Sligo Rovers travel to Tolka Park this weekend for another huge game in the Women’s National League (WNL) where they will tackle title-chasing and
defending champions Shelbourne.

The Bit O’Red lost to leaders Wexford last weekend, but were well in the game until the final 10 minutes when they were exposed as they pushed for an equaliser and conceded two goals in the space of a minute.

Shelbourne manager Noel King will have his players totally focused for the visit of Sligo Rovers and won’t need reminding that they were 2-0 to the good at the Showgrounds last July, but ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline in front of the TG4 cameras.

The formbook suggests that Shelbourne will have too much firepower for the newest team in the WNL, but that formbook would also suggest that Sligo Rovers will have a real go at taking the three points home from Tolka Park.

Steve Feeney’s side can score goals, as they proved against the WNL leaders Wexford last weekend and against Shelbourne the last time they met.

The Sligo women also take a very positive attitude into each game and always endeavour to play good football.

The physicality of the top teams was an issue for the Bit O’Red in the early part of the season, but that is something they have addressed as the season progressed.  

However, Shelbourne will still be expecting to take the points, but they had to work hard for victory against DLR Waves last Saturday as goals from Megan Smyth-Lynch and Jessie Stapleton helped them to a hard-earned 2-1 victory.

The Dublin side know that they must win this game on Saturday to  keep the destination of the title in their own hands.

Sligo Rovers will also want to get something out of the game to stay ahead of ninth-placed Cork City and also to boost the prospects of victory for the last game of the season on home turf  the following weekend against DLR Waves.

LAST TIME:
RESULT

Sligo Rovers 3, Shelbourne 2

TEAMS

Sligo Rovers – Amy Mahon; Leah Kelly, Ruth Monaghan, Orna O’Dowd, Gemma McGuinness, Lauren Boles, Emma Doherty, Kerri O’Hara, Paula McGrory, Amy Boyle-Carr, Helen Monaghan. 

Subs – Sarah Kiernan for R Monaghan 33 mins, Emma Hansberry for McGuinness and Jessica Casey for O’Hara both 73m, Fiona Doherty
for E Doherty 85m.

Shelbourne – Amanda Budden; Jess Gargan, Jessie Stapleton, Pearl Slattery, Shauna Fox, Alex Kavanagh, Rachel Graham, Megan Smyth-Lynch, Keeve Keenan, Leah Doyle, Emma Starr. 

Subs – Noelle Murray for Kavanagh, Heather O’Reilly for Keenan and Abbi Lareekin for Smyth-Lynch all 60 mins, Izzy Glennon for Starr 78m, Lia O’Leary for Doyle 85m.

Sligo Rovers take on Dundalk FC tomorrow (Friday) night at Casey’s Field at 7.45pm in The SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

The game is Rovers’ 33^rd League game of the campaign and John Russell’s side currently sit in fifth spot in the Premier Division table.

The penultimate away game of the 2022 season will be a difficult one says Manager John Russell:

‘’Dundalk away is always a tough fixture. They have shown some good form at home this season so we know it’ll be a difficult game.

We come into the game after a good performance and win over UCD.

The players showed a real hunger and desire to win the game and we expect the same again on Friday night.

It’s important we finish the season strong’’.

In team news, Garry Buckley and Mark Byrne remain side-lined long term along with Luke McNicholas and David Cawley.

Max Mata missed Rovers’ last outing against UCD a fortnight ago but returns to the squad tomorrow night. Niall Morahan is a doubt with an ankle injury picked up in training this week.

Rovers also play on Monday night when we welcome Derry City to The Showgrounds in a game which was postponed from last weekend due to The Candystripe’s involvement in the FAI Cup Semi-Final.

Tickets for tomorrow night are on sale over on Dundalk’s website and you can find them on the below link:

https://embed.futureticketing.ie/c/dundalk-fc/

The game is Live on LOI TV and Commentary can be heard on Ocean FM from 7.45pm.

Sligo Rovers Academy are holding trials for our Under 14 Boys squad for the 2023 National League season on Saturday November 5th from 2pm-4pm at The Showgrounds astro pitch, The Sean Fallon Centre.

Players must have been born in 2009 in order to be eligible to attend.

Players should fill in the form below to register for the trials.

After filling in the form, you are free to attend on the day.

FORM: https://forms.gle/WaZJZhNJefFNqf5ZA

Sligo Rovers Academy are holding trials for our Under 15 Boys squad for the 2023 National League season on Sunday November 6th from 2pm-4pm at The Showgrounds astro pitch, The Sean Fallon Centre.

Players must have been born in 2008 in order to be eligible to attend.

Players should fill in the form below to register for the trials.

After filling in the form, you are free to attend on the day.

FORM: https://forms.gle/FcyeodjB4NEq1yTWA

Our SSE Airtricity Premier Division season is into the last three weeks with four games remaining for the Bit O’ Red.

Our next game is away to Dundalk at Casey’s Field on Friday night at 7.45pm.

We then have two home games back to back with Derry City coming to The Showgrounds next Monday, October 24th at 7.45pm followed by the visit of St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday October 28th, also at 7.45pm.

Tickets are available now for home supporters via the link below:

https://srfcdirect.com/match-tickets/

Away supporters tickets are available through the relevant clubs and no away supporters will be allowed entry on a home supporter ticket and it’s strictly all ticket for away fans.

The Bit O’ Red season comes to a conclusion on Sunday November 6th when we face Bohemians at Dalymount Park at 7pm.

Wexford Youths took the Women’s National League (WNL) points with a hard-earned, but convincing win fueled by a Kylie Murphy headed hat-trick against Sligo Rovers at Ferrycarraig Park on Saturday evening.

Wexford went into the game on the back of two defeats, but got back to winning ways with an emphatic display against a Sligo Rovers team that kept coming back at them until they conceded the final two goals in the space of a minute late in the second-half.

Wexford had the early chances with the best effort in the sixth minute from Ciara Rossiter, but Amy Mahon produced a smart save for the Bit O’Red.

Soon after Wexford’s Jess Lawlor flashed a shot over the bar and Mahon was kept busy as she saved a couple of subsequent efforts, but she was beaten in the 31st minute.

Rossiter centred and as Mahon advanced she was beaten to the ball by Kylie Murphy who got a vital touch for a 31st minute lead.

Sligo countered from the resultant kick-off and a superb Paula McGrory effort was tipped on to the crossbar and over by Wexford ‘keeper Maeve Williams.

Sligo Rovers continued to press and Gemma McGuinness hit over in the 35th minute as the pace picked up despite the windy conditions.

Murphy was denied by another good Mahon save, but Ciara Rossiter powered Wexford into a two-goal lead five minute from the interval.

Any thoughts Wexford had of a comfortable run to the interval were undone when Emma Doherty floated the ball over Williams and into the net to reduce the deficit.

Wexford resumed on the front foot and 14 minutes into the second-half Murphy headed the hosts into a 3-1 lead from a corner, but some 60 seconds later Doherty headed Sligo back into contention, also from a corner.

Both teams gave it 100 per cent for the remainder and Sligo Rovers enjoyed a brief spell of dominance.

However, in the 78th minute that Wexford restored a two-goal cushion when Murphy headed to the net for her hat-trick and a minute later the hosts were out of sight after Rossiter finished for her second.

Leading by 5-2, the hosts battened down the hatches for the final 10 minutes and were worthy of the victory against a hard-working and determined Sligo Rovers side that goes to Tolka Park next weekend to tackle Shelbourne.

Wexford Youths – Maeve Williams; Orlaith Conlon, Della Doherty, Kylie Murphy, Edel Kennedy, Becky Watkins, Ciara Rossiter, Jess Lawler, Nicola Sinnott, Aoibheann Clancy, Emma Walker. 

Subs – Aine Walsh for Walker 73 mins, Lauren Dwyer for Lawler and Maedbh Russell for Doherty both 82m

Sligo Rovers – Amy Mahon; Leah Kelly, Ruth Monaghan, Emma Hansberry, Orna O’Dowd, Gemma McGuinness, Lauren Boles, Emma Doherty, Amy Roddy, Katie Melly, Paula McGrory. 

Subs – Sarah Kiernan for O’Dowd and Kerri O’Hara for Melly both 67 mins, Ciara Henry for Monaghan 73m, Fiona Doherty for Kelly and Lauren McLellan for Hansberry both 80m.

This Monday, our Lotto Jackpot stands at €14,800.

The draw takes place at 3.30pm at The Showgrounds and you can enter online via the link below:

Sligo Rovers make the trip to Women’s National League table-toppers Wexford Youths Women on Saturday at 4.30pm, for a Live TG4 showdown against a team they defeated at The Showgrounds last June with a 1-0 victory.

On that occasion Emma Doherty, who along with Kerri O’Hara missed the Treaty game due to international action with The Republic of Ireland Under 19s, gave the Bit O’ Red the lead in the 67th minute and Amy Mahon sensationally saved a 93rd minute penalty from Kylie Murphy.

For the winning goal, Rovers substitute O’Hara chased a long clearance, but Wexford ‘keeper Maeve Williams raced out of the area to clear. Emma Doherty pounced on the loose ball and from about 30 metres floated the ball into the Wexford net.

Both Doherty and O’Hara will be available for the trip to Ferrycarraig Park.

Wexford go into the game on the back of a two-game losing sequence and without a win since they got the better of bottom-of-the-table Treaty Utd by 3-0 in September.

The Bit O’Red haven’t won since they defeated title-chasing Shelbourne by 3-2 at the Showgrounds last July.

That was the first TG4 televised game of the season and now the Sligo Rovers Women have an opportunity to make an impact on the title race as they face Wexford followed by a visit to Shelbourne the following weekend.  

Wexford lost to Athlone Town in their last two outings, the FAI Cup and the WNL, and will be targeting a victory against Sligo Rovers, although they will adopt a cautious approach to the contest.

In that WNL game against Athlone, an early goal from an Aoibheann Clancy penalty gave Wexford the best possible start, but the hosts equalised midway through the first-half and struck an 81st minute winner for a crucial victory.

That same weekend, Sligo Rovers had to work hard to earn a point in a 1-1 draw against Treaty Utd at the Showgrounds.

That same weekend, Sligo Rovers had to work hard to earn a point in a 1-1 draw against Treaty Utd at the Showgrounds and Steve Feeney’s side will go into the game as massive underdogs, but the boss is optimistic about the outcome.

“It wouldn’t shock us if we go and get results in the next two games as we seem to perform better against the top teams,” stated Feeney.

“We have a good group of players and the game this weekend against Wexford and Shelbourne the following week, will give our players an opportunity to put in the type of performances that could help us to get something out of the games,” he added.

There are five games taking place tomorrow and Sunday as we reach the closing stages of our Academy season.

On Saturday at 2pm at Eamon Deacy Park, our Under 17 Men’s team play Galway United in the final game of their League season.

At 3pm at The Showgrounds, our Under 17 Women are in League Semi-Final action against Cork City following their Quarter-Final win away to Wexford Youths last weekend.

The game is free to attend and all support for this team will be welcome.
On Sunday there are three fixtures.

At 1pm at Oscar Traynor Centre both our Men’s and Women’s Under 19 teams take on Bohemians.

The Men’s game is in The Under 19 League while the Women’s game is the Under 19 Shield Semi-Final.

The sides have met twice in 2022 with Bohs winning 1-0 most recently following a 1-1 draw earlier in the season, which should make for a tight and entertaining game in Dublin.

Our Under 15’s host Klub Kildare on Sunday at The Sean Fallon Centre at 2pm and admission is free.

It has been a busy season for Mayo’s Luke McNicholas who started the year on loan with Cliftonville in Northern Ireland winning the League Cup and challenging for the League title before returning to his parent club Sligo Rovers and was thrust straight into first team action when Ed McGinty transferred to English League One side Oxford United:

“Yeah, thankfully it worked out well for me as when I coming back after my loan spell with Cliftonville, Ed was the established number one and I didn’t know what the story would be as regards game time. It did all work out with Ed getting his move and I am where I am now and have the number 1 jersey and want to keep that spot.”

McGinty had been Rovers hero in the penalty shoot-out win against Bala Town in the Europa Conference League with McNicholas then being thrust into action for the games against Motherwell which he approached with the same mindset as any other:

“Yeah it was but to be honest I didn’t let that factor in and didn’t treat it as a bigger game than any other. It is a bit of a football cliché but I treated it like any other match and they were my thoughts going into it. I knew I was going to get the opportunity to play at some stage and that thankfully that came about for me.”

McNicholas had played the European games last year against FH from Iceland when Rovers had arguably underperformed and he feels that they learned a lot of lessons from those games that served them well in this year’s campaign:

“We knew this year that we had to do better. We had a taste of European football last season with the FH games and knew that we could have done a lot better in both games. European football is ruthless and you have to take your chances along with putting in a good performance. We approached the games this year that way trying to be ruthless in both attacking and defending and I think the Motherwell away game was the best example of that.”

Rovers campaign came to an end against Norwegian side Viking with McNicholas again feeling that as with the FH games there are lessons that they can learn going forward:

“With the Viking games, well they are a very good team and it was different playing a side that was mid season as opposed to pre-season it took away an advantage that we might have had in terms of sharpness. As well we were caught on the hop in the away leg with them getting the two early goals. In the long run it could prove to be a blessing in disguise as no more than with the FH games last season it thought us a few lessons for going forward.”

After McGinty left, Rovers worked quickly to tie down McNicholas to a long term deal and he has signed a new contract up to the end of the 2024 season:

“It was great to get that offer and to know that the club had that faith in me to offer such a long contract. I was delighted to get the offer and to sign.”

McNicholas has had a rollercoaster couple of years after a disappointing loan spell with Finn Harps last season, playing in Rovers two European campaigns, a successful loan spell with Cliftonville and now being the established number one for the Bit O ’Red and he hoping for more stability going forward:

“It’s has been some journey for me in the past couple of years but that is football and I have learned how things change fast. I want to push on now that I am the number one at the club and become an established number one in this League and see where that takes me. Ultimately I want to win many things and play more European games with Rovers.”

McNicholas is currently sidelined with an ankle injury recently sustained while on International duty with Republic of Ireland Under 21’s. He will miss the rest of the 2022 season and will be back in action again for the start of pre-season.

By Keith O’ Dwyer