Dundalk FC WU19 3-0 Shamrock Rovers
EA Sports WU19 League of Ireland Cup Group D
Our WU19 team booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EA SPORTS WU19 League of Ireland Cup thanks to a brilliant 3-0 win over Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park on Sunday.
Whereas Rovers only needed a point to advance, Jason McConville’s side went into the game needing a win to go through to the knockout stages and they got off to the perfect start when Molly Williams played a great pass into Ella McKenna and she made no mistake with a cool finish after just four minutes.
The Lilywhites took firm control of the game in the 20th minute when Zara Farrell turned a Rovers defender and let fly with a screaming 25-yard effort that went in via the underside of the crossbar.
Rovers threw players forward in a bid to get back into it but Dundalk weathered the storm brilliancy and they secured their passage into the last eight when McKenna added a second with nine minutes to play.
The result means that the WU19 team have lost just one of their last nine games and McConville lavished praise on a side that has grown in stature as the season has wore on.
“To come out of a group that contained Bohemians, Shelbourne, Finn Harps and Shamrock Rovers is a massive achievement for us,” he said.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team. They continue to answer each call and they are a brilliant group who deserve all the plaudits they will get for this result.”
DUNDALK FC WU19: Rebecca Crowley, Laura Woods, Zara Farrell, Ciaran Whyte, Sarah Byrne, Molly Williams, Madeleine McKinley, Ella McKenna, Stephanie Cunningham, Shannon Guildea, Maggie Holland. Subs: Emma Goodman, Kerryann Galvin, Abigail Martin, Hannah Cooney, Shauna Bell, Ellie Smyth, Robym Chidgey, Charlotte Fogarty.
