This weekend was one that ushered in a sense of optimism for multiple teams in the Women’s Premier Division (WPD).
Rovers Up the Ante against Bohs
Shamrock Rovers achieved a long awaited win against Bohemian FC away at Dalymount Park on Sunday. Beating their hosts 4-0, this came as Rovers’ first victory of the season with the Tallaght side having either lost or won all of their previous matches.
While the first half remained scoreless, a header by Jess Hennessy put Shamrock Rovers ahead as she capitalised on a corner by Áine O’Gorman. Just ten minutes later, Scarlett Herron headed the ball in the direction of Melissa O’Kane who took a long shot that ultimately ended up in the back of the Bohemians net.
A third stroke of luck would come for Rovers when a Lia O’Leary cross into the box was headed into the Bohs net by O’Gorman. The ex-Ireland international would go on to contribute to the final goal of the game when her cross was headed into the Bohs goal by Katie O’Reilly.
Needless to say, this win was a much needed one by Rovers as was emphasised by their head coach, Collie O’Neil when he spoke to club media in a post-match interview.
“Yes, it’s one of those things where we’ve performed well in nearly all of our games this year but just haven’t had the results so it’s not just on the physical aspect of it but also the mental aspect of it. I think the players will take a lot from the mental training that they’ve done over the last couple of weeks.”
⚽️ Hennessy 49'
⚽️ O'Kane 62'
⚽️ O'Gorman 69'
⚽️ O'Reilly 80'
All the goals from our Dublin Derby win at Dalymount Park 👇 pic.twitter.com/EQ1yjRuOTV— Shamrock Rovers Women (@RoversWomen) June 9, 2024
DLR Waves End Losses with a Win over Sligo
Much like their Dublin counterparts, DLR Waves experienced a turn of events in their journey this season. Having either drawn or lost every match, their triumph over Sligo Rovers on Saturday marked their first win of the season beating their opponents 2-0.
A goal was scored in the first half by captain Jess Gleeson who was able to get the ball into the Sligo net thanks to a forceful free kick. A second point for Waves came in the second half when Rebecca McMahon scored by shooting the ball into the upper corner of the goal.
This victory pulled Waves up from the bottom of the WPD League Table changing their trajectory for the time being.
A good weekend for the Waves 😁#WLOI | @DLRWaves pic.twitter.com/55Tyn0FLQf
— LOI Women (@LoiWomen) June 10, 2024
Table Toppers are Set to Go Head to Head
Galway United are expected to make the trip to Dublin’s Tolka Park on Saturday to face Shelbourne. This is a significant fixture as Shels are currently at the top of the WPD league table with Galway trailing closely behind.
Exciting fixtures this weekend 🤌#WLOI | #LOITV pic.twitter.com/C1XlzQKZXG
— LOI Women (@LoiWomen) June 10, 2024
This game will be the ultimate test for Shelbourne’s remarkable continued winning streak as Galway have proven they are up for the challenge having occupied the top league table position for several weeks before being overtaken by Shels.
