logo
Ellen Molloy at her brilliant best as Wexford women overcome Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght

Ellen Molloy at her brilliant best as Wexford women overcome Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght

Shamrock Rovers 2 Wexford FC Women 3
Wexford People
Today at 13:30
WEXFORD'S UPTURN in form produced another strong result as they took all three points away from Tallaght Stadium in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division on Saturday.
The Ferrycarrig Park side fell a goal behind against the run of play in the first-half but turned the game on its head, with Ellen Molloy scoring twice and Charlotte Cromack also on target to propel Seán Byrne's side to success.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney: We'd back ourselves even without a 10-point lead
Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney: We'd back ourselves even without a 10-point lead

RTÉ News​

timean hour ago

  • RTÉ News​

Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney: We'd back ourselves even without a 10-point lead

After scoring their winning goal away to Galway United back in early April, Shamrock Rovers striker Rory Gaffney said he'd be worried if he was one of the Hoops' competitors. Gaffney reiterated that sentiment on Sunday after his brace of goals delivered a 2-0 victory over Derry City, a result which pushed their lead out to 10 points with 10 games remaining in the season. Their bid for a historic five-in-a-row came a cropper last year after a chronic early summer injury crisis, which saw them fall miles off the pace. A late-season surge wasn't enough to reel in the wire-to-wire league leaders Shelbourne, who clung on to seal their first title in 18 years in dramatic circumstances. Drama may be in shorter supply in the 2025 run-in, however, with Stephen Bradley's side now overwhelming favourites to claim a fifth league title in six years and a 22nd in the club's history. "We spoke in Galway in April and I said I'd be worried if I was the other teams," Gaffney told RTÉ Sport's John Kenny after Sunday's statement win over Derry. "We were ahead of the curve. We're ahead of the curve again. We've 26 games played and we're on 52 points. Two points a game. That normally wins the league. "You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go. "So, why wouldn't we back ourselves with 10 games to go and a 10-point head start, plus our goal difference." "You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go." In the eyes of many observers, Sunday's 2-0 win over Derry slammed the door shut on the prospect of a close title race, even if Bradley sought to play down the idea. Following a strong burst of form in June, Tiernan Lynch's side had emerged as the likeliest threat to Shamrock Rovers but they've dropped points in the last few rounds and fell 11 points off the pace and behind Bohemians after the defeat on the weekend. Gaffney opened the scoring shortly after half-time, meeting Josh Honohan's cross at the back post. His second was more eye-catching, chasing Dylan Watts' ball down the left wing, cutting inside Alex Bannon and drilling a shot in off the far post. He said: "Wattsy gave me a look to say 'get on your bike'. Made the run down the side, it was a lovely ball. "I like to chop inside. He's (Bannon) a new defender to the league so he mightn't have seen that one before. He might be aware of it next time." Sunday's haul took Gaffney's tally of goals in the league to eight for the season. The 35-year old Tuam-born striker, who won the 2022 PFAI Player of the Year award, missed the vast majority of the 2024 campaign with injury and was forced to sit out the early part of this season. "I just tried to prove my fitness in January," he said. "I had a long year last year. I basically missed all of last season. I didn't want to be driving down the road from Galway, breaking down again and struggling to get to the level I needed to. "The only thoughts I had was trying to be fit and seeing if I could get back to the level that you need to be at to be a professional footballer in this league. "I'm delighted with how I'm feeling. I haven't missed a training session since I signed this season. "I haven't played a whole lot at the start of the season but I'd be doing a whole lot of extra training. "I've played one 90 (minute game) this season. I don't normally go past 60 or 70 minutes. "The last thing you want to do is pick up an unnecessary injury. Look at the bench that we have, the youth and the speed we have to come in, Michael (Noonan) and John (McGovern), I'm only happy to pass the baton onto one of them." In a commanding position in the league, Shamrock Rovers have two more rounds to navigate to the return to the Conference League league phase, which they qualified from so impressively in 2024. This week, they head for Kosovo for the first leg of their tie with Ballkani, with the winners facing the team to progress from the Larne-Santa Clara fixture. "It's a step into the unknown," he said "I don't think anyone has played a team from Kosovo before. I know a couple of their players were playing for Shkupi and Celje, teams we've come up against before. I'm sure they'll be good, they always are. "You don't know what you're going to get so there's always that bit of uncertainty in the first leg. "Over there, the weather is going to be warm. Thankfully, it's a grass pitch, not an astro this time. "We'd back ourselves that if we turn up, we'll give a good account of ourselves and be there or thereabouts. If we bring them back to Tallaght, we'll be a match for anyone."

'I'm in awe of them' - Alan Cawley and Keith Treacy hail Drogs
'I'm in awe of them' - Alan Cawley and Keith Treacy hail Drogs

RTÉ News​

time5 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

'I'm in awe of them' - Alan Cawley and Keith Treacy hail Drogs

Alan Cawley and Keith Treacy have both piled praise on Kevin Doherty's Drogheda United who continue to defy the odds despite enduring more than their share of setbacks. The Drogs won the FAI Cup last year but were denied a European place because of multi-club ownership rules. The Trivela Group own the Louth club but another side under their umbrella, Silkeborg of Denmark, also qualified for this season's UEFA Conference League. In the end, it was Drogheda who missed out. Doherty then lost star man Douglas James-Taylor to Bohemians at the start of July. They've had to wait a m onth for a league game, watching from the sidelines as Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic embarked on European adventures. However last Friday's 1-0 win against Bohs at Dalymount Park typified their spirit under Doherty, even if their approach may not be for the purists. Ex-Dundalk boss Vinny Perth, appearing as a pundit on Virgin Media Sport's coverage of the game, said: "Pat Spillane had a very famous saying about 'puke football', we won't go into that too much, but it's this stuff, it's putting Bohs under pressure, long throws, just picking up seconds." On this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast Cawley and Treacy both talked up the job Doherty has done, and railed against any criticism of their style of play. "We've been giving Kevin the plaudits now for the last 12 months, since the middle of last season, keeping them in the division and then of course the cup win," said Cawley. "Since then it hasn't stopped. Everybody had them tipped to go down. "When you think of the start they had, then the question gets posed after 10, 12 games can they maintain it? People were still probably thinking, 'oh they can't'. Here we are 26 games in and they're still in the European positions. It's a phenomenal job that Kevin has done. "And I heard people even saying at the weekend, I think the phrase was used 'puke football', that's absolute nonsense. When you look at the levels in terms of the budget Kevin is operating off, compared to the likes of Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers whatever, and if you go away from home to one of those top teams, yeah you have to sit in, yeah you have be defensive. "It was a brilliant away performance. If that was a European match you'd say that's a masterclass in defending and then obviously going and nicking the result. "Kevin is doing a phenomenal job and don't let anybody else tell you that he's not." Treacy, who had a spell with Drogheda in 2015, concurred. "When you're talking about puke football, that's so disrespectful," the six-times-capped Republic of Ireland midfielder added. "I played in every division in England, and nobody ever sat me down and said, 'Keith we need to win and it has to be pretty. Half of this stuff to me is pretty. When Bolger, Keeley and Quinn are throwing their bodies on the line, blocking stuff, and running like their lives depend on it, that to me is pretty football. That's everything, that's heart-on-your-sleeve stuff. "So much modern-day football is, you're coached within an inch of your life. But if you motivate lads to run around and be together and have team spirit and chemistry, Kevin Doherty has shown you what it can do. "Anybody who tries to detract from this Drogheda team needs to have a real look at themselves. They've picked themselves off the canvas so many times. "I was talking to Kevin Doherty (before the Bohs game) and he said, 'Keith, I had to go and tell these lads they weren't playing in Europe an hour before we kicked off against Shamrock Rovers'. Drogheda took the lead in that game. "If ever you want to see if a group of lads want to play for their manager, and want to do things properly, this Drogheda bunch, I'm absolutely in awe of them. I really am. I think they've been outstanding. If they finish in and around where they are now at the end of the season, I think Kevin Doherty should be given manager of the season."

RTÉ Soccer Podcast: All aboard the LOI Euro train
RTÉ Soccer Podcast: All aboard the LOI Euro train

RTÉ News​

time6 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

RTÉ Soccer Podcast: All aboard the LOI Euro train

On this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast, it's a European party and League of Ireland clubs are invited. Alan and Cawley and Keith Treacy reflect on Shamrock Rovers' ominously improving form as they look to reclaim the Premier Division title and return to the Conference League league stage. Shelbourne are out of the Champions League but still have two swings at Europe to come, while St Pat's are preparing for a glamour tie against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Besiktas. Meanwhile Athlone Town crusied into Round 2 of the Women's Champions League qualifiers. Rachel Graham analyses their chances of keeping their run going. There's also chat about domestic affairs, underrated Drogheda United, Cork City grit and the men's and women's title races.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store