Match Report: Sligo Rovers 0 Blues 2

This will go down in the annals of Blues history as a great night. Almost a century into the club’s history, Waterford scored their first goals, got their first points and their first win in senior women’s football. Olivia Shannon claimed the two goals, but the entire team were heroic and the growing interest from fans has a base upon which to build now. This is such a young team, but they managed the game like veterans. They deserve to be celebrated and supported.

The Blues started brightly, looking composed at the back and playing confidently on the front foot. Zara Corcoran (who came into the team along with Aoibh Thomas for Erin O’Brien and Sophie Moran) shot wide from the edge of the area early on, but it was the right decision to go for it and a sign of the fearless approach the visitors were taking. Jess Lawler and Chloe Atkinson both attacked the left flank positively and were getting in behind Sligo’s defence. Atkinson had a shot blocked in the 21^st minute while both she and Corcoran came close to connecting in a goalmouth scramble three minutes later. 

Rovers did begin to exert pressure after a shaky opening, but didn’t overly test Maeve Williams. Muireann Devaney shot clear of the bar when pressed by Dan Burke and Williams held efforts from Anna McDaniel, Devaney and Paula McGrory. There were strong clearing headers from Lauren Walsh and Thomas and a mighty tackle from Burke.

Then, in the 35^th minute, came the first piece of history. Mia Lenihan won a corner which Atkinson delivered with typical accuracy into the six-yard box. Walsh jumped high to head the ball before goalkeeper Bonnie McKiernan could catch it. Defender Katie Melly cleared the ball off her line only for Olivia Shannon to charge it down and the block with her torso went over the line. Not the most spectacular of first ever goals by the club, but an appropriate reward for the sheer determination and bravery shown by Waterford throughout this game.

 

 

Buoyed by that goal, the Blues attacked again. Corcoran, whose work-rate up front was key, beat a defender in the right-hand channel and zipped a low cross through the box, but nobody could get on the end of it. Lenihan went on the first of several good dribbles only for her pass to be cut out. She had a similar run shortly before the half-time whistle. In the meantime, Williams was in full control at the other end – claiming a corner brilliantly, rushing out to make a big clearance and saving from McGrory.

If the first half was impressive, the second really showed that the Blues mean business. Lenihan had a half-chance held by McKiernan before the Suirsiders spurned a glorious opportunity to double the lead. Danielle Griffin skipped through two tackles on the right and delivered a perfect cross low towards the front post. Shannon flicked the ball on, but sadly Corcoran got under the ball with the net gaping. The teenager from Park Rangers will bury plenty of those chances in the future, but there was a fear that Waterford could rue that miss.

Keeva Flynn had a low shot held by Williams and Walsh had reacted superbly to see off a dangerous, speedy break by McGrory with a great interception. It was end-to-end now with Lenihan playing Atkinson through and the goalkeeper in No Man’s Land, but she couldn’t lift her shot enough and McKiernan saved just inside the box.

At that stage, it felt like there was another goal coming, but it was hard to know for which side. That was when Wicklow-native Shannon made her second major mark on the game. She forced the hugely-experienced Eimear Lafferty into an under-hit backpass, broke onto the ball and made the despairing goalkeeper clip her feet for a clear penalty. Referee Mark Houlihan was quick to blow his whistle, thus denying Corcoran a goal as she finished coolly to an empty net. Fortunately for Waterford, Olivia Shannon scored her second goal from the spot when she calmly sent McKiernan the wrong way.

 

 

26 minutes to play and supposedly ‘the worst lead in football’, but the Blues managed the rest of the game with intelligence and maturity. Sophie Slattery stepped up noticeably to ensure there was no way through the middle of the park for Sligo. Williams made her best two saves in this period, but Gary Hunt’s young team showed no signs of buckling under pressure. The ex-Wexford goalkeeper did brilliantly to save with her legs from Eimear McIntyre in the 74^th minute as well as holding Devaney’s shot and scooping away a tricky free kick by Emma Hansberry. Then deep into injury time, she made a stunning save across her body from another Hansberry free when a consolation goal looked certain for the home side.

It was fitting that the Blues could celebrate a full series of firsts – a clean sheet, goals, points and win. This was a fantastic team performance and the victory was thoroughly deserved. I couldn’t split my three leading candidates for Player of the Match. Olivia Shannon scored two historic goals, but her intelligent play and physicality were crucial in attack and defence. Lauren Walsh earned the nod from TG4 and she was a real rock at the back with no-nonsense defending. And Maeve Williams played the perfect game with her leadership, command and athleticism driving the team.

Tonight will go down in history as a great landmark in Waterford FC history. Congratulations to everyone who played a part. Next up, it’s a home game against DLR Waves at 3pm on Saturday when a big crowd will be there to get behind the Blues.

Maeve Williams; Danielle Griffin, Lauren Walsh, Dan Burke, Jess Lawler; Aoibh Thomas, Sophie Slattery; Mia Lenihan, Olivia Shannon, Chloe Atkinson; Zara Corcoran (Nancy Edogiawerie, 89).