- Macdara Ferris
- Sat, Mar 30 2024
Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium
Shamrock Rovers are still searching for their first win of the season as they had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Treaty United in Tallaght on Saturday afternoon in the Women's Premier Division.
The influx of North American talent into the Treaty side make them much more a formidable opponent than last season when Rovers put ten past Treaty in their two league games.
The sides played out a 1-1 draw last week in Limerick when they were drawn against one another in the All-Island Cup. The Hoops have had the same scoreline in their other two league games this season, while Treaty had the one win from the one game they have played coming into this weekend.
Áine O’Gorman hit the landmark of 200 League of Ireland goals in her last match and It took her only 48 seconds of this game to bring her tally to 201.
Joy Ralph’s first corner from the left arrowed to the near post before a Treaty United leg turned it around the post. With the resulting Ralph corner, she found O’Gorman on the edge of the area and she drilled a shot high into the net for the very early lead.
Stephanie Zambra, brought back into the side from the one who drew with Treaty United last week, went close in the tenth minute fizzing a shot just wide of Anne-Marie Ulliac’s post.
The keeper pulled off a great save from Zambra seven minutes later after the Ireland international was fouled on the edge of the penalty area by Kayla Kyle.
In the 20th minute the sides were level. The visitors, who were unchanged from last week, pressed a turnover in the centre of midfield through Jillian O’Toole.
Delana Friesen picked up her pass and unselfishly fed Katie Lawlee who was able to slot the ball into the empty net.
Treaty almost exploited an error from Hoops left back Lia O’Leary soon after when she was way too loose with a backpass but this time Lawlee couldn’t punish the mistake.
Dominic Foley was forced into a substitution just before the half hour mark with Cara Griffin going off injured. Her replacement Hannah Saidi soon got sight of goal. She took in Lawlee’s cross, turned and shot just over the bar.
Rovers went close to retaking the lead through long efforts from Zambra and one off a Shauna Fox shot that came from Ralph’s fifth corner of the opening 45 minutes.
However, the Hoops conceded in first half injury time. Fox drilled a clearance off Delana Friesen and in fortuitous fashion for the visitors it fell to Saidi. She was able to toe poke the ball home from the edge of the area.
Zambra had a volley that went high before Collie O’Neill introduced fresh legs with Alannah Prizeman coming on for Maria Reynolds who was making her first league start in Tallaght.
Prizeman supplied the assist for the Rovers equaliser in the 61st minute after Scarlett Herron won a Treaty United kick-out with a header. The ball fell to O’Gorman who passed to Prizeman. Her ball allowed Ralph shoot low into the back of the net to make it 2-2
Lawlee was a constant threat for Treaty and only decent pressure from O’Leary prevented her from scoring her side’s third goal when she raced in on goal.
United went as close as possible to retaking the lead when Caleigh Boeckx clipped the angle of the post and cross bar in the 74th minute but neither side could find a late goal to claim all three points although Ralph really should have got the winner with a shot from close range that went over the bar in injury time after good work by O'Leary on the left.
The Hoops remain unbeaten in their league campaign but three points from their opening three games isn’t exactly title winning form.
However, it does look like this will a very competitive title race this season and the Limerick side will have something to say about the destination of the championship and their four points is an excellent tally from their opening two games.
Shamrock Rovers: Amanda Budden; Melissa O'Kane, Shauna Fox, Jessica Hennessy, Lia O'Leary; Aoife Kelly; Aine O'Gorman, Scarlett Herron, Maria Reynolds (Alannah Prizeman 68), Joy Ralph; Stephanie Zambra (Ella Kelly 89).
Subs not used: Summer Lawless, Clodagh Daly, Hannah Martin, Lauren Kelly, Katie O'Reilly.
Booked: Amanda Budden (45), Aoife Kelly (48), Joy Ralph (76).
Treaty United: Anne-Marie Ulliac; Grace McInerney, Kayla Kyle, Ayaka Ikeza, Talia White; Jillian O'Toole, Erin Van Dolder; Cara Griffin (Yasmine Saidi 29), Delana Friesen, Caleigh Boeckx; Katie Lawlee.
Subs not used: Katie Irwin, Leah Martin, Grace Gleeson, Esra Kangal, Kate O'Donovan.
Booked: Katie Lawlee (76), Jillian O'Toole (90+6)
Referee: Ian O’Keefe.
Attendance: 387
extratime.com Player of the Match: Joy Ralph (Shamrock Rovers)
