Liam Buckley takes his squad to Head in The Game Park tomorrow night to take on Drogheda United in The SSE Airtricity League Premier Division. (7:45pm)

The Bit O’ Red will look to continue their unbeaten record this season after an opening day win over St Patrick’s Athletic followed by too stalemates against Derry City and Dundalk.

The home side, under new manager Kevin Doherty come into the game on the back of an impressive win over UCD last Friday night. The Drogs are also only in gameweek 4 of their season as their opening day fixture against Finn Harps was postponed in Ballybofey.

In team new, Liam Buckley welcomes back Robbie McCourt and Greg Bolger to the squad after both players missed out last Saturday’s game with Dundalk at The Showgrounds..

Liam Buckley said: “It was a tough start to the season facing three of the teams who’ll look to be competing at the top end of the table. I felt like we did well in those games and defended quite well, but we know there is also improvement in the group in relation to where we want to be.

“It was great for the fans to have the team coming back to The Showgrounds last weekend and to their credit they came out in big numbers to support us. Our last couple of away games we had a great away support and I’m sure tomorrow will be no different, we’re looking forward to it.

“Drogheda had a fine season last year and will be looking to do better again. They’ve lost some players but they’ve also added some quality and looking at them so far, we know we’re in for a difficult game.

Away fans can buy tickets online through Drogheda United’s website and the game will be Live on LOI TV.

Last three:

Drogheda United:

Shamrock Rovers (Lost 3-1), Shelbourne (Lost 2-0), UCD (Won 4-2)

Rovers:

St Patrick’s Athletic (Won 2-1), Derry City (Drew 0-0), Dundalk (Drew 0-0)

Bit O’ Red goalkeeper Luke McNicholas continues his loan spell with Cliftonville until the end of the NIFL season and the Mayo man has been in impressive form so far this season.

McNicholas has played 19 games, keeping 13 clean sheets across three competitions.

Cliftonville are currently in second position in the Danske Bank Premiership, one point off Linfield who are on top.

This Sunday, Luke will be in League Cup Final action at Windsor Park as him and his team-mates face Coleraine at 3pm.

Everyone at the club wish Luke all the best in Sunday’s Final.

Bit O’ Red defender Nando Pijnaker has been included in New Zealand’s Senior squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Qatar.

The eight team tournament starts on March 17th and consists of two groups of four. Nando and New Zealand have been drawn to play Papua New Guinea on Friday March 18th (2pm Irish Time), Fiji on Monday March 21st (5pm Irish Time) and New Caledonia on Thursday March 24th (5pm Irish Time).

The top two teams in both groups will advance to semi finals with a final set to take place on March 31st.

The winner will then progress to play in the Intercontinental Play-Off against the fourth placed Concacaf team for a place at The World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Pijnaker will play for The Bit O’ Red against Shamrock Rovers next Friday night in Tallaght (March 18th) before travelling to Qatar to join up with the squad for their games against Fiji and New Caledonia.

Pijnaker:

”I am happy and excited to be back involved with the national team and I am looking forward to the games ahead”

Sligo Rovers will host two weeks of Easter Camps in The Showgrounds, which will take place from April 11th until April 22nd.

The camp will run from 10.30am until 3pm each day, with every participant receiving an official club training top.

The cost of the camp is €70 for one child, €120 for two children from the one family & €170 for three children from the one family.

To book, click here.

Enquiries: Shane@sligorovers.com

Our Associate Sponsorship package has been highly successful this year with almost 100 sold to local supporters and businesses throughout the region.

Our package consists of a book of tickets, one ticket to each SSE Airtricity League Men’s match over the season which can be torn off and brought along and presented for entry.

This proves an ideal way for businesses to give a ticket away in a social media competition, treat some staff or give something back to their own loyal customers.

They also get a window sticker for their premises to let people know they’re supporting The Bit O’ Red as well as being placed on our website in our Associate Sponsor section and in our Matchnight programmes.

To view a list of all our Associate Sponsors you can visit https://www.sligorovers.com/associate-sponsor/

Thanks to all our volunteers who sold Associate Sponsor packages throughout the off season and we look forward to seeing all our sponsors here at The Showgrounds.

In March 2021, Sligo Rovers announced that we would be giving free club jerseys to each new born baby at Sligo University Hospital that year.

This community initiative has been extremely well received by all the families who had a newborn enter the world with their first ever football shirt being a Bit O’ Red one.

2021 saw over 1200 shirts handed out by the maternity staff of SUH. Shirts are given out as part of a leaving pack before making the much anticipated first journey home.

For any families wishing to send in a photo of their newborn in their brand new shirt, you can email media@sligorovers.com and we may use some on social media over the year.

We’d like to thanks Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust for helping us with this project as well as all the staff at the Maternity Ward of Sligo University Hospital.

Our official online store also has infant kits available from 6 months upwards. This consists of our Home jersey and club shorts. You can get yours via the link below:

https://srfcdirect.com/jerseys/kids/

Our Academy teams started competitive action this weekend with all teams in action across Saturday and Sunday.

It was a busy day at The Showgrounds on Saturday with both our Under 17 teams kicking off one after the other. At 1pm, Darragh O’ Reilly’s first competitive game in charge of the team ended in victory with goals from Michael Clifford, Reid Kelly and Kyle McDonagh sealing a 3-2 win over Cavan/Monaghan.

At 3:30pm, Aaron O’ Connor and his Women’s Under 17 side took on Shelbourne at The Sean Fallon Centre. The game ended 3-0 to the visitors but the Bit O’ Red created some chances and will welcome back a number of players for next weekend’s fixture following injury and illness ruling them out this week.

Alan Farry and his Under 14 side hosted Drogheda United at IT Sligo at 2pm and defeated The Drogs 5-2 in an entertaining encounter with goals from Cathair Tighe (2), Liam McLaughlin, Daire McCabe and an OG. It was an impressive performance from the team with some good football played by the opposition as well.

Sunday saw both Under 19 teams in action as our Under 19 men’s team defeated Longford Town 3-2 at The Sean Fallon Centre. Bridel Bosakani scored twice and Kailin Barlow added a third to give Rovers a healthy lead. De Town rallied and scored two late goals to cut the deficit but Declan Boyle’s men held on for the victory.

Darragh Healy’s Women’s Under 19’s travelled to Greystones in Wicklow to take on Bray Wanderers/Greystones at Woodlands. Pixie O’ Hara put in a Player of The Match performance and grabbed an impressive hat-trick to help her side to a 3-1 win to make it a perfect start to the season for the team.

Our Under 15 side defeated Cavan/Monaghan in Cootehill yesterday afternoon with goals from Callum Lynch and Conor Langan to give Paul Masterson’s side an impressive opening day win away from home. Both sides played out an entertaining game with Rovers winning out in the end.

Next weekend’s fixtures:

Under 14 Vs Derry City (A), Saturday

Under 15 Vs Longford Town (H), Sunday

Under 17 Women Vs Peamount United (A), Saturday

Under 17 Men Vs Galway United (A), Saturday

Under 19 Women Vs DLR Waves (A), Sunday

Under 19 Men Vs Drogheda United (A), Sunday

Admission to all Academy games is free of charge with exact kick off times and venues confirmed via social media later in the week. Follow @sligoroversacad to find out more.

Striker Paula McGrory and goalkeeper Amy Mahon have joined Sligo Rovers.

McGrory, a native of Donegal signs having spent 2021 playing with Derry City.

The 25-year-old began her career with Aileach FC before she moved Illies FC where she played for 14 years.

McGrory played in the Inishowen League and Donegal Super League where she played alongside her current team-mate Emma Doherty. She then moved to Derry City for the 2021 season. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without Illies FC. I moved to Derry FC last year for the season and enjoyed my time there it was great standard in that league. I loved playing every minute in the Ryan McBride Brandywell,  it was just an unreal place to play football,” McGrory said. 

Having received contact in recent weeks from Bit O’Red manager Steve Feeney, McGrory felt it was too good an opportunity to turn down. “I was contacted by Steve only two weeks ago and thought it would be a good opportunity to play in the Women’s National League”.

Having previously played GAA, McGrory says she wants to prioritise her football now as she joins the Bit O’Red.

“I’m excited about the season ahead and playing alongside Gemma McGuiness as we always battled against each other in between Illies FC vans Greencastle. 

“We have a big challenge ahead but we are going in as an unknown team so hope we can have a few surprising results.”

Paula made her debut yesterday against Peamount.

Goalkeeper Mahon joins having previously been with the Rovers Under-17 team in 2020 before the season was halted due to Covid-19. 

The 17-year-old is familiar with Rovers having first joined training sessions when she was 14. 

The Mayo native first played for her local side Charlestown Athletic before she signed for Castlebar Celtic. 

Mahon, a goalkeeper, spent last season with Galway WFC’s under 17s. She was part of the Connacht team that won the interpros in 2017 and received her first Irish cap in 2019 when  she represented the Ireland U15’s at the Bob Docherty Cup in Spain. 

Mahon is also an established GAA player for Mayo. 

The 17-year-old had long wanted to sign for Rovers, and finally got that chance in 2020 when she joined the U17 side. Covid stopped the season, meaning that Mahon didn’t get the opportunity she had hoped for. 

She said: “I’ve now come back and joined the senior team and I’m really excited for the season ahead as it’s my first time competing at senior level in the Women’s National League. 

“The squad is full of young talent and experienced players which makes training really enjoyable and there is always a great atmosphere. 

“Steve, the coaches and all the girls have all been really welcoming since joining and I’m excited to see how the season goes for us.”

Sligo Rovers created a little piece of history on Saturday evening in west Dublin when the club fielded a senior team for the first time in the Women’s National League.

The outcome was somewhat predictable, a 6-0 victory for hosts and seasoned campaigners Peamount Utd, but after the initial disappointment of conceding six goals, the players and management of the Bit O’Red can take plenty of positives from the encounter.

There was, as there usually is on occasions like this, a Sligo Rovers connection with Peamount.

The Dublin club’s manager is James O’Callaghan who graced the Showgrounds during the final part of Dermot Keeley era back in the 1992 /’93 season.

“I went on loan to Sligo Rovers from Shelbourne, I just missed the team that went on to win the FAI Cup the following season under Willie McStay,

maybe that’s why they won it,” he quipped when questioned on Saturday about his links with the club.

From O’Callaghan’s perspective, it was a good way to start the season.

Four first-half goals was just about what Peamount deserved against a hard-working and tenacious Sligo Rovers side that was playing a first competitive senior women’s game in the almost 100-year history of the club.

And it almost started with a sensational first minute goal for Sligo Rovers when a cross from the left wing by Amy Hyndman was spilled by

Peamount ‘keeper Niamh Reid-Burke, but she recovered quickly and the danger was averted.

At the other end, Kristen Sample displayed her goalkeeping ability with some fine saves, but despite some determined defending against wave after wave of Peamount pressure, the opening goal arrived with a fine Dora Gorman drive after 21 minutes.

Erin McLaughlin added a second goal soon after and the talented Stephanie Roche eased the hosts into the comfort zone with a two-goal salvo close to the interval.

The Rovers were more competitive after the resumption and while a revival was never on the cards, they made Peamount work extremely hard for two more goals which arrived from Aine O’Gorman on the hour and with 10 minutes remaining.

Sligo Rovers manager Steve Feeney expressed satisfaction with the way his team showed marked improvement in the second-half.

“Some of the goals we conceded were down to mistakes, but Peamount scored a couple of very good goals also, we will benefit from the game we can now look forward to our first home game of the season next weekend,” commented Feeney.

Peamount Utd – Niamh Reid Burke; Lauryn O’Callaghan, Chloe Moloney, Tiegan Ruddy, Erin McLaughlin, Karen Duggan, Sadhbh Doyle, Dora Gorman,

Alannah McEvoy, Stephanie Roche, Aine O’Gorman. Subs – Tara O’Hanlom for McEvoy, Jetta Berrill for McLaughlin and Lauren Kelly for Doyle all 65 mins, Sarah Duke Power for Moloney 73m, Michelle Doonan for Roche 81m

Sligo Rovers – Kristen Sample; Amy Hyndman, Ruth Monaghan, Orna O’Dowd, Helen Monaghan, Lauren Boles, Amy Roddy, Katie Melly, Gemma McGuinness, Aoife Brennan, Fiona Doherty. Subs – Erin Coyle for H Monaghan and Paula McGrory for Brennan both 65 mins, Lauren McLellan for Doherty 76m,  Ciara Henry for Hyndham 83m.

Referee – Daryl Carolan; assistant-referees Wayne McDonnell, Chris Campbell, fourth official – Sarah Dyas.

DAY ONE RESULTS

Peamount 6, Sligo Rovers 0; Shelbourne 1, Bohemain FC 0; DLR Waves 5, Treaty Utd 0; Cork City 0, Galway 3; Athlone Town 1, Wexford 2.

NEXT UP

Saturday 12^th March – Sligo Rovers v DLR Waves; Bohemian FC v Athlone Town; Treaty v Cork City; Galway v Peamount; Wexford v Shelbourne.

Report: Conall Collier

The Minister for Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys, was briefed on Sligo Rovers Development Plan when she visited The Showgrounds on Friday evening.

She met some of the girls’ teams playing on the all-weather pitch at the Sean Fallon Centre.

She said she was impressed by the positive role the club is playing in community life.

The Sligo Rovers chairman, Tommy Higgins, briefed the minister on the proposals to upgrade the facilities in time for the Sligo Rovers centenary in 2028.  The club will submit a detailed planning application, outlining its plans to Sligo County Council, during the summer. 

Minister for Community and Rural Development, Heather Humphreys and Frank Feighan TD, and Sligo Rovers representatives during a visit to the Showgrounds on Friday as well as youth teams on the pitch.