Rovers Women break The Waves in Dublin 24 to secure ten points in four in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.

Christine Allen reports from Tallaght Stadium

The Tallaght tiki takas have retained their top 6 league spot with a narrow 1-0 win against a solid DLR backline.

Rovers foreman Collie O’Neill made two changes for what was The Hoops 4th last fixture of the 2024 campaign  - Shauna Fox and Melissa O’Kane entering the starting eleven in place of Scarlett Herron and Ella Kelly.

There was a nip in the late September air as the 60’s hit ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ blasted from the tannoy   - former DLR Waves markswoman Michelle Doonan navigating her way to a seat along the West Stand pathway as the teams sauntered onto the grass.

The Hoops controlled the game and harassed both North and South Stand on an unrelenting loop, Maria Reynolds striding forward from right back to feed in the Dublin 24 attackers.

Laura Heffernan’s side were tightly organised however and frustrated O’Neills unit in the final third - Amber Cosgrove and Keelin Dodd’s work rate sure to have pleased the DLR forewoman. 

“Let's get the ball in the box, C'mon!” Hoops goal minder Amanda Budden instructed as Waves skipper Jess Gleeson body blocked Lia O’Leary - the Portmarnock native lighting up on the left throughout the full 90’.

Skipper Aine O’Gorman obliged on the double, muscling beyond Chloe McCarthy to sweep an inviting ball across the face of the goal - Isobel Finnegan and Amber Cosgrove neutralising both deliveries.

Up top for DLR, Shannon Coady looked an ever present roving threat, while sparks of flair emanated from Robyn Bolger and Rachel Doyle’s boots - yet both Doyle and Coady’s efforts from long range did little to trouble Budden.

Rovers best chance to break the deadlock came in the 23rd minute when Reynolds beat Doyle for pace and unleashed a spectacular shot from distance - an audible gasp ringing out from supporters in the West Stand as the ball battered off the crossbar.

Coady, who's energy never faltered, saw the flash of yellow on the half hour mark for a slide tackle that upended the number 6 - perhaps a moment of frustration for the number 28 who was shut out by the lithe right back. 

Charging towards the North Stand End, O’Leary prodded for the opener,  feinting like a young Prince Naseem as she hypnotised the Belfield Belles. 

“Love that Lia!” Budden applauded in appreciation of the number 11’s efforts.

Joy Ralph came agonisingly close to securing her 8th goal of the season, displaying a wealth of strength with five minutes of the first half left to play as she shouldered Rebecca McMahon off the ball and swung a deceptive strike that spun mere inches past Badana's right hand post. 

Bolstered by the scoreless scoreline, The Waves started the second half sprightly, Coady popping off a long range strike in an effort to beat Budden who she had spied off her line.

Abbie Brophy replaced Bolger in the 53rd minute alongside Aisling Meehan - the number 10 and the Republic of Ireland's U17’s hatrick haymaker making an impact for Heffernan right off the bat.

Yet the one touch class of the Dublin 24 unit looked destined to result in a goal for Rovers and it came in the 59th when O'Leary lit the match for the deadlock breaker,  winning an aerial challenge that no Wave could extinguish to feed in Zambra who stretched to poke the ball home with her left.

DLR’s best chance to equalise came in the 69th when Nadine Seward stole into space on the right and swirled a Michelin star delivery into the D - Meehan misdirecting the header just wide of Budden’s goal.

Savannah McCarthy sought to make things happen for The Hoops on the far left, charging from her starting defensive position but Seward put in a real shift against the tenacious number 3.

The Waves rose in stature in the final ‘20, Meehan working Reynolds who was forced to shepherd the talented number 25 out of contention - Budden pointing gloved fingers to her head as she urged her teammates to retain their concentration.

In the 78th O’Neill executed three changes - the triad of Jaime Thompson, Scarlett Herron and Emily Corbet replacing Zambra, Ralph and O’Kane.

A glancing header from substitute Leah Donnelly came a little too close for comfort as The Waves looked to subsume Tallaght in the dying embers of the contest.

Kelly, who oozed leadership and class from the opening bell, pedalled forward in an effort to secure the three points for her side and turned the DLR skipper with the grace of a ballet dancer, before swinging her boot cleanly through the ball but Badana would parry.

Three minutes of additional time was ultimately not enough for DLR to rescue a point from the fixture.

The Hoops now increase their WLOI league table tally to 24 points.

Player of The Match:

Aoife Kelly

Introducing Hoops Hawkeye

LOITV link: https://loitv.ie/en-int/livestream/shamrock-rovers-v-dlr-waves/1790859…

2:58 Zambra dupes McMahon with a feint to shoot before squaring it to Kelly for the strike.

3:56 Zambra shields the ball from Izzy Finnegan and executes a deft back heel to Aoife Kelly.

5:55 O’Gorman beats McCarthy on the right wing and sweeps an inviting ball into the box.

12:28 Maria Reynolds strides forward into battle.

19:57 Fiona Owens first time touch beats Nadine Seward

22:32 Aoife Kelly turns Dodd for dust.

22:50 Reynolds beats Rachel Doyle for pace and unleashes a haymaker with her right boot that dents the crossbar.

30:01 Fox dinks it to McCarthy who shows determination to win the ball back, charging forward and swinging a switch to O’Gorman on the right lane.

38:57 Joy Ralph controls the ball with her chest before dinking it to Melissa O’Kane who turns Keelin Dodd with a deft turn.

44:38 Ralph leads Gleeson up the garden path before switching to carry the ball in the opposite direction, firing a ball inside the box with her left.

57:20 First time ball on the turn from Zambra who whips it to Kelly with her left.

68:57 O’Kane controls the ball with the side of her boot in the centre of the park.

69:48 Aoife Kelly skips rope beyond Dodd and McMahon on the right lane

73:10 Reynolds turns on the afterburners and races back to shepherd Aisling Meehan to neutral ground.

82:21 Herron applies pressure at the back of Dodd to muscle her out of the equation

83:37 O’Leary shuffles past Meehan

84:53 Kelly drives forward and turns The Waves skipper before winding up for the strike.