- Macdara Ferris
- Sat, Sep 21 2024
Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium
In their second last home game of the season, Shamrock Rovers secured just their second home win of the campaign with Stephanie Zambra scoring a second half winner for the Hoops.
Rovers created virtually all of the chances in the first 45 minutes but didn’t require Waves netminder Eve Badana into a save away from the ordinary.
The litany of Rovers chances mostly flashed over the bar and the one time the keeper was beaten Maria Reynold’s 35-yard pile driver cracked off the corner of the crossbar and post and back into safety for DLR Waves.
Manager Laura Heffernan had made five changes to her Waves team from their 4-0 home defeat to Galway United last week – it was a team on this occasion that included two former Hoops players (Chloe McCarthy and Shannon Coady).
There was a loose pass in the 12th minute that did provide Rachel Doyle with a view of the Rovers goal but she took the shot on too early and Amanda Budden was well placed to take the ball in her grasp.
Joy Ralph was the biggest threat to the visitors. She volleyed one over the bar off a Lia O’Leary corner in the 15th minute, pulled another wide soon after, before a run and shot was just a whisker by the post in the 41stminute.
Moments later there was a shout for a penalty when Aoife Kelly went down in the Waves box but referee Alan Franklin waved play on. In first half injury time, Zambra got her long range shot on target but Badana was able to gather with relative ease.
Early in the second half Coady had Budden back peddling to claim a long range shot which she did in relative comfort.
Rovers were rewarded for their set piece dominance by scoring off their seventh corner of the game in the 59thminute.
O’Leary took a corner short to Áine O’Gorman and when O’Leary got the return pass her cross was cleared. However she won the header when it came back out to her, sending the ball to Zambra who scored with a neat touch on the turn to beat Badana.
Sub Aisling Meehan brought some fresh impetus to Waves when she came on. She went close with a header in the 69th minute when she really should have found the target with Budden only able to watch on and she then forced Reynolds into conceding a corner after a foot race from half way between the duo.
The Waves striker four minutes from time forced Budden out of her area with the Rovers keeper clearing the ball with a well-timed tackle.
However, there was to be no late drama like last week when the Hoops conceded an equaliser and they hung on to deservedly claim all three points.
Shamrock Rovers WFC: Amanda Budden; Shauna Fox, Savannah McCarthy, Maria Reynolds; Fiona Owens, Aoife Kelly, Melissa O'Kane (Scarlett Herron 79); Aine O'Gorman, Stephanie Zambra (Jaime Thompson 78), Lia O'Leary; Joy Ralph (Emily Corbet 78).
Subs not used: Summer Lawless, Alannah Prizeman, Katie O'Reilly, Ella Kelly, Lauren Kelly.
Booked: Amanda Budden (59).
DLR Waves: Eve Badana; Amber Cosgrove, Jessica Gleeson, Rebecca McMahon, Chloe McCarthy; Keelin Dodd, Isobel Finnegan; Robyn Bolger (Abbie Brophy 54), Rachel Doyle (Cliodhna Donnelly 72), Nadine Seward; Shannon Coady (Aisling Meehan 54).
Subs not used: Rugile Auskalnyte, Eve Conheady, Leah Donnelly, Hannah Tobin-Jones, Taylor White, Bronagh Kane.
Booked: Shannon Coady (30).
Referee: Alan Franklin.
Attendance: 147
extratime.com Player of the Match: Maria Reynolds (Shamrock Rovers)
