WORLD CUP winner and former USA international Heather O’Reilly made her Shelbourne debut today but could not prevent a shock 3-2 loss against eighth-place Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
The 37-year-old made the unexpected decision to come out of retirement during the week, citing her desire to play Champions League football as the main reason for joining the Irish side.
O’Reilly started the day on the bench but replaced Keeva Keenan on the hour mark with the score at 2-2.
Club captain Pearl Slattery had headed home a Megan Smyth-Lynch corner to give the visitors an early lead.
Three years on from the final game of her glittering career for the North Carolina Courage in 2019, Heather O’Reilly is back on the pitch, she replaces Keenan while Murray and Larkin are on in place of Smyth-Lynch and Kavanagh.
— Shelbourne FC (@shelsfc) July 30, 2022
60’ | 🔴 2-2 ⚪️#DublinsFinest | #Since1895 pic.twitter.com/tGYZpLrNHO
Shelbourne looked to be on their way to an easy victory, when an Alex Kavanagh free kick saw them double their advantage after 18 minutes.
However, a Gemma McGuinness goal got Sligo back in the game on the brink of half-time, before Emma Doherty finished off a well-constructed counter-attacking move eight minutes after the restart.
Moments after O’Reilly’s introduction, Doherty scored again to give Sligo a surprise lead which they did not surrender thereafter.
It was consequently an anti-climactic start to the three-time Olympic gold medallist’s career in Irish football, as Noel King’s side succumbed to just their third league defeat of the season.
They still remain top, five points ahead of Wexford Youths, who have a game in hand.
The second-place side kept the pressure on their rivals with a routine 3-0 win away to Treaty United at Market’s Field.
📺 A massive 3 points gained to close the gap on league leaders Shelbourne!
— Wexford Youths Women (@YouthsWomen) July 30, 2022
All the goals from Market's Field today 🔽 pic.twitter.com/OxFE0psz8L
Becky Watkins gave Wexford a 12th-minute lead against the team who sit bottom of the table currently on one point, heading home Emma Walker’s corner.
Walker herself then made it 2-0 just before the break, slotting home after Ellen Molloy’s initial effort was parried.
18-year-old Irish international Molloy then put the icing on the cake in second-half stoppage time, coolly finishing when through on goal after latching on to a stray backpass and bursting away from the last defender.
Athlone Town remain just a point behind Wexford after beating DLR Waves 2-1 at home today.
Katie Malone’s goal gave the visitors an early lead, as she slotted home from Aoife Brophy’s low cross.
Nine minutes before the break, Athlone equalised thanks to a Jessica Hennessy header from Madison Gibson’s corner.
The winning goal arrived shortly after half-time, as Jess Gleeson, unfortunately, headed the ball into her own net from Muireann Devaney’s cross.
Athlone are unquestionably this season’s surprise package — having finished a lowly seventh last year, they currently find themselves trailing leaders Shels by just six points.
Peamount remain close behind them, after a 2-1 home win over Galway.
Lynsey McKey’s superb volley midway through the first half helped the visitors lead at the break.
But Peamount responded well in the second half, as Erin McLaughlin equalised just before the hour mark and Dora Gorman then won it, producing a fine finish with 16 minutes remaining.
GOAL ⚽️ | Bohemians 2-1 Cork City
— Women's National League (@LoiWomen) July 30, 2022
Super sub Niamh Prior puts Bohs in front after Aoife Robinson had brought them level#WNL | #LOITV pic.twitter.com/ooJo2OHl2i
Finally, Bohemians beat Cork City 3-1 at Dalymount Park to consolidate seventh place in the table.
Aoibhin Donnelly gave second-from-bottom Cork a surprise early lead, before the Dublin side hit back through three goals in the final 15 minutes, with Aoife Robinson registering a brace and Niamh Prior also getting her name on the scoresheet.
