WNL Preview: Wexford and Shels face off for the title, Athlone still with a chance and Galway WFC play their final game

The final day of the 2022 Women’s National League season takes place on Saturday with numerous talking points and lots to be decided as another spectacular title race comes to a conclusion with all games kicking off at 5.20pm.

Wexford Youths -v- Shelbourne

The main game people will be talking about is the meeting between Wexford Youths and Shelbourne at Ferrycarrig Park (live on TG4).

It’s first taking on second but with Shelbourne just a point ahead of the Youths it will be definitely winner takes all.

Wexford could have been in the driving seat going into the final day of the season, but they were held to a 3-3 draw in a fantastic six goal thriller at PRL Park last weekend meaning they trail the Reds and need the victory to claim the title.

Last weekend Shels saw off Sligo Rovers in a fairly routine 2-0 win which has put them top of the table going into tomorrow’s game.

A draw won’t be quite good enough to ensure the title stays at Tolka Park however and they will be looking for the three points as a draw could mean a playoff with Athlone Town for the title should they defeat Bohemians.

The teams have met twice in the WNL already this season with a win each for Shelbourne and Wexford.

Shels won’t have any fear travelling to the south-east as they won in Ferrycarrig Park in April, although they are a fairly different team compared to that stage of the season with Saoirse Noonan, who has since moved to Durham in the English Championship, one of the goal scorers in a 2-0 win.

Youths got their win back in June when they travelled to Tolka Park, Jessica Lawler got on the scoresheet 15 minutes from time to give Wexford what is now a vital three points.

Bohemians -v- Athlone Town

The Town have been the greatest story of this year’s WNL – just in their third season at senior level, Tommy Hewitt’s side have put in a great effort at a title challenge and they will face off against Shelbourne at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday, 6 November for the FAI Women’s Cup.

It looks unlikely that they will be able to claim the WNL title at this point, but it’s certainly not impossible.

Tommy Hewitt’s side just have to go out and win at all costs and then hope that Shelbourne and Wexford Youths play out a draw to force a playoff with the Reds as they will then be on level points with an equal head to head record.

Athlone are unbeaten against Bohs this season with a draw and a win over the Gypsies in their previous two meetings.

One cause for concern is that the draw came in Dalymount Park earlier this season but thoughts like that need to simply go out the window for Athlone at this point.

What is in their favour is a chance to still go for the WNL title and a six game unbeaten streak which includes five wins stretching back to August.

For Bohs they still have something to play for, albeit not silverware, the Gyspies can still finish in sixth place with a win over Athlone which would see them overtake DLR Waves and equal their record high finish which they achieved last season.

 Galway -v- Peamount United

With Peamount only securing a point last weekend against Wexford it now means that the game against Galway means nothing with regard to the WNL title.

It’s a shame too as it is a repeat of the fixture last year, albeit in a different venue, which saw Peas lose out on the title with Galway overturning a 2-0 deficit to win and cost United the league.

Although there is no silverware on the line at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday, this fixture is still of note as it is the final time that Galway WFC will take the field in the Women’s National League.

It will certainly be a sad day for the club who have opted not to apply for inclusion in the 2023 WNL after a decade.

The Tribeswomen, while not one of the original WNL clubs are stalwarts of the league at this point and had become a very consistent side on the field with a small but determined group of volunteers keeping the show on the road off the field.

No silverware ever came to the west at senior level sadly though the club had incredible success at underage level winning the WNL under 17 league and cup double in 2019 and then doing the same at under 19 level in 2021.

Thankfully the development of women’s football in the west will continue with Galway United committing to take up the mantle but certainly a debt is owed to the many people involved at Galway WFC since 2012 for pushing on women’s football at senior level in the region up to this point.

Sligo Rovers -v- DLR Waves

The Bit O’Red will be looking to sign off on a solid first season in the WNL with a win when they host DLR Waves at the Showgrounds.

Waves will be looking to ideally move into fifth place, a win could send them ahead of Galway – they will also not want to move down the table as Bohemians could overtake them and push them to seventh place if they can beat Athlone Town.

The Dublin side already have two wins over Sligo this season so they will be looking to sweep the Bit O’Red on Saturday. Waves won 3-0 in Sligo’s first ever home game in the WNL before running out 3-2 winners at the UCD Bowl in May.

Treaty United -v- Cork City

Neither of these sides can improve their standing in the WNL this season with the two teams confirmed to finish in the bottom two spots.

There is still pride on the line however as Treaty and Cork face off in the Munster Derby on Saturday.

It has been a tough campaign for Don O’Riordan’s Treaty side and they will also be gunning for a win as they are still without a victory this season and Saturday will be their final chance.

The Rebels have won the two meetings between the sides so far this season so it could be a tough ask for the Limerick side but with Cork on a three game losing streak they might be able to catch them and claim a result to end their season on a high.