Sligo Rovers go to Tallaght Stadium for a first-time-outing in the Women’s Premier Division against Shamrock Rovers on Saturday, 5,30pm, writes Conall Collier.
When the Rovers clashed in the opening game of the season at The Showgrounds last March, it required a 92nd minute goal from Aine O’ Gorman to seal a hard-earned 2-1 victory for the Dublin women..
That performance will boost the confidence of the Bit O’Red players despite only one victory so far this season in the WPD, achieved against Cork City, and they will relish the prospects of causing an upset at Tallaght Stadium.
The statistics show that it’s third from the top against second from the bottom and the formbook suggests that a home win is on the cards.
With six games remaining, the Dublin side is nine points behind, with a game in hand, title-chasing Peamount Utd and cannot afford to drop any more points.
The Bit O’Red players have displayed plenty of character and determination this season and will take many positives into the Tallaght assignment, none more so than the first-half performance of the Dublin women last week away to Cork City.
On that occasion, bottom-of-the-table Cork City went in scoreless at the interval after absorbing some intense first-half pressure while the visitors were also forced into a goalkeeper change with Amanda Budden replaced by Summer Lawless due to injury.
The Dublin side adapted hit the front early in the second-half and finished with a four-goal haul, boosted by the introduction of Aine O’Gorman.
The goals scored by Joy Ralph, Abbie Larkin, Stephanie Roche and Melissa O’Kane.
Sligo Rovers strikers Emma Doherty and Casey Howe will be eager for more goals, especially as both were unlucky with a number of efforts against Wexford last Saturday at the Showgrounds before Howe was eventually rewarded for all her hard work in the 86th minute.
Creating chances hasn’t been a major issue for for the Sligo Rovers women and if they can be more effective in the finishing department, then they certainly have the ability to get a result at Tallaght.
After that, they will focus on another trip to Dublin the following weekend for an FAI Cup quarter-final showdown against Bohemian FC.