WNL Season Preview: DLR Waves

Club: DLR Waves

Manager: Graham Kelly

Highest league goalscorer (2019): Sophie O’Donoghue (3)

Position: 6th

Players In: Erica Turner, Aoife Brophy, Oleta Griffin, Mel Clarke, Avril Bierley, Katie Malone, Carla McManus

Players Out: Sophie Lenehan, Aisling Dunbar, Ally O’Keeffe, Jenny O’Keeffe, Sophie O’Donoghue, Leanne Payne

Extratime.ie Key PlayerNiamh Prior

It seems like forever ago that Waves travelled to Glasgow in what was the original pre-season, in February, to face Celtic. Irish international Prior had already travelled to go on trial with the professional side and impressed in her few days there.

Despite only having turned 22, the versatile defender is hugely experienced, having broken through with UCD Waves in 2014, and that experience is crucial in a very young Waves side.

Prior’s tactical flexibility allows her to alternate between left back, left wing-back and centre-half in the fluid system operated by Waves and her experience will be vital with the age profile of the squad having dropped once more this year.



Extratime.com One to Watch: Nicole Keogh

If Prior represents experience in the Waves defence, Nicole Keogh is definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum, having debuted during the 2019 season as a 17-year-old.

The former Shelbourne underage player impressed on the right side of defence, her pace complemented by good positioning and work ethic.

She was invited to be part of the Ireland under-19 assessment earlier this month and, if she continues her trajectory, more call-ups won’t be far away. 

How they did last season

League: Graham Kelly’s first season in charge saw Waves more or less play to form, once against finishing sixth in the table, just behind an improving Cork City.



Comfortable victories over Kilkenny United and Limerick early in the season were promising but goals were always difficult to come by.

Remarkably, it took ten leagues before Waves were involved in a tie where both teams scored, and a 4-3 win away to Cork in late June was the first time they came from behind to win a game.

FAI Cup: A comfortable 5-2 victory over Lakewood Athletic booked a quarter-final spot, where Waves were narrowly edged out by Galway at Eamonn Deacy Park.

League Cup: A 2-0 defeat to eventual league champions Peamount United saw Waves’ participation end at the first hurdle.

What to expect this season

If 2019 was about the new coach bedding in his passing philosophy with a young squad, 2020 will all be about consolidating what they’ve learned and pushing on.

With three new teams in the league (or two, depending on how you classify Treaty United) there is a degree of uncertainty about how good teams will be, but building on last season’s sixth-place finish has to be the immediate goal.

Closing the gap on Cork City and Galway is realistic, and the victory over the Leesiders at Bishopstown will serve as inspiration, and a fifth-place finish would be considered a success.