Women’s Premier Division round-up: Dublin derby ends scoreless as Peamount extend lead at the top

The big game of the weekend was the Dublin derby at Dalymount Park where Bohemians met Shamrock Rovers in front of a record crowd for this league.

1,256 punters came through the turnstiles at the famous old ground to watch a game that failed to provide a goal but the fans will at least have gone home with a suntan having enjoyed the warmest weekend of the season so far.

The result means that the Hoops remain unbeaten and hot on the heels of league leaders Peamount, while Bohemians strengthened the impression that they may yet be good enough to sustain a title challenge this year.

Across the country on the west coast Galway United hosted Noel King’s Shelbourne side with both teams needing a win to keep up with the leading pack.

Galway started the season with a fantastic run of results but have met top opposition in recent weeks and early goals from Jemma Quinn and Christie Gray means they have now lost three in a row.

It was a deserved win for the Reds who stay three points behind Shamrock Rovers in third place. They looked the more dangerous side throughout and Gray is looking like a great addition to the side having now scored in three of their last five games.

Another of the Reds’ North American imports, Maggie Pierce, is proving rock solid in central defence although the imminent departure of Jess Stapleton means club captain Pearl Slattery’s time on the bench is likely only temporary.

It was another disappointing day for Cork City who lost by a single goal at home to DLR Waves thanks to Michelle Doonan’s strike five minutes into the second half.

With just two points on the board Danny Murphy’s team have now failed to score in eight of their 12 games this season and have lost all their home matches.

DLR have also failed to score in eight of their 12 games but, by contrast, have gathered 12 points and managed a total of 10 goals.

One of the great pleasures of the 2023 season has been seeing how Peamount United have dealt with the loss of almost their entire forward line to Shamrock Rovers over the winter.

In came Kate Mooney from DLR and Becky Watkins from Wexford Youths and the Peas haven’t looked back since.

This weekend they took on Athlone Town who were fresh from a 7-0 demolition of Treaty United last Saturday, but the Midlands club faced a more formidable foe at PRL Park and found themselves 5-1 down after an eight-minute hat-trick from Mooney.

Athlone got two back before the final whistle - including another from young striker Hazel Donegan, her second in two weeks - to lose 3-5 and after 12 matches they find themselves in 7th place and 15 points behind the Peas who will spend yet another week on top of the table.

The final game of Round 13 took place at the Markets Field where Treaty United were looking to repair damaged confidence after last week’s drubbing in Athlone.

They faced a Sligo Rovers team that have struggled in 2023, gathering just three points before this latest round of matches, all of which came courtesy of their win against Cork City three weeks ago.

It looked like the Limerick side were well on the way to all three points when they led 3-1 thanks to goals from Cara Griffin, Hailey Walsh and Kiera Kilbey, but Sligo fought back and ended up with a share of the spoils after a brace from Emma Doherty - her 3rd and 4th goals of the season - and another from Jodie Loughrey.