WNL Round-up: Free-scoring Shels hit five past Limerick while 16-year-old wins it on debut for DLR Waves

Shelbourne kept their title ambitions on track with a comfortable 5-0 win over Limerick at the Market’s Field on Sunday afternoon.

Noelle Murray scored twice, while Rebecca Cooke, Alex Kavanagh and Emily Whelan were also target, as the Reds cut the gap to second-placed Wexford Youths to two points.

Dave Bell’s side are, by some distance, the top scorers in the league despite having played one game fewer than those above them, and that pattern continued in the first half.

Shelbourne raced into a four-goal led by half-time, Cooke opening the scoring midway through the first half with a strike from distance that went in via the post.

Midfielder Kavanagh is Shels’ top scorer this season and she stretched her tally to nine with a long-range shot into the top corner that left Karen Connolly in the Limerick goal helpless.

Ireland international Whelan made it three shortly before the break with a curling shot, before Murray made it four with a calm finish.

Limerick frustrated the visitors’ aspirations of running up another big tally in the second half, but Murray managed to finish off a slick passing move in the final minute.

DLR Waves picked up their third win of the season – and second in four games – as 16-year-old Aoife Glennon slotted home on her senior debut.

Some nice interplay from defenders Róisín McGovern and Bobbi Downer ended with the former picking out Glennon wide on the left with a diagonal ball.

The striker, who is dual-registered with the under-17s, cut inside and curled a right-footed shot into the far top corner.



On Saturday night, Peamount United left it late as Amber Barrett’s 90th-minute strike preserved the west Dublin side’s five-point lead at the top.

Barrett scored one in either half after Megan Smyth-Lynch had opened the scoring, but second-half goals from Sadhbh Doyle and Meabh De Burca made it a nervy finish.

The away side looked set for a hard-earned draw on the road – and Peamount to drop their first points of the season – before Barrett netted her 12th of the season at the death.

Holders Wexford Youths kept up the pressure on James O’Callaghan’s side with a controversial 2-1 victory over Cork City at Ferrycarrig Park in Saturday’s other game.

Top scorer Rianna Jarrett extended her personal tally to 11 with a goal in each half after Eabha O’Mahony had levelled for Cork from the penalty spot.