Rovers bow out of Cup in semi-final

The Women’s FAI Cup journey ended for Sligo Rovers this evening at the Showgrounds when they exited at the semi-final stage against an Athlone Town side that deserved to win the tie with a brace of goals in each half, writes Conall Collier.

Maddie Gibson was the stand-out player for Athlone and she scored twice in the opening half and then created the openings for another brace in the second-half.

Gibson’s 28th minute penalty gave Athlone the lead and the same player claimed her side’s first goal from play in this season’s competition about 10 minutes later with the benefit of a deflection.

That gave Athlone a solid 2-0 interval platform following an opening 45 minutes which they generally dominated.

Emma Doherty had the best chance for hosts Sligo Rovers in the opening half, but her sixth minute effort was blocked at the expense of a corner by Athlone’s Jesi Lynne Rossman.

 Athlone were smartly out of the traps for the second-half and Rossman added a third goal for the Westmeath wide when she capitalised on a defensive lapse from Gibson’s corner and headed to the net.

With 15 minutes remaining Roisin Molloy added a fourth goal for Athlone as Gibson provided the ammunition with an excellent cross as she did well to keep the ball in play.

Gibson was also named as the player-of-the-match, an accolade she fully deserved.

On a positive note for Sligo Rovers was a crowd of 1,121 at the game which surpassed the previous best of 965 last season for the Bit O’Red.

Next up for Sligo Rovers is a midweek trip to Tolka Park to tackle Shelbourne on Wednesday night.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Sarah Kiernan, Eimear Lafferty, Alice Lillie, Jodie Loughrey, Lauren Boles, Emma Hansberry, Keri Loughrey, Emma Doherty, Casey Howe.

Subs – Katie Melly for Lillie and Paula McGrory for Kelly both 67 mins, Amy Roddy for Lafferty and Helen Monaghan for Howe both 82m, Jessica Casey for Hansberry 85m

Athlone Town – Katie Keane; Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan, Jesi Lynne Rossman, Dana Scheriff, Chloe Singleton, Kellie Brennan, Laurie Ryan, Lauren Karabin, Roisin Molloy, Madison Gibson. 

Subs – Muireann Devaney for Karabin 60 mins, Kate Slevin for Brennan 72m, Gillian Keenan for Rossman and Isabel Ryan for Molloy both 78m.

Referee – Daryl Carolan.

Preview: Cup semi set to enthral Showgrounds

Sligo Rovers are aiming to reach new ground when Athlone Town visit the Showgrounds on Saturday evening for an eagerly anticipated Women’s FAI Cup semi-final, writes Conall Collier.

Going into the contest on the back of a three-game unbeaten sequence augurs well for the Bit O’Red who are also the leading scorers in this season’s competition following that 11-goal haul in the first round against Donegal side Bonagee Utd.

The Rovers followed that success with a superb display at Dalymount Park that produced a 1-0 quarter-final victory against Bohemian FC.

No goals conceded so far, in the competition by the Bit O’Red, but the opposition in this last four encounter can also make that claim, although the Athlone Town players haven’t scored a goal in normal or extra-time, advancing on each occasion via a penalty shoot-out.

It could be suggested that Athlone had a more challenging path to this stage of the competition. 

Galway Utd away were negotiated in the first round and then the Westmeath side disposed of Women’s Premier Division leaders Peamount Utd on home astro-turf in the last eight, again via a penalty shoot-out.

“We had to get over Galway and the reward for that was a quarter-final against Peamount, there was nothing easy about either of those games and I know the players will be determined not to lose out now at the semi-final stage,” commented Athlone Town manager Ciaran Kilduff who took over the reins at the club during the mid-season break.

There is an extra incentive for Athlone to get to the final as the players will want to make amends for the disappointment of losing last year’s decider to Shelbourne and they will also be eager to pick up a second piece of silverware for 2023.

Athlone Town kicked-off the new season last February in fine style when winning the club’s first trophy following another penalty shoot-out victory, this time against Shelbourne, in the inaugural playing of the President’s Cup.
Athlone Town hosted Sligo Rovers in the first game back after the mid-season break in mid-August and on that occasion took the Women’s Premier Division points with a 2-0 victory with first-half goals from Dana Scheriff and Chloe Singleton.

With players of the calibre of Madison Gibson and Sligo native Roisin Molloy also in the team, Athlone will be determined to extend their three-game unbeaten sequence after winning again last weekend.

Jesi Rossman netted her first goal for Athlone and that was sufficient to earn a 1-0 victory against DLR Waves last Saturday, the same day that Sligo Rovers played out a 3-3 draw at the Showgrounds against Cork City.

Bit O’Red manager Steve Feeney is well aware of the task facing his players, but he believes that home advantage can give the team a major boost.

“It would be brilliant for the players to have the backing of a large vocal support, I’ve experienced that Showgrounds atmosphere as a player and it does make a big difference to have the crowd behind you in a game like this,” he said.

Last weekend’s result against Cork City saw the positive and negative traits of Sligo Rovers. Leading by 3-0 at the interval, they then conceded three goals in the second-half and had to settle for a point.

The lessons learned from that experience and the evidence of previous results against Bohemian FC in both the FAI Cup quarter-final and the Women’s Premier Division suggest that the Sligo Rovers players possess the ability to cope with any opposition provided a consistent performance is produced.

Kick-off at the Showgrounds on Saturday is 6pm. Tickets are available at turnstiles and the game will be available on LOITV.

Rovers draw with Cork City in six-goal thriller

Three games unbeaten is new territory for Sligo Rovers, but they won’t get carried away with this 3-3 draw against Cork City in the Women’s Premier Division at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening, writes Conall Collier.

The Bit O’Red went in at the interval with a 3-0 advantage, but six second-half minutes of defensive lapses gifted Cork City a lifeline.

The first-half goals set the Bit O’Red up for what looked like a victory with a brace from Emma Doherty and a Casey Howe penalty, but there were warning signs also during that opening 45 minutes.

The first goal arrived in the 18th minute. Alice Lillie received the ball at the edge of the Cork penalty area from a corner and her centre was headed to the net by Doherty.

It was a deserved lead after the hosts forced a series of corners and it got better seven minutes later when the second goal arrived.

Once again Lillie was involved, this time she was impeded in the penalty area and Howe confidently converted the resultant spot kick.

However, sitting on a two-goal advantage saw the Bit O’Red produce some less than impressive defending and Cork City went close on a couple of occasions, but failed to hit the target.

Then the hill got very steep for the Munster women in first-half added time when another corner wasn’t cleared and Doherty got the necessary touch for her second and that 3-0 interval advantage.

However, 10 minutes into the second-half the Cork women found the net when Laura Shine finished after a free rebounded off the post.

That gave Cork a major lift and they surged forward with Kiera Sena finding the net two minutes later and the equaliser arrived direct from a corner in the 61st minute when Alex Mendez floated the ball into the net.

That left the hosts under pressure for the remaining 30 minutes, but they stood strong and almost fashioned a winner when Katie Melly’s header in added time was cleared off the line by a Cork defender.

Cork also had chances to win it, but in what turned into a scrappy encounter, the visitors deserved a point for the way they battled back from what looked like an impossible position at half-time.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Leah Kelly, Alice Lillie, Sarah Kiernan, Eimear Lafferty, Emma Hansberry, Lauren Boles, Keri Loughrey, Casey Howe, Jodie Loughrey, Emma Doherty. Subs – Paula McGrory for J Loughrey half-time, Katie Melly for K Loughrey 68 mins.

Cork City – Clodagh Fitzgerald; Lauren Walsh, Ciara McNamara, Alex Mendez, Keira Sena, Ellie O’Brien, Shaunagh McCarthy, Eva Mangan, Christina Dring, Heidi Mackin, Laura Shine. Subs – Fiana Bradley for Walsh half-time, Aoibhinn Donnelly for Sena and Heidi O’Sullivan for Dring both 65 mins.

Preview: Rovers chase another win in Showgrounds

Sligo Rovers will go into this Saturday’s Women’s Premier Division (WPD) game against bottom-of-the-table Cork City aiming for a third successive victory, writes Conall Collier.

Kick-off is 5pm with tickets available at turnstiles.

Central to that level of expectation is recent form that has delivered a two-game unbeaten run following what was a nine-game sequence without a victory between the WPD and Avenir Sports Cup.

There will be huge determination amongst the Sligo Rovers players to extend that winning form this Saturday at the Showgrounds in order to boost confidence for the following weekend’s FAI Cup semi-final against Athlone Town.

Bit O’Red manager Steve Feeney has a couple of players on the doubtful list, but he is eagerly looking forward to another home game.

“We are monitoring Casey Howe and Sarah Kiernan and hopefully they will be available for selection, but we have a strong panel and everyone wants to get a run to show what they can do ahead of the FAI Cup game,” stated Steve.

“We have always tried to focus on the performance of the team in any game, we have always believed that if we get that right, then we will always have a chance in any game we play.

“We have had a tough season up until a few weeks ago so we know what it’s like for the Cork City players, they’re on a bad run, they haven’t won in the League, but they had some good results in the Avenir Sports Cup.

“They got to the semi-final after beating Treaty, DLR Waves and Crusaders in the Group and then they were edged out in the last four by Cliftonville.

“I have no doubt that Cork will take something out of the way that we have turned around our season and they will view this as an opportunity to get some points on the board. They will provide tough opposition for us.

“They didn’t have a game last weekend due to the weather, but that could work in their favour and it will leave them a bit fresher than us.

“It’s important for us to pick up another three points, we want to keep the momentum going and finish the season strong, our next test is on Saturday and that’s where our focus is at the moment,” he added.

Last week’s 4-1 victory for Sligo Rovers against Bohemian FC saw a brace of second-half goals from substitute Paula McGrory that effectively sealed the victory.

Her return along with Emma Hansberry and Lauren Boles has added some much-needed strength and stability to what is a young team.

Cork City will be looking to players of the calibre of Christina Dring, Eva Mangan and Ellie O’Brien for goals on Saturday ahead of the game at Turner’s Cross the following weekend against Treaty Utd.

Cork City manager Danny Murphy will set a target of two wins, starting on Saturday, that would move his team away from the foot of the table.

When the sides met at Turner’s Cross last May, two first half Casey Howe goals gave the Bit O’Red a 2-0 victory and a first win of the season.

Kick-off at the Showgrounds is at 5pm and the game is available to view on LOITV.

Rovers and ATU announce sports scholarship recipients

Nine elite level players have been awarded sports scholarships for the 2023/24 academic year through Sligo Rovers’ partnership with Atlantic Technological University.

This year’s recipients are Conor Campbell, Emma Doherty, Ciara Henry, Sarah Kiernan, Peter Maguire, Sean McAteer, Gareth McElroy, Kate Nugent and Keela Scanlon.

Each year, ATU offers a limited number of Sligo Rovers players a fee-waiver scholarship which is matched by Rovers.

Players are supported throughout their studies at ATU which ensures they achieve both their academic and sporting goals.

Sligo Rovers Chairman, Tommy Higgins, added: ‘’We are delighted with how our partnership with ATU is progressing. Having a way for our players to balance their academics with their sporting lives is vital in their development and ATU help provide that for us.

“We look forward to continuing to see these players progress over the coming months and beyond and wish them the best of luck in their university studies.’’

Dr Chris O’Malley, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Engagement at ATU Sligo commented: “The ATU partnership with Sligo Rovers has helped to attract students dedicated to playing at elite level, while gaining a university degree.

“At ATU we continue to invest and develop scholarship programmes that meet the needs of our student population, their families and our wider university community.

“We value our partnership with Sligo Rovers in providing these opportunities for our students. We wish the players every success in their studies and on the pitch.”

Football facilitator and Head of ATU Sligo Soccer, Colm Jinks, is thrilled with the level of player the partnership is attracting: “These sports scholarships work for everyone. It is fantastic to support talented young people seeking to fulfil their academic and sporting ambitions.

“We are thrilled to have so many players of elite ability here with us in ATU Sligo who are continuing their development at Sligo Rovers. We have very strong squads across our men’s and women’s teams and are excited for the season ahead with ATU Sligo Soccer.”

Walsh making strides in Bit O’ Red career

Conor Walsh has made great strides in his career this year, making appearances in the first-team and being with the Republic of Ireland Under-19 side on international duty last month.

Having firmly established himself as a member of the Rovers senior squad, international honours continue to come.

He has represented his country moving up through the age groups at under-15, under-16, under-17, under-18 and now at under-19 grade.

Conor attended Rice College in Westport and completed his Leaving Certificate this summer, but he also had a term at Summerhill College last year before the tragic passing of his oldest brother Stephen in March 2022.

While at Rice College he was coached by Gearoid Duffy and Brendan Clarke as well as Joe Kelly, Kieran O’Hora, Michael Gibbons and Padraic Burns at Westport.

Conor, who turned 18 in March this year, takes up the story dealing with the shock, sadness and grief that surrounded the sudden passing of his brother.

“I lost my older brother Stephen last year, he was only 22 and he passed away suddenly on 24th March,” explained Conor.

“That was a very sad time for all of us, my parents, Martin and Margaret, and my other brother Ray.

“It’s still quite raw for us all, but we have to try to get through it as best we can, but it was a very difficult time for all of us and we got great support from the local community,” he added.

A death in a family suddenly puts things in perspective, what is important and what isn’t, and that’s something that has helped Conor focus on different aspects of his life and what he wants to achieve.

“My parents are proud of what I have achieved so far in terms of my football career and signing for Sligo Rovers was a huge occasion for all the family, including my late brother Stephen,” explained Conor.

“I intend to focus on my football for the moment, I got my Leaving Cert results there in August, so I have the education bit completed, but I suppose going to third level is an option also.

“I signed my first professional contract when I was 16 and I’ve been with the first team panel for the last few seasons.

“I started with my local club, Westport Utd, when I was seven years old, I also played Gaelic football with Westport and won a couple of juvenile titles, but we had a strong team.

“I started as an outfield player, but one day, there was no goalkeeper and I said I’d give it a go, I think I was about 11 at that stage and I found that I really enjoyed it.

“I played in the Kennedy Cup for Mayo and Conor O’Grady saw me there and that was where the connection with Sligo Rovers was established

“I played for the Republic of Ireland when I was with Westport Utd.“I also played in the under-age League of Ireland with Mayo Schoolboys’ League, Brendan Kenny was the manager at under-15 before I went to the Sligo Rovers Academy.

“Secondary school was in Westport, Rice College, but I also did fifth year in Summerhill College here in Sligo as I had signed for Sligo Rovers.

“I stayed with Mairead and Damien Grimes here in Sligo, very nice people and very helpful and I really appreciated that.

“When my brother passed away, I went back to Rice College and did my exams there this year.

“Now, I commute to Sligo from Westport every day, it’s a little over a 100 miles round trip, but I drive and it’s not a major issue with the by-pass around Castlebar,” he added.

Looking at the present season, Conor is very direct and focused on the requirements for the remaining series of games.

“We have to keep putting points on the board between now and the end of the season, the next game is always the most important game,” stated Conor.

“I had to step up to the mark when Luke (McNicholas) made the move to Wrexham and I started in the game away to Dundalk in early August.

“The senior players here at the club have been brilliant in the way they have helped me make the adjustment from the bench.

“It’s something that I’m enjoying and it was great to get a chance, I was recovering from an ankle injury in the early part of the season and both Luke and Richard Brush were great with the way they helped me.

“I had played some games for the under-19s and I also got a run in that friendly a while back against Celtic.

“That helped in the building process as I recovered from the injury that I picked up (ankle ligaments), it was something that happened during training in February, but I didn’t realise it for a few weeks.

“I had to go for a scan and the last thing you need as a footballer is an injury, but it’s all part of the game.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries at the club, a very unlucky season in that respect, it’s very frustrating but you have to keep your headspace clear and stay focused,” he suggested.

In conclusion, he reflected on the current season:

“It has been a tough season, but we are all working hard and hopefully we will pick up our form and finish well.

“Separately, I was on duty with the Republic of Ireland under-19s in Bosnia & Herzegovina for two friendlies in September.

“It was good to be away with the team, it was a great honour, a great experience and hopefully I will be able to maintain progress at both the club and at international level,” he concluded.

Conor Walsh was speaking in the Sligo Rovers match programme for the game against Derry City

Rovers record first home league win of the season

WOMEN’S PREMIER DIVISION REPORT

SLIGO ROVERS 4

BOHEMIAN FC 1

Sligo Rovers scored four goals for the first time in the Women’s Premier Division and that helped them to a first home win of the season with an impressive performance against Bohemian FC this evening, writes Conall Collier.

Two second-half goals from Paula McGrory and one each in the opening 45 minutes by Keri Loughrey and Sarah Kiernan paved the way to victory with Lynn Craven briefly giving the visitors a lifeline with a speculative 65th minute strike that made it 2-1.

This was the first of three successive home games for the Bit O’Red with bottom-of-the-table Cork City due to visit the Showgrounds next Saturday ahead of an eagerly-awaited FAI Cup semi-final against Athlone Town on Saturday 14th October.

While this was an encouraging performance this evening, manager Steve Feeney will now concentrate on keeping the players focused solely on the next game.

However, after going through a campaign that produced one WPD win out of the previous 15 outings, it certainly looks as if the lessons that were dispensed in some of those encounters have moulded the team into a more solid outfit.

The return of Lauren Boles, Emma Hansberry and Paula McGrory is also a factor and two wins in-a-row will also boost the confidence of the players.

Sligo Rovers made the best possible start and had the ball in the back of the Bohemian FC net after only six minutes when Keri Loughrey finished well.

Emma Hansberry had a shot well saved by Rachael Kelly soon after and the hosts remained in the ascendancy without too much difficulty.

Jodi Loughrey was involved in many positive moves for the Bit O’Red, but there was a fortuitous second goal when Sarah Kiernan’s 30th minute corner looped into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

That prompted the Dublin women into action and they created three good chances late in the half through Katherine Malone with two efforts and Katie Lovely.

Both sides went in search of goals in the second-half and Sligo Rovers lost Leah Kelly when she was hit with the ball and had to be assisted from the pitch close to the hour mark with Paula McGrory deputising.

The Dublin women got back into the game briefly when Lynn Craven scored a delightful goal with a speculative effort from distance that looped over Bonnie McKiernan.

Sligo Rovers weathered the storm and more or less sealed the victory when McCrory found the net from a Katie Melly pass with 12 minutes remaining.

Emma Doherty then brought a good save out of Rachael Kelly, but the Bohs ‘keeper had to pick the ball out of the net again in the 86th minute when McGrory claimed her second goal of the evening to wrap up a comprehensive victory.

Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Alice Lillie, Sarah Kiernan, Leah Kelly, Eimear Lafferty, Jodie Loughrey, Emma Hansberry, Lauren Boles, Keri Loughrey, Emma Doherty, Casey Howe.

Subs – Keeva Flynn for Kiernan 52 mins, Paula McGrory for Kelly 56m, Katie Melly for Howe 62m, Ciara Henry for Hansberry and Jessica Casey for J Loughrey both 88m.

Bohemian FC – Rachael Kelly; Lynn Craven, Katie Burdis, Lisa Murphy, Ciara Maher, Fiona Donnelly, Kira Bates-Crosbie, Mia Dodd, Katie Lovely, Katherine Malone, Rachel McGrath.

Subs – Niamh Prior for McGrath and Abbie O’Hara for Bates-Crosbie both 59 mins, Anna Hegarty for Dodd and Sadhbh Moran for Burdis both 88m.

Referee – Michael Connolly.

Assistant-referees – Ciaran O’Reilly, Richard Storey.

Fourth Official – John McLoughlin.

Preview: Strong squad for Rovers for Dalymount clash

Sligo Rovers are looking to make it three wins in succession when facing Bohemians in Dalymount Park on Friday night.

The Bit O’ Red recorded SSE Airtricity League Premier Division victories over UCD and Derry City so far this month.

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The games so far this season have yielded two wins for Bohs and one for Rovers.

Kailin Barlow, Max Mata and Stefan Radosavljevic scored the goals for Rovers in The Showgrounds win – one of the best of the season for John Russell’ side.

In team news Fabrice Hartmann and John Mahon have overcome injury. Hartmann missed out last week while Mahon was forced off at half-time. Both are available for selection.

Will Fitzgerald has also made significant progress in his recovery and could be involved in the next matchday squad in three weeks’ time.

Mark Byrne and Gary Boylan are the only two absentees, meaning Russell has the most options available in any game this season.

The Rovers boss said: “It is brilliant that nearly all of our players are available. We made five substitutions in the win over Derry, something we haven’t been able to do a lot of the time this season.

“Everyone made an impact and I thought was evident on the night. We had firepower to bring off the bench and it made a real difference. Stefan got the goal of course and I feel every player made a big contribution all over the pitch.

“I thought the players were excellent. They fed off the crowd who were superb as well and it was a great win over a strong Derry side.

“Bohs have a very good home record so this will be another difficult game. They’re going for Europe and have had a good season.  We’re going there with confidence after back-to-back wins which is something we wanted.

“There is still hurting there though. It’s not just a case of picking up a win or two and being happy with it.

“There is five games to go and we’re in control of what we do from now to the end of the season to get as many points as we can and as many big performances as we can.

“They’re tough games and you see in this league how hard it is to win every week. It has to be our target to keep it going.

“We have to win as many as we can and keep improving in terms of the levels we reach.

“The players have trained well again and we go there looking for three points.“

Preview: Rovers women face Bohs on Saturday in Showgrounds

By Conall Collier

The first of three big games over the next three weekends at the Showgrounds for Sligo Rovers starts with the visit of a Bohemian FC team on Saturday, kick-off 5pm.

Bohs currently sit in fifth position in the league, 16 points adrift of Women’s Premier Division (WPD) leaders Peamount United.

After Saturday’s encounter Bohemian FC will have three fixtures remaining against Wexford, Shelbourne and Treaty United and will be aiming to finish the season on a positive note, starting with this encounter in Sligo.

From that perspective, they will view this as a must-win game if a top four finish is to be achieved, but they will also want to make amends for the FAI Cup quarter-final reversal a fortnight ago.

Contrast that to the WPD form that Sligo Rovers take into this game – one victory and a draw from 15 outings has the Bit O’Red anchored in 10th place, two points ahead of Cork City and four points adrift of the Limerick side.

Similar statistics were applicable two weeks ago when Sligo Rovers travelled to Dalymount Park for that FAI Cup quarter-final against Bohemian FC and produced the shock-of-the-round with a sensational 1-0 victory to earn a place in the last four.

Buoyed by what was a thoroughly merited victory at the Phibsboro’ venue, Sligo Rovers will approach this encounter with an expectation that the team can put some much-needed points on the board.

Add into the mix that Cork City will visit the Showgrounds next weekend and then it will be the turn of Athlone Town for a FAI Cup semi-final showdown, plenty of reasons for the players to deliver a match-winning performance.

On that basis, Bohemian FC can expect another stern test as the Bit O’Red players will have set a goal of two wins ahead of that FAI Cup semi-final, but the attention for now will be focused solely on picking up three points.

On the last visit to the Showgrounds, Bohemian FC recorded a 3-1 Avenir Sports Cup victory in June, but it was a bizarre type of contest with a brace of first-half own goals boosting the Dublin women to a 2-0 interval lead.

Niamh Prior added a third goal early in the second-half to leave it comfortable for Bohemian FC, but the hosts were eventually rewarded on the scoreboard when Casey Howe converted a late penalty.

That victory made it six wins out of six for Bohemian FC against Sligo Rovers, but the Bit O’Red made a serious statement of intent with that 1-0 FAI Cup quarter-final success.

The sides went in scoreless at the interval at Dalymount after the Bit O’Red dominated the opening 45 minutes as Emma Doherty, Sarah Kiernan and Emma Hansberry all had chances, but it wasn’t all one-way traffic.

Sligo Rovers ‘keeper Bonnie McKiernan produced a flying save that denied Rachel Doyle for the hosts.

Steve Feeney’s side started the second-half on the front foot with Hansberry, Boles and Doherty all going close before the hosts had a chance from Lynn Craven.

The all-important goal arrived 13 minutes from time when Jodie Loughrey’s shot deflected to the net off Emma Hansberry, but the Dublin women had a chance soon after that was narrowly wide.

Central to the victory for Sligo Rovers was a solid defensive performance with Lauren Boles dictating a lot of the play, but another tight encounter is anticipated.

Kick-off at the Showgrounds is at 5pm. Tickets are available at turnstiles and the game is also on LOITV.