Derry Ladies still waiting for first win despite spirited second half against Wicklow

Derry 1-6

Wicklow 3-16

Derry’s wait for their first points of the season continues, although it was not for want of effort against Wicklow at Celtic Park.

The final scoreline does not fully reflect the story of the game as a quick glance will suggest a one-sided dominant showing from the visitors, but taken into context, Derry’s efforts should be applauded.

A gale-force wind blowing against Derry in the first half had a massive effect on this game for both teams, Wicklow leading by 14 points at the break with Derry unable to get out of their half for the most part. But the second half saw a different Derry, this time not just wind-assisted, but anger-assisted, as they used dismay at a red card to Ballerin’s Meabh Boylan to play their best football of the game.

That 14-point difference in the first half scoring became a 2-point difference in second half scoring, a brave effort from the Oakleafers who are still awaiting their first win after five games.

Early chances

Both teams had the opportunity to open their accounts very early on, but Derry’s Aina McAlistar’s effort dropped short, in contrast to 25’s effort for Wicklow, which dropped between the posts.

The strong wind racing through Celtic Park was a real problem for Derry in the first half and in no time, they were in trouble with a kick-out falling back into Wicklow hands and Lacey Jane Shannon fired the ball past Thomasina Cassidy and into the net to make it 1-1, 0-0 with less than five minutes played.

From there it was a real struggle for the home side and Wicklow, who have had their fair share of troubles this season already were in no mood to be sympathetic as they poured all over Derry, 25 adding a free and a 45’, while 10, 14, 13 and 29 all chipped in to leave Derry trailing 1-8, 0-0.

There was no denying the effect that the wind was having on the game, and Derry had to work extremely hard to get out of their own half, Annie Ni Lochlainn very unlucky to ee her effort fly just inches wide of the left hand post in what was a rare Derry attack.

Wicklow were slick, aided by the conditions, but there was no denying the heart of Derry, and Grace Brewster put in a superb block to deny 29 what looked a certain goal midway through the first half.

13 then crashed a fierce left-footed effort against the crossbar as Wicklow came close to a second goal and Cassidy had to push over a goal-bound effort from 13 as the sun finally came out over the Lone Moor Road.

Derry came agonisingly close to a goal as half-time approached, when McAlister’s free roped just under the crossbar, and Jeanette Slevin came so close to forcing the loose ball into the net, but the Wicklow goalkeeper somehow stopped it from going over the line.

Half-time 0-0, 1-11

The second half was just three minutes old when Wicklow found the net for a second time; it seemed the danger had passed when Shannon Goetelen went through, only to be denied by Cassidy, but the substitute regained possession and recycled to Renaghan who fired it into the net.

Renaghan was by far the best player on the pitch and also the most efficient and she added her second goal and Wicklow’s third less than 10 minutes into the second half when an effort aimed at the posts dropped over the head of Cassidy and into the net.

Derry finally got off the mark 39 minutes into the game when Aine McAlistar curled an effort on target, but the home side’s challenge became even more difficult when Joanne Corr was then yellow carded, which was followed quickly by a straight red card for Ballerin’s Meabh Boylan.

The red card gave Derry a boost and Annie Ni Lochlainn added their second point from a free in a period where Wicklow were pushed back for the first time in the game.

It said everything about the character of this Derry team that they only grew stronger as the game went on, and Ni Lochlainn scored a beauty of a goal to mark that improvement, catching the ball and swivelling past goalkeeper Ellen Griffin to give herself an open goal, an opportunity she didn’t pass up. Orla McGeough than added another free and Derry were at least making the scoreline respectable after a very difficult first half.

It seemed that Derry’s attempts were thwarted by successive yellow cards which left them with just 12 on-field players, but still they came at Wicklow and Ni Lochlainn added another before substitute Cara Donnelly scored to make it 1-5, 3-14.

Derry were then warded a late penalty but McAlistar’s effort came back off the post and her rebound tricked wide of goal, much to her frustration, which built up to a yellow card and the end of her game just moments later.  

Substitute Roisin Tisdall scored in the dying moments but the last say somewhat fittingly went Derry’s way, with Annie Crozier bursting forward to join the attack and get her reward with an excellent score, a moment which summed up Derry’s second half despite the very difficult circumstances which surrounded it.

Teams

Derry: 1Thomasina Cassidy, 3Grace Brewster, 5 Orla McEvoy, 4 Joanne Corr, 26 Anna Donnelly, 6 Sarah Hargan, 11 Leah Casey, 8 Caoimhe O’Kane, 9 Annie Crozier (0-1), 10 Anna Martin, 27 Orla McGeough (0-1, 1f), 13 Niamh Hannon, 17 Jeanette Slevin, 19 Annie Ni Lochlainn (1-3, 1f), 15 Aine McAlistar (0-1).

Wicklow: 1 Ellen Griffin, 2 Emily-Rose O’Toole, 5 Isabel Ledesma, 6 Laci-Jane Shannon (1-0), 8 Sarah-Jane Winders, 10 Eadoin O’Keane (0-1), 11 Eimear O’Brien, 13 Ann-Marie Keegan (0-2), 14 Aobha Harmon (0-2), 15 Aoife Gorman (0-1), 23 Meabh Corr, 24 Sinead McGettigan, 25 Michelle Renaghan (2-7, 4f, 1 45’), 27 Niamh McGettigan, 29 Niamh O’Brien (0-1). Subs: Roisin Tisdall (0-1), Niamh Cullen (0-1).

Referee: Sinead MacHugh