BY CONALL COLLIER
Sligo Rovers delivered a battling performance for a 1-0 Women’s Premier Division win against a Wexford side that will be wondering how they failed to score at least one goal at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening.
Anna McDaniel had Sligo Rovers ahead inside six minutes when she finished confidently after a smart pass from Sydney Stephens.
From there to the end, it was a determined team effort that earned the points with Cara Jordan the outstanding player.
Soon after the opening goal a cross from Stephens was scrambled away by a relieved Wexford rearguard as the Bit O’Red continued to press.
Wexford settled into the game and were denied by the woodwork on 20 minutes when a speculative Leah McGrath cross rebounded to Ciara Rossiter who had her effort saved by an alert Bonnie McKiernan.
That was as much as Wexford had to offer in the opening half due mainly to some solid defending by Sabrina Hillyer who kept a tight rein on Rossiter throughout the opening 45 minutes.
Cara Jordan was a constant threat going forward with great support from Anna McDaniel as the hosts took a well-deserved 1-0 interval lead.
Wexford were smartly out of the traps for the second-half and Megan Smyth-Lynch thundered a 47th minute free off the post and then Rossiter did well to keep the ball in play and got in a good cross that was scrambled clear.
Wexford went close on 75 minutes, but a relieved Sligo Rovers scrambled the ball clear before Wexford’s Courtney Chochol was unlucky following another scramble in the penalty area.
However, with Cara Jordan driving the team forward, the Bit O’Red survived and were denied a spectacular Sydney Stephens 91st minute goal when her effort from close to the centre circle was finger-tipped away by Wexford’s Maria O’Sullivan.
Sligo Rovers – Bonnie McKiernan; Ava Hallinan, Alana Doherty, Ella Karolak, Sabrina Hillyer,Cara Jordan, Emma Duffy, Sydney Stephens, Sarah McCaffrey, Cara King, Anna McDaniel.
Subs – Emma Hansberry for McCaffrey 66 mins, Alice Lillie for Hillyer and Paula McGrory for King both 74m.
Wexford – Maria O’Sullivan; Emma Bucci, Lauren Dwyer, Kayla Concalves, Leah McGrath, Ciara Rossiter, Megan Smyth – Lynch, Devon Olive, Lauren Walsh, Courtney Chochol, Anna Carson.
Subs – Christie Gray for McGrath 57 mins, Molly Kirwan for Olive and Katie McCann for Rossiter both 70m. Freya de Mange for Dwyer and Maia Stokes for Goncalves both 82m.
Referee – Shane O’Donoghue.
Assistant-referees – Endrit Malaveci, Richard Storey.
Fourth official – Darren Corcoran
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