now going into the last series this Saturday (7^th June) and any two of the four teams, Sligo Rovers, Bohs, Shelbourne or Linfield, can still qualify for the quarter-finals.

“We know it won’t be easy against Shelbourne, but at least our fate is in our own hands, if we win we qualify, if we draw, it then depends on the result between Bohs and Linfield, but if we lose we’re out,” was Steve Feeney’s assessment.

“Bohs got a draw with Shels in the All-Island Cup and we are certainly looking forward to the challenge of facing Shelbourne, we will have them in the league two weeks later (21^st June) so there are plenty of big games for us.

“Nothing is guaranteed in terms of results, look at Athlone Town, unbeaten in the league, but already out of contention in the All-Island Cup after losing to Glentoran and Treaty Utd,” he added.

The injury list is also a major factor for the Bit O’Red management and they will be hoping that there are no more casualties after 90 minutes against a Shelbourne side that remain unbeaten since losing on the opening day of the season against Shamrock Rovers.

However, following a 5-1 AIC victory against Linfield at Tolka Park, the Dublin side had to make the journey to Dalymount Park where they had to rely on a second-half equaliser from American striker Mackenzie Anthony to earn a 1-1 draw.

On the long-term Bit O’Red injury list is goalkeeper Amber Hardy who will be out for the remainder of the season. Steve Feeney provided updates on the remaining quintet of the walking wounded.

“I’m hopeful that Paula McGrory will be able to take some part in training this week as she has made good progress,” stated Steve.

“Katie Melly is now back doing some light work on her own and hopefully we might have her back in full training in three weeks or so.

“Rachel McGoldrick (arm injury) is probably another two or three weeks away from a return to full training

“Jessica Casey was back doing some running last week, but it will be another month or so for her.

“Kate Nugent is possibly looking at a similar time-frame to Katie (Melly) as it’s a similar injury (ankle) so you’re looking at six weeks or thereabouts.

“I’ll have a chat with Head of Academy Conor O’Grady and the under-19 manager to see if we have any options to bolster the panel, a lot of the academy players train with the senior team and they are doing well,” he said.

After Saturday’s AIC game against Shelbourne, the Bit O’Red will face a basement battle against bottom-of-the-table DLR Waves in what will be a huge game for both teams.

“The target for the second half of the season has to be to keep the momentum going, to get results and pick up more points,” stated Steve.

“We have had some good results and we have had results that we felt didn’t reflect our performances, but we will be both optimistic and realistic in our expectations.

“If we can deliver a performance in every game we will always have a chance over 90 minutes, it’s probably the old cliché of taking it one game at a time, starting with Shelbourne this Saturday,” he concluded.

LINFIELD 1 SLIGO ROVERS 1

By Conall Collier

Rosie Burke’s 90^th minute equaliser earned battling Sligo Rovers a priceless Women’s All-Island Cup draw with hosts Linfield in Belfast on Saturday afternoon where another casualty was added to the injury list and held up the action for almost 15 minutes.

Burke’s 90^th minute equaliser was greeted with silence from the home crowd, but it kept the Bit O’ Red’s qualification hopes intact ahead of the final group game against Shelbourne on Saturday 7^th June.

Rovers manager Steve Feeney named an unchanged side from the previous week’s encounter against Athlone Town, but he was forced into making a substitution midway through a well-contested opening half.

Kate Nugent sustained an injury in the 22^nd minute as she closed down a threatening Linfield attack and there was a lengthy delay as the stricken player received attention. She was eventually removed by an ambulance that drove on to the pitch.

Up to that point Linfield had slightly the better of the exchanges, but didn’t manage to beat Bonnie McKiernan who delivered her customary composed performance.

When play resumed both sides had chances with Emma Hansberry going close on a number of occasions for the Bit O’Red while Alex Clarke and Keri Haliday had the best opportunities for Linfield.

The opening goal arrived close to the hour mark (14 minutes added time) when Clarke found the net for the hosts after a free was awarded to Linfield on the edge of the Sligo Rovers penalty area.

Linfield were relatively comfortable in the second-half, but were unable to make the breakthrough for a second goal against a tenacious Rovers rearguard with substitute Keeva Flynn marking her return to the side with a solid contribution.

There was also a couple of notable Bonnie McKiernan saves, one on 84 minutes that kept the Bit O’Red in contention.

The equaliser arrived as the clock ticked into added time when 75^th minute substitute Rosie Burke got a vital touch in a crowded Linfield goalmouth. The Bit O’Red battened down the hatches for four minutes of added time.

Linfield – Caoimhe Magee; Sarah Jane McMaster, Abi Sweetlove, Mia Fitzsimons, Zoe McGlynn, Cora Chambers, Keri Halliday, Keri Loughrey, Zoe Knox, Alex Clarke, Ellen Hampton. Subs – Jennifer McDaid for Knox and Ashley Hutton for Hampton both 60 mins, Eve Reilly for Clarke and Rhianna Breen for Halliday both 67M, Eva Myles for Chambers 83m

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Alice Lillie, Sarah Kiernan, Kate Nugent, Alanah Doherty, Emma Hansberry, Muireann Devaney, Eimear Lafferty, Cara King, Anna McDaniel. Subs – Keeva Flynn for Nugent 22 mins, Kya McKenna for King 56m, Rosie Burke for Doherty 75m.

Referee- Louise Thompson.

Assistant-referees – Maria Creaney, Mark Davison.

Fourth official – Sam Naylor.

By Conall Collier

The attention this weekend for Sligo Rovers will switch to a second round game in the Women’s All-Island Cup with a trip to Belfast on the radar for Saturday to tackle Linfield Ladies at Midgley Park, 2pm.

There will be an international break the following weekend and the third round of the All-Island Cup will complete the qualifying action on Saturday 7^th June when the Bit O’Red will host Shelbourne.

Steve Feeney’s side will travel to Belfast on Saturday with live quarter-final qualification prospects following a home 1-1 draw against Bohemian FC at the end of April on the same day that Linfield slumped to a heavy defeat in Dublin against Shelbourne.

That 5-1 victory for Shelbourne has the Dublin side sitting at the top of Group A ahead of a visit to Dalymount Park on Saturday to play Bohs.

Rovers will be eager to keep a fourth cleansheet of the season following last Saturday’s reversal against Women’s Premier Division champions Athlone Town and a victory in Belfast would put the Bit O’Red in a strong position to claim a place in the last eight.

STEVE FEENEY

Manager Steve Feeney is looking forward to the challenge of tackling a quality team like Linfield and he feels that his players are more than capable of getting the victory in Belfast.

“Linfield are a good team and they have some players in the Northern Ireland squad, that’s the kind of quality they have,and they also have some former Sligo Rovers players, Zoe McGlynn and Keri Loughrey,” commented Steve.

“It will be a big challenge for us, but it’s good to play a team from outside our own league and everyone is looking forward to it.

“We still have a lengthy injury list, but we have been dealing with that for the past few weeks and we will be looking for a positive performance and a positive result.

“If we can get the win on Saturday it will set us up nicely for the final group game a fortnight later against Shelbourne at the Showgrounds.

“It’s as simple as that, we have to try to get the win and then see what way the other game (Bohs v Shelbourne) goes, but Linfield will be looking at it the same way.

“They (Linfield) lost to Shelbourne, but a lot of teams will lose to Shelbourne this season, we won’t read too much into that result and we will do our homework and be ready for the challenge.

“Hopefully, we will deliver a solid performance, similar to some of recent displays, if we can do that, then we will have a good chance,” he concluded.

LINFIELD

Linfield’s season kicked-off in mid-April with a couple of outings in the Women’s League Cup that produced a 4-1 win against Lisburn and a 2-3 loss to Cliftonville ahead of that trip to Tolka Park for the All-Island Cup against Shelbourne which the Dublin side won by 5-1.

Since then, Linfield defeated Derry City 9-0 in the League Cup and have now played twice in the NIFL Premiership – a 1-1 draw with Cliftonville, goal from Cora Chambers, and a 2-1 win against Crusaders with Alex Clarke and Cora Chambers on the scoreboard.

There is a Sligo Rovers theme at Linfield with former players Zoe McGlynn and Keri Loughrey featuring regularly for the Belfast side and the duo played in that defeat at Tolka Park.

Linfield started well in that game with a lead goal on 38 minutes from Alex Clarke, but the hosts responded positively and were ahead by 2-1 at the interval, before adding three more goals in the second-half.

Linfield manager Ryan McConville took positives out of the performance and will now be looking to pick up maximum points on Saturday.

“Shelbourne are a very good side and our players worked very hard, we were well in the game for 60 minutes,” he said.

“We have a competitive squad and they can achieve whatever they want to, but it’s down to them, we have retained most of our squad and it’s up to me to try to bring the best out of our players,” he added.

Linfield players in the Northern Ireland squad include Abi Sweetlove and Keri Halliday.

LOITV

Linfield v Sligo Rovers will kick-off at 2pm on Saturday, live on LOITV.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce the return of our Regional Summer Camps for 2025, taking place across the region in partnership with local clubs. These much-loved camps are open to boys and girls aged 7 to 13, offering a week of football fun, skill development, and games.

Each camp will run Monday to Friday, from 10am to 1pm, and costs €85 per child. Along with coaching, fun drills, and small-sided games, all participants will receive a complimentary Sligo Rovers training top as part of their camp experience.

Regional Camp Schedule 2025

• Gurteen

Gurteen Park

Week of Monday, June 30th

• Swinford

James McEvaddy Park

Week of Monday, July 28th

• Boyle

Celtic Park

Week of Monday, August 4th

• Westport

AbbVie United Park

Week of Monday, August 11th

• Enniscrone

Michael McGowan Park

Week of Monday, August 18th – SOLD OUT

Please note that bookings will be handled by each host club, with registration details and sale dates to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

We extend our sincere thanks to our host clubs — Gurteen United, Swinford FC, Boyle Celtic, Westport United, and Kilglass Enniscrone United — for their continued support in making these camps possible. We look forward to welcoming young footballers from across the region for another exciting summer of football.

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers found the going tough against defending champions Athlone Town at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening where referee Arnold Hunter had to be replaced by fourth official Michael Connolly with about 15 minutes remaining.

The referee sustained an injury and had to be assisted from the pitch and that delay, plus a stoppage when Sligo Rovers ‘keeper Bonnie McKiernan received attention, produced 12 minutes of added time.

Athlone were ahead at the break from a Rosin Molloy goal and Kelly Brady doubled the advantage in the second-half, both goals arrived ahead of the water breaks in each half. Maddie Gibson added two late goals for Athlone to seal an eighth victory out of nine outings.

Rovers were well in contention for more than an hour, but were outplayed subsequently and cannot have any complaints about the outcome.

Rovers boss Steve Feeney made two changes from the draw at Tallaght Stadium as Kate Nugent and Muireann Devaney started in place of Keeva Flynn and Kate Nugent

Athlone’s starting 11 featured three changes from the 3-0 victory against Waterford with Ciara O’Neill, Roisin Molloy and Hazel Donegan coming in for Isabel Ryan, Katherine Sullivan and the suspended Natalie McNally.

The Bit O’Red looked strong early on and had a ‘goal’ ruled out in the 11th minute as Athlone laboured to dominate until they broke the deadlock midway through the half.

Sligo woman Molloy finished from a Gibson cross in the 22nd minute and that goal separated the sides at the interval as Athlone Town established a hard-earned 1-0 interval lead.

The hosts pushed and probed for an equaliser and Athlone ‘keeper Maria Matthaiou was tentative on occasions under the high ball while at the other end Bonnie McKiernan was composed and dominated her penalty area. She also saved well from Molloy close to the interval.

Athlone started the second-half on the front foot with both Brady and Gibson going close, but Rovers also created chances as Leah Kelly and Alice Lillie were narrowly off target.

On the hour mark there was a break in play for attention to Bonnie McKiernan after she had denied Brady, but there was nothing the Bit O’Red keeper could do soon after when Athlone made it 2-0. Gibson provided the cross and Brady finished ahead of the second-half water break.

Unusually, when play resumed there was another lengthy stoppage as referee Arnold Hunter sustained an injury and had to be assisted from the pitch with fourth official Michael Connolly deputising.

There was 12 minutes added time and Athlone took complete control for the remainder with Gibson claiming a brace of goals while Bonnie McKiernan made some good saves to curtail the Athlone women.

The next action in the WPD will take place in mid-June away to DLR Waves with the All-Island Cup on the radar for the Bit O’Red against Linfield on Saturday 24th May and Shelbourne on Saturday 7th June.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Sarah Kiernan, Alanah Doherty, Alice Lillie, Emma Hansberry, Eimear Lafferty, Muireann Devaney, Kate Nugent, Cara King, Anna McDaniel.

Subs – Rebecca McIntyre for King 70 mins, Kya McKenna for Kelly and Morgan Burnap for Doherty both 86m, Lauren Devaney for Lafferty and Natasha Kelly for McDaniel both 96m.

Athlone Town – Maria Matthaiou; Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan, Hannah Waesch, Izzy Groves, Kelly Brady, Rosin Molloy, Maddie Gibson, Hazel Donegan, Ciara O’Neill.

Subs – Isabel Ryan for Donegan and Aoife O’Connor for Molloy both 84 mins, Sarah Flannelly for Brady and Emma Mooney for Groves both 89m, Erica Cunningham for Brennan 91m.

Referee – Arnold Hunter.

Assistant-referees – Darren Corcoran, John Hanney.

Fourth official – Michael Connolly.