Collie O’Neill: 'It is our first chance as a group to try and have something to show for all our hard work.’

Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium

Collie O’Neill ruefully shook his head when speaking after his Shamrock Rovers side dominated against Cork City on Saturday but couldn’t take all three points in Tallaght Stadium.

However there were plenty of positives to take away from their 1-1 draw with the Leesiders. The Hoops have struggled to get going this season but have won five of their last seven games with their only dropped points being that draw and one solitary defeat during that spell.

Last Wednesday Rovers beat Shelbourne to make it to next month’s All-Island Cup final. It sets up a final against Galway United and the chance for an inaugural piece of silverware for this latest iteration of the Rovers women’s side – and the opportunity of a first trophy in the women’s game for the club since a 2002 Dublin Women’s Soccer League title.

“It is our first chance as a group to try and have something to show for all our hard work,” said O’Neill speaking to extratime.com after Saturday’s game.

“It is not going to be easy because Galway are a really good side but we have an opportunity. They had to go to penalties to get by Wexford who are on a good run too. When this was put together, it was trying to build towards these moments and these occasions and we are looking forward to it.”

O’Neill is happy with how his squad is shaping up after Saturday. He handed a starting debut to teenager Ella Kelly (who was player of the match), a first start of new signing Emily Corbet and he had the Rovers return from injury for Ireland international Savannah McCarthy.

“She is still just 15,” said O’Neill about Kelly, who he deployed left wing in their 3-4-2-1 formation. “She is a great prospect for the future. She has been doing really well in training over the last number of weeks and we were looking to get her an opportunity to get her in. At least now she can push for a starting spot week-in, week-out. She was very good.”

The Hoops had signed Emily Corbet in the week when the Olympics started so it is a case of Emily in Tallaght rather than Emily in Paris. She lit up the league in 2022 scoring 20 goals, helping Athlone Town to runners up spot in the league and cup. She has been with Wexford for the last season and a half before the Hoops swooped for her signature.

“She has been out of football for a number of weeks so we know she is not fully fit yet. It is a case of get her minutes and get her in. It isn't just about trying to settle into the Shamrock Rovers way and the style that we want to do but is about her getting back believing in herself and getting her back to that player who was player of the year only two years ago.

“She has top potential. She is still only 20 and is a great addition to the side and it is one I think when she gets her fitness and sharpness up she will add another dimension to us.”

For McCarthy it has been a long road back after picking up a serious injury in a pre-season friendly. “She has worked her ass off for the last number of weeks. It is one of those things, people only ever see the players on the pitch, they don't see the work that they do off it. She has done so much rehab, so much gym work, so much pure hard graft to try and do that just to get on a playing pitch again and that is nice to see.”

The Hoops dominated the game against the Leesiders on Saturday with 69% of the play, putting ten of their 21 shots on target. Meanwhile City failed to find the target from their three shots – with an own goal from Jess Hennessy giving City the lead early in the second half.

“You can't miss that amount of chances and look to win football games. At half-time we said Cork's only way they were going to score was going to feed off a mistake from us.

"We needed to be quicker and do better and our overall play was a little bit too slow. We have no one else to blame other than ourselves and we created enough chances to win three games but it is what it is.”

O’Neill had rested his three Ireland under-19 internationals – Lia O’Leary, Joy Ralph and Aoife Kelly – on the bench from their recent exploits at the European Championship. Coming off the bench, O’Leary put the free kick in for Ralphy to claim the equaliser two minutes from time.

“They played on Wednesday (in the 2-1 All-Island semi-final cup win over Shels) but we had to be mindful that if they started again today that is five full games in two weeks. You are in the red zone there and we have other big games coming up in the next few weeks so we have to protect them. They were fully fresh, and wanted to play but it was us trying to protect them.”

Next up for the Hoops is an away clash against last year’s league winners Peamount United before back-to-back games against Galway United – the first away in the league and the second in the All-Island Cup final that will be hosted in Tallaght Stadium.