By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers Tommy Hewitt admitted that his team produced a tired looking performance against DLR Waves at the Showgrounds as they slumped to a 12^th Women’s Premier Division (WPD) defeat of the season on Saturday.

The game marked his return to the sideline, following suspension, and for five of the players who finished the game it was a second outing in as many days and a third in a week following the previous Saturday’s battling display against title-chasing Galway Utd at Eamonn Deacy Park.

However, the Bit O’Red boss also accepted that a young team that features many players who are coming through the academy, that performances can vary in terms of consistency from game-to-game.

There won’t be too much time to dwell on the result against DLR as the focus will now turn to the arrival Shelbourne at the Showgrounds on Wednesday evening and that will be followed by a trip to Tallaght next Saturday.

The schedule of fixtures means that a majority of players will have lined out in five games in the space of 14 days including two midweek.

Last Tuesday night the Sligo Rovers u-19 team made the long journey to the Oscar Traynor Centre in Dublin for an Academy Cup quarter-final against Bohemian FC – Alice Lillie, Cara King, Anna McDaniel, Jessica Casey and Roise Burke all featured then and on Saturday against DLR Waves.

“I was very disappointed with the result against DLR Waves and I have to assess my own contribution to this, it looked like a very tired performance and I can understand that to a certain extent,” explained the 2022 WPD manager-of-the-year.

“And it won’t get any easier as we have three more games in the space of the next 10 days and we just have to find something a little bit extra, both from my own perspective and from the players.

“We were expected to win against DLR Waves and that’s not something that we are used to this season and we just didn’t cope well enough, that expectation won’t be there on Wednesday night against Shelbourne.

“Over the last few weeks there has been steady improvement, but we probably need to add a little bit of experience to the starting 11.

“We have also lost some very experienced players during the mid-season break and when you put all that together it leaves it a bit more difficult to find a bit of consistency on the pitch.

“I have no doubt that there will be a marked improvement against Shelbourne on Wednesday evening, I know the players will react positively and I’ll also have to try to freshen things up a little for the next two games,” he concluded.

Match Report

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers are still looking for a first Women’s Premier Division (WPD) win of the season following Saturday’s reversal against Dublin side DLR Waves.

An early goal from a penalty gave DLR Waves the platform for victory and they added further goals each side of the interval an close to the end for a comfortable victory.

Five of the Sligo Rovers players, Alice Lillie, Cara King, Anna McDaniel, Jessica Casey and Rose Burke featured in last Tuesday night’s u-19 Academy Cup quarter-final away to Bohemian FC  

Rebecca Doddy came in for Rachel McGoldrick in the only change from the previous week’s outing against Galway Utd

DLR Waves took the lead from that eighth minute penalty converted by Amber Cosgrove.

The Dublin women added a second goal in the 20^th minute when Keelin Dodd found some space on the edge of the Sligo Rovers penalty area with her shot going in off the bottom of the crossbar.

DLR could have added a couple of more goals before the break as Abigail Brophy hit the post, Amber Hardy saved from Aisling Meehan and Leah Kelly cleared off the line with the half-time whistle a relief for the Bit O’Red.

Sligo Rovers made a positive start to the second-half and created a couple of chances, but all that was undone in the 52^nd minute when a quick DLR break gave Aisling Meehan an opening for her second goal.

Sligo Rovers pushed and probed for the remainder, but were unable to make any impact on the scoreboard as Shannon Hanlon Coady added a fourth goal and were denied a fifth when Amber Hardy saved an 89^th minute DLR penalty.

Sligo Rovers – Amber Hardy; Leah Kelly, Keeva Flynn, Sarah Kiernan, Alice Lillie,  Muireann Devaney, Paula McGrory, Keri Loughrey, Eimear Lafferty, Rebecca Doddy, Anna McDaniel. Subs – Kelsey Munroe for Kelly, Jessica Casey for Kiernan and Cara King for Doddy all half-time, Katie Melly for McGrory 57 mins, Roise Burke for Devaney 70m.

DLR Waves – Rugile Auskainyte; Jessica Gleeson, Isobel Finnegan, Rachel Doyle, Rebecca McMahon, Nadine Seward, Abigail Brophy, Taylor White, Amber Cosgrove, Leah Donnelly, Keelin Dodd. Subs – Shannon Hanlon-Coady for Meehan and Robyn Bolger for Doyle both 57 mins, Eve Conheady for Cosgrove 72m, Nadine Raymond for White and Chloe McCarthy for McMahon both 77m.

Referee – Declan Toland.

Assistant referees – Conor Harkin, Endrit Malaveci.

Fourth Official – Richard Storey

Ray Gallagher was appointed Sligo Rovers Club President, and Seamus Cummins as Vice President, at a ceremony in the Showgrounds on Saturday. Along with Ray and Seamus’ family and friends, the attendance included former players Tony Fagan, Chris Rutherford, Johnny Kenny, Martin McDonnell, and Nicky Broujos. Other guests included Frank Feighan TD, FAI match delegate Jim O’Connell, Ray’s former work colleague Carmel Feeney, members of the Management Committee, the Showgrounds Trustee Board, members of the Rovers Heritage Group, and Club volunteers.

Chair of the Showgrounds Trustee Board, Albert Higgins, recalled Ray’s first involvement with Rovers in the mid-60s when he invited him to the Showgrounds in his capacity as Agricultural Advisor to advise on the maintenance of the pitch. He outlined Ray’s pivotal role in securing the ground for Rovers in the late 60s and paid tribute to both Ray and Seamus for their outstanding contribution to the ground and the club over their lifetime of service.

Sligo Rovers Chairman Tommy Higgins said, “Today Sligo Rovers take the opportunity to honour two exemplary servants of the Club, Ray Gallagher and Seamus Cummins. In paying tribute to Ray and Seamus, I also want to acknowledge the special place held in this club for our former President, the late Paddy Gilmartin. Ray and Seamus are in the same tradition of dedicated volunteers. Ray served in a number of capacities since he first became involved in the 1960s, including Club Chairman and Chairman of our Development Committee. Arguably, his greatest legacy is in securing the Showgrounds for this club and this community.”

BY CONALL COLLIER

Sligo Rovers will welcome DLR Waves to the Showgrounds on Saturday for a Women’s Premier Division basement battle between the bottom two teams, kick-off 2pm.

Two weeks ago the Bit O’Red travelled to the Belfield Bowl for a FAI Cup quarter-final tie and knocked the Dublin side out of the competition with a 3-1 victory.

Goals from Anna McDaniel, Kelsey Munroe and Paula McGrory sealed the victory as Sligo Rovers stood strong against a serious second-half test from DLR Waves.

That type of performance will be required again on Saturday and Pauls McGrory will be eager to add to her goal tally as manager Tommy Hewitt returns to the sideline after serving a three-match suspension.

“i had to watch the last three games from the stand and I could see things that I wouldn’t normally see from the sideline, as a team, as a unit, we have improved, but the bottom line is we have to win this game to back up that claim,” stated the manager.

“There isn’t too much between the teams, but we need to get a win on Saturday, I can’t put it in any more simple terms.

“It’s not that the points are of any significance to either team, but the result will be significant on a number of fronts.

“As I said, we need to get a win and our supporters will be expecting us to win on the evidence from the victory a fortnight ago.

“It’s going to be a tough game for us and DLR Waves will want to make amends, but we have made tremendous strides since the start of the season and hopefully we can demonstrate that on Saturday,” he added.

Saturday’s encounter will be the first of three games in seven days and that will test the strength and depth of the squad with title-chasing Shelbourne due to visit the Showgrounds on Wednesday followed by a visit to Tallaght on Saturday, 14^th September.

“It will be a hectic week, we will have Shelbourne next Wednesday and then we have to go to Tallaght Stadium on the Saturday, all that before the Cup semi-final against Athlone Town the following weekend,” stated the manager.

“When you look at that schedule, they are all big games and we have to try to win them all, but my focus, and the focus of the players will be solely on DLR Waves this weekend.

“We have a relatively small squad and we will be without Jodie Loughrey for Saturday due to injury, she missed the Galway game last weekend and she will be a big loss,

“We were excellent against Galway in the first half last Saturday, but we dropped off a bit in the second half, that’s something we need to address and the next opportunity will be against DLR Waves.

“The players are learning and gaining experience in every game and we will be ready for a battle against DLR Waves, if we can produce a consistent performance over the 90 minutes that will be crucial.

“I’m looking forward to Saturday, not just because I’ll be back on the sideline, but we will be going into the game knowing that we have a realistic chance of getting that first win.

“All I can say is that it was very frustrating for the last three games, having to watch from a distance and no involvement with the team beforehand, hopefully we’ll get the win to make it a good weekend,” he concluded.

The game will be live on LOITV and kick-off at the Showgrounds is 2pm.

Sligo Rovers recovered from that seven goal defeat at Drogheda United in perfect fashion as they saw off Waterford at the Showgrounds. A goal in either half from Wilson Waweru and Simon Power saw the Bit O’Red pick up their first win in three and propelled Rovers into third, behind title chasers Derry City and Shelbourne. 

With just goal difference separating them and three points meaning the victor would elevate themselves to that European spot, both camps were aware of the value of a win. 

The hosts made one change from a chastening trashing in Louth eight nights previous, with 19-year-old Buncrana native Gareth McElroy handed his senior debut in the heart of the Sligo defence, in place of Charlie Wiggett. 

With four defeats in their previous five league outings and without manager Keith Long courtesy of suspension, the visitors made one switch from defeat to Derry last week. Connor Parsons replaced Grant Horton as the RSC side chased a much needed result on the road.

The travelling Blues should have been ahead after just 90 seconds. 

Rovers allowed former striker Padraig Amon through on goal. The Carlow man’s initial effort was repelled by Ed McGinty into the path of Christie Pattison who failed to make contact with the ball from four yards out. 

Sligo certianly didn’t look like a side coming off the back of a seven goal trouncing as they came up with some of their best football of the year. 

Key to this was winger Power who twice went close with efforts from out wide, while Ellis Chapman was able to lift the ball over Waterford goalkeeper Louis Jones on 12 minutes. Chapman was left despondent however as his effort dropped wide of Jones’ goal. 

Both sides had chances in quick succession close to the quarter hour. Power again went close from a wide angle, while Amond’s header from a Ryan Burke cross hung in the air before falling wide of McGinty’s posts seconds later.

Sligo opened the scoring on 18 minutes and went on to dominate the remainder of the half. Jones got a hand to a Connor Malley header from a Will Fitzgerald corner but could only bat the ball onto the foot of Waweru who rifled the ball to the roof of the net from close range. 

Power had a looping header taken off the Waterford line in added time at the end of the half. While McElroy had to get in front of Amond’s effort at the front post eight minutes into the second period. 

Waweru went close to Rovers’ second on 55. Jones produced a decent two-handed stop to deny the former Galway man’s header from a wonderful Power cross. 

Power himself threatened that second goal twice in the space of a few minutes. He first tested Jones from 25 yards, before firing over from the angle four minutes later. 

Debutant McElroy then nodded narrowly wide from a Power corner on 68 as Sligo again pressed although Pattison wasn’t too far away at the far end on the following attack, slipping a shot beyond McGinty’s post.

Power was finally rewarded for his impressive showing on 73 minutes when he nodded Fitzgerald’s ball into the bottom corner of Jones’ goal. 

The former Shamrock Rovers winger was then denied his brace. Malley forced the ball towards the Wicklow native who was stopped by Jones’ outstretched leg. 

The home support were sure Chapman had their third seven minutes from time when he picked up Fitzgerald’s through ball. Chapman had the hard work done when he rounded Jones but Waterford defender Kacper Radkowski somehow recovered in time to pull off a magnificent last ditch block to deny the former Cheltenham attacker. 

Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Gareth McElroy, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan (Jack Henry-Francis 88), Connor Malley; Will Fitzgerald, Ellis Chapman, Simon Power (Stephen Mallon 77); Wilson Waweru (Luke Pearce 64).

Waterford: Louis Jones; Darragh Power (Dean McMenamy HT), Kacper Radkowski, Darragh Leahy, Ryan Burke; Barry Bagley, Sam Glenfield (Grant Horton HT), Rowan McDonald (Ben McCormack 81); Conor Parsons (Joseph Forde 71), Christie Pattisson (Gbemi Arubi 71); Padraig Amond. 

Referee: Paul Norton. 

Attendance: 2,432

David Goulden

By Conall Collier

Former Sligo Rovers striker Emma Doherty scored a 53^rd minute Women’s Premier Division winner for Galway Utd against the Bit O’Red in a tight encounter at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday evening.

Two and a half seasons at the Showgrounds ended surprisingly with a move to Galway during the transfer window.

The Buncrana woman’s second-half strike was all that separated the sides after 90 minutes as Amanda Smith’s lead goal for Galway was cancelled by Paula McGrory’s penalty close to the interval

Sligo Rovers made two changes from the team that defeated DLR Waves a week earlier with Rachael McGoldrick and Sarah Kiernan coming in for Kelsey Munroe and Jodie Loughrey.

Galway also made two changes from the team that negotiated Peamount Utd last time out with Amanda Smith and Therese Kinnevey replacing Aoibheann Costello and Kate Thompson

Galway dictated most of the first-half exchanges, but found the going tough against a resilient and uncompromising Sligo Rovers side that had a Rachael McGoldrick shot on target in the 11^th minute and then there was an audacious lob from Paula McGrory a minute later that was narrowly wide.

At the other end it was all about the contribution of Julie Ann Russell who was a constant threat and she forced the error from the Bit O’Red rearguard in the 17^th minute that created the opportunity for Amanda Smith to rifle to the net.

Despite conceding the goal, Sligo Rovers continued to push forward and were rewarded for pressure in the 34^th minute when Keri Loughrey was impeded in the Galway penalty area and McGrory confidently converted the resultant spot kick to leave it 1-1 at the interval.

The Galway girls were quick out of the traps for the second-half and had two early chances before Doherty’s goal gave them the lead again.

It was generally a Galway dominated second-half and Amber Hardy produced her usual number of top class saves that denied both Doherty on 66 minutes and Russell soon after.

The Bit O’Red carved out an opening near the end, but Galway ‘keeper Jessica Berlin tipped the effort away for a corner.

Manager Tommy Hewitt had to watch again from the stand, but has now served a three-game suspension and will be back on sideline duty for next Saturday’s home game against DLR Waves, kick-off 2pm.

Galway Utd – Jessica Berlin; Lucy Jane Grant, Isabella Beletic, Jamie Erickson, Jenna Slattery, Lynsey McKey, Julie Ann Russell, Therese Kinnevey, Amy Madden, Amanda Smith, Emma Doherty. Subs – Aisling Meaney for McKey half-time, Rolake Olasula for Doherty 90 mins.

Sligo Rovers – Amber Hardy; Leah Kelly, Alice Lillie, Sarah Kiernan, Keeva Flynn, Muireann Devaney, Paula McGrory, Keri Loughrey, Eimear Lafferty, Rachael McGoldrick, Anna McDaniel. Subs – Jessica Casey for McGoldrick 76 mins, Cara King for McDaniel and Rebecca Doddy for McGrory both 83m.

Sligo Rovers will look to rediscover their winning form this Saturday as they take on Waterford at the Showgrounds, kick-off 7.45pm. 

This Premier Division game is Rovers’ biggest of the season to date, as John Russell’s side look to potentially break into the top three. The Blues and the Bit O’Red sit third and fourth respectively with the same number of games played, level on points with Waterford ahead only on goal difference. 

Sligo will look to pick up their first win in three in all competitions following recent defeats to both UCD and Drogheda United.

This will be the fourth and final time this season that the teams will lock horns. 

The visitors have the upper hand in the head-to-head stakes with two wins over Rovers this year, while ten man Sligo beat Keith Long’s side at the RSC back in March. 

In team news, Nando Pijnaker is again expected to miss out having missed the defeat to Drogs following a head injury received in the recent FAI Cup loss to UCD. 

Winger Stephen Mallon will face a late fitness test. While Stefan Radosavljevic joins John Mahon and Conor Reynolds on the treatment table. 

This game sees the teams at the opposite ends of the form table take each other on. With four victories from their last five league outings, Rovers are currently the in-form club in the top flight, while 

Waterford sit bottom of that list having been beaten in four of their last five. 

Russell, who returns to the dugout following a three game ban, is paying little heed to stats and knows how big Saturday’s clash is. The Rovers boss also says that last week’s drubbing at Weaver’s Park is now out of the system.

“The Drogheda game is history now and there is absolutely nothing we can do now to affect that result”, he says. “We have moved on and I am happy with how the players have reacted this week in training.”

“What we can do now is affect the outcome of Saturday’s game and the games between now and the end of the season. Right now, our full focus is on Waterford and it’s a massive game. Both teams are inseparable on points and it promises to be a cracker of a game between two teams who play attacking football so we’re hoping for a big crowd to encourage the players as they can affect things too.  

“The players have reacted well to recent setbacks and we’re looking forward to Saturday. Waterford can really open you up if you’re not on your game and we’ve seen that from them this season. They have plenty of goals in their team and we need to be ready to go from minute one.” 

David Goulden

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers will travel to tackle hosts Galway Utd in a crucial Women’s Premier Division (WPD) game on Saturday, 5pm.

The two-time Avenir Sports All-Island Cup champions will go into this game on a high following last Saturday’s impressive victory against defending WPD champions Peamount Utd where a brace of Julie Ann Russell goals and one from former Sligo Rovers striker Emma Doherty sealed the win.

“No one gave us a chance last week in the FAI Cup away to DLR Waves, but we had nothing to lose and we are certainly not a bad team. We just haven’t got results in some games where we were worth a draw or even a win,” stated Sligo Rovers manager Tommy Hewitt.

“It will be the same against Galway, no one will give us a chance and they won’t be holding anything in reserve, but I’m in a good position now with players coming back into contention for selection and we have that FAI Cup semi-final on the horizon as well.

“However, I’m not under any illusions, that’s a good Galway team and it will be vital that we produce a performance and then see where that will take us over the 90 minutes.

“I’m still suspended, I will have to watch from the stand in Galway, but the team will be well prepared, both Conor (O’Grady) and Jay (McCartney) are doing a good job and I will be on the sideline for the next home game, the following week against DLR Waves,” he added.

Galway defeated Sligo Rovers twice this season, last March, first in the Avenir Sports Cup by 2-0 and then a week later in the WPD at the Showgrounds where an 88^th minute penalty gave them a hard-earned 3-2 victory.

Twice Galway were in front in that game, a 19^th minute Jenna Slattrey goal was cancelled by Emma Doherty early in the second-half. Jamie Erickson restored Galway’s lead with 20 minutes remaining and Jodie Loughrey levelled in the 82^nd minute.

A draw looked likely until referee Glen Geraghty pointed to the spot on the stroke of full-time and Slattery converted.

Unusually, both teams featured seven players from that encounter in last weekend’s starting line-ups and both go into Saturday’s showdown buoyed by 3-1 victories, Galway defeated Peamount at home while Sligo Rovers travelled to Dublin and negotiated DLR Waves.

The formbook suggests a home victory, but an improving Sligo Rovers side will be eager to sustain some momentum in an effort to pick up points and get off the bottom of the table with only seven games remaining.

The action will be on LOITV and kick-off is at 5pm