Later than we had hoped here’s this week’s Women’s Football Blast. To pull back to curtain this writer has been busy with college and work, we hope from April for more consistency with the publishing day which will ideally be Wednesdays.

Women’s Premier Division
Round 1 Results

Galway United 0-1 Wexford Youths
Goals: Ciara Rossiter 61′ (0-1)

Shelbourne 6-0 Cork City
Goals: Siobhán Killeen 22′ (1-0), Megan Smyth Lynch 40′ (2-0), 47′ (3-0),
Kayla Hamric 66′ (4-0), 84′ (5-0), Rebecca Devereux 88′ (6-0)

Sligo Rovers 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
Goals : Shauna Fox 8′ (0-1), Emma Hansberry 58′ (1-1), Áine O’Gorman 90+2 (1-2)

Treaty United 0-1 Bohemians
Goals: Rachel Doyle P 60′ (0-1)

Athlone Town 1-3 Peamount United
Goals: Chloe Singleton 4′ (1-0), Kate Mooney 9′ (1-1), Erin McLaughlin 39′ (1-2),
Karen Duggan P 80′ (1-3)

Premier Division Kicks Off

A highly anticipated Premier Division season kicked off last Saturday.

Stats

Goals: 15
Home Goals: 8
Away Goals: 7
Clean Sheets: 3
Home Wins: 1
Away Wins: 4
Draws: 0

Wexford Youths were made to battle away to Galway. It was a tight edgy game that the away sides edged thanks to a classy finish from Ciara Rossiter. Youths will have games in which they score more goals, but early season games sometimes require just getting a win. Once the front two of Rianna Jarrett and Emily Corbett click and Elen Molloy returns it will become very difficult to keep clean sheets against Wexford. Credit to Galway who were well organised, Abbiegayle Ronayne had a good game in goal.
Shelbourne got off to a flying start with a thumping win that puts them top of the table early on. New signing Kayla Hamric and Ireland u16’s coach Megan Smyth-Lynch ensured they wouldn’t miss any of their departed players. Cork City will have better days out and it’s far too early to write them off.
In the late game Peamount were the better team away to Athlone, despite the President’s Cup winners bright start. Kate Mooney would be a good shout for the leagues top scorer, her work rate and finishing could see her in the Ireland set up by the end of the year.
Shamrock Rovers left it late away to a battling Sligo Rovers, with Áine O’Gorman popping up with a crucial goal as she often has. Shauna Fox had a fantastic game.
Treaty United will have plenty of positives to take from their game against Bohs, but it was the Dublin side that got the win thanks to a penalty from one of the league most underrated talents in Rachel Doyle.

As it Stands

Fixtures This Week

Women’s Premier Division
Saturday 11th March

Bohemians vs Shelbourne
Dalymount Park / 15:00

Cork City vs Galway United
Turner’s Cross / 17:00

Peamount United vs DLR Waves
PRL Park / 17:00

Shamrock Rovers vs Treaty United
Tallaght Stadium / 17:30

Wexford Youths vs Sligo Rovers
Eamonn Deacey Park / 18:00

Round 2 Looms

The first of many Dublin derbies is followed by the second of many Dublin derbies this season. Shelbournes face a tricky away day at Bohs to build on their early win in their title defense. Cork host Galway United in what will feel like the real start to their season at home. We get our first look at a young DLR Waves side away to Peamount who impressed last week. Shamrock Rovers play their first home women’s game in a long time with Treaty the visitors. Wexford Youths look to build a good start in their title chase.

All games life on LOITV.ie, €5 individually or you can get a season pass for €120 which allows you to watch men’s LOI games too.

Ireland World Cup Squad

In last week’s Women’s Football Blast we wrote that with the increased popularity in the women’s game and the recent success of the national side over the past two years, there is danger that casual fans gain the impression that women’s football in Ireland was only invented this past decade. We shouldn’t forget that the Women’s National League had players, coaches, and volunteers desperately trying to keep teams going over the past 10+ years.
In the latest Ireland camp there were call-ups for new recently qualified players. Saoirse Noonan said in an interview that she wouldn’t complain if these new faces took one of her spots.
The issue here isn’t that players weren’t born in Ireland, far from it. here have been many faces in squads who were born in different countries but qualified for Ireland through ancestors. Whether it’s been England, Scotland, or the USA these players have given there all for the green jersey and are worthy of representing our country. As are new faces who have only recently qualified.
The issue is however, hotshotting new recruits into the team ahead of the World Cup. There’s a danger with doing so that players are only interested in playing now that there’s a major tournament. Over 35 players were used across extended squads during the last qualifying campaign, and there’s no shortage of talent within that pool of players.
FIFA rejected the call to have 26-woman squads at the World cup, so it will be 23 players who make their way with some in reserve (3 of them have to be goalkeepers as always). That’s not a lot of places on the plane, and surely those that got us to the tournament deserve the majority of the places. There are injuries and will be more. It looks like Leanna Kiernan may be out for another little while, Ellen Molloy isn’t back from injury yet, Jess Ziu has unfortunately been ruled out. But there is enough talent to build a squad without using players that just made the switch in the last few months.
There’s a lot of football to be played yet and it would be hard to pick a squad now, there me be bolters at home and abroad. But really there’s enough players who have been used to provide Ireland with a strong enough squad to compete.

Elsewhere

Ireland captain Katie McCabe helped Arsenal end their trophy drought with a stellar performance in the League Cup Final.