Women's Premier Division Wrap: Shelbourne go top with win over DLR Waves, Peamount United defeat Athlone Town while Bohemians edge past Sligo Rovers

Round 14 of the Women’s Premier Division began in North Dublin where Shelbourne were looking to bury the memory of last Wednesday’s All-Island Cup semi-final defeat, by taking three points from DLR Waves at Tolka Park.

The cup loss to Shamrock Rovers was Shelbourne’s fist defeat of the season, while visitors DLR  had won only one of their 15 matches in 2024. The cards were stacked in The Reds’ favour, a fact that they exploited ruthlessly.

Captain Pearl Slattery, opened the scoring, her 4th of the season, and a catastrophic defensive mix-up handed Noelle Murray the second. Canadian Christie Gray, making her first league start since mid April, added a third in the second half with youngster Katie McCarn making it 4-0 in the closing stages.

SHELBOURNE 4-0 DLR WAVES

The three points won brought Shels level with Athlone Town at the top of the table, temporarily at least, while DLR, who have just lost their top-scorer Michelle Doonan to Peamount, will be looking forward to a break from their league troubles when they meet Whitehall Rangers in the FAI Cup next weekend.

The second game of the weekend kicked off just up the road at Dalymount Park where home side Bohemians were taking on struggling Sligo Rovers. Not unlike DLR, Sligo arrived in Dublin without their star striker.

Emma Doherty has been a luminous presence in the Sligo ranks since she joined from the Donegal League in 2022. But she has packed her bags and traveled down the west coast to join the Tribeswomen of Galway.

Sligo were also missing Zoe McGlynn and Kelly Crompton, who have departed for Linfield and Glentoran respectively, while a number of other Sligo women were also absent.

Neither side have set the world alight this year so it was no surprise that the margin was slim, but Katie Malone made the difference with a well taken goal - her second in two games - and the Bohs held out against a Sligo siege in the final minutes.

BOHEMIANS 1-0 SLIGO ROVERS

Next up was the visit of Cork City to Shamrock Rovers on the western fringes of the city. The rebels have endured a difficult few seasons but this year is different. They had already beaten the Hoops earlier in the season and you would have thought the Rovers staff had made their charges aware of the danger posed by the effervescent No.22 Colleen Kennedy O’Connor.

Rovers made several changes, having had a busy night in midweek against Shels in the All-Island Cup. And lined out with a back three, committing an extra body to forward endeavours. A shimmer of over confidence?

A scoreless first half disguised the dominance of the home side but just four minutes into the second period, City hit the front. And yes, it was Kennedy O’Connor who made it happen - chasing on the break, biting and snapping at heels until Rovers centre back Jess Hennessy poked a flustered foot at the ball and nudged it past her own keeper.

It looked like Cork would achieve a second win of the season over Collie O’Neill’s team. And as that likelihood grew, the Hoops manager threw on his big guns. Lia O’Leary, Joy Ralph, Aoife Kelly. And with less than three minutes on the clock, it was Ralph who bundled in a late equaliser for a share of the points.

SHAMROCK ROVERS 1-1 CORK CITY

Game number four took place in Limerick’s Markets Field where the international themed Treaty United hosted A Wexford side who are slowly rebuilding their confidence on the back of steadily improving results and performances that are beginning to glow.

It was fitting then that Wexford’s Ceola Bergin opened the scoring, a young player of prodigious talent who is starting to match her promise with end product. There was nothing glamorous about her goal, it must be said, but when the opposition mess up, you want your striker to take advantage, and that she did.

Treaty pulled themselves level with a penalty, tucked away by new signing Danielle Steer, who has now scored in all three of her Treaty appearances. 90 minutes passed with the sides still level, but in the 3rd of three added minutes, Ellen Molloy got the ball at her feet and ran at Treaty. This is not what a team want to see at any point of a game, but especially not in those final moments of consequence.

Molloy has something about her - a kind of diamond edged twinkle that promises the most dramatic outcome from any circumstance in which she is involved. She let fly from distance. That’s going to go in, was the only thought in the head of anyone watching. And it did.

Seconds later the whistle sounded and Wexford are now third in the table. Treaty, meanwhile, are left with the unsolved conundrum of many talented players who haven’t yet figured out how they fit together.

TREATY UNITED 1-2 WEXFORD

Last but not least came the meeting of reigning champions Peamount United against league leaders Athlone Town. So it’s back to west Dublin for a dusk-lit encounter in the pastoral surrounds of PRL Park.

There was a real need for Peamount to get something from this. Already 10 points behind Athlone, the Peas needed to start closing the gap, so an own goal by left back Dearbhaile Beirne to hand Athlone the lead, was not ideal.

It was an unfortunate moment but Athlone deserved to be ahead. Madison Gibson raised merry hell on the Midlanders’ left wing and they were the team that looked more likely. At least, until the 78th minute, when it all changed, changed utterly, and a terrible… well, you get the idea.

Kerri Letmon came off the Peamount bench and soon found herself in the right place at the right time, to score on her debut and pull the Peas level. Cue pandemonium! It was not a thing of beauty, but it made up in drama for what it lacked in elegance and gifted us a passionately fought finale.

Seven minutes later a Peamount corner fell into a bout of pinball around Athlone’s six-yard box before captain Karen Duggan put a stop to it with a swinging boot that forced the ball over the goal line.

There was no way back for Athlone. With seconds to go Gibson had a glimmer of an opening but Ellen Molloy had used up the daily ration of magic dust and her shot spun wide.

PEAMOUNT UNITED 2-1 ATHLONE TOWN

Collie O’Neill: 'It is our first chance as a group to try and have something to show for all our hard work.’ https://t.co/36f2yHCtwlpic.twitter.com/lLzFD1qwVB

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) July 28, 2024