Shamrock Rovers take all 3 points at the Munster FA Turners Cross stadium with a comfortable 2-0 win over Cork City.

Cork City 0

Shamrock Rovers 2

Barry Ryan’s Cork City Side came into this game in hope of improving form from last season’s results as Cork City finished bottom of the table in 2025. James O’ Callaghan began his competitive tenure today as Shamrock Rovers Women’s Senior Manager after winning several league titles in past seasons with Peamount United. Shamrock Rovers finished 5th in the 2025 season.

The game began with Shamrock Rovers tipping off the play. O’Reily would swing in the ball from the left wing to 11 to begin the action. Shamrock Rovers applied preasure to City in the early minutes of the game. Leah O’Leary Callender played well in City’s advance in these early stages of the game who is only 15 years old and showed both discipline and promise.

Shaunagh McCarthy would take City’s first corner of the game as the ball was put out for another corner that the Tallaght sides’s Keeper Turner easily put away. Flanagan was influential in City’s defense as Kelly and O’Reily forced preasure on the City box as was McCarthy. City continued defending forceful play from Shamrock Rovers with the girls certainly giving it their all. Corbet would then take a chance from a Rovers corner which City’s Foyle dealt with. McCarthy continued to defend well in the City backline as Rovers continued to be impactful towards the 20th minute mark.

 

Ellie O’Brien did very well in forcing the ball up the field as City tried to challenge and break down the opposition’s defense. New signing Sadhbh Doyle for Shamrock Rovers would open up the scoring with a decent strike into the right hand corner of the goal that showed Shamrock’s strength. Molloy would take another strike for Rovers a while after that went high over Foyle’s goal. City would retaliate with good play in the middle of the pitch but the side struggled to break down the away side. Rovers would score a 2nd goal before half time through Emily Corbet as Doyle passed her the ball which she then slotted into the bottom right corner. Despite Cork City playing well at times, it was the Dublin side’s strength that would see them up 2-0 by half time.

Ciara O’Driscoll had a decent shot on goal for City shortly into the second half which was followed by a chance from Corbett for Rovers. Nadine Seward came on to replace Shanuagh McCarthy who played well. Seward made her return to City after a spell at DLR Waves. City would once again try to break down the opposition in the early stages of the half.

City would take a free kick which Eva Mangan would fire straight at the keeper. Una Foyle would make a decent save in due course as Ella Kelly looked dangerous on the run. Former Galway United player Kinnevey would play well for rovers in subsequent play.

Foyle would make another superb save from a powerful shot from Kinnevey. O’Leary Callender would get an applause from the stands as Stella Berezowski replaced her, The 15 year old certainly deserved the applause. Shamrock Rovers would then take another corner that City put away comfortably. Liston would try her luck against Turner as the Keeper met the shot with a jump. Sophie Liston would challenge the keeper once again in a superb chance that saw City earn another corner. Liston put in a good performance off the bench. Mackin would get the shot from the corner which Turner would deny. City began to feel more comfortable in this half with more advances from play emerging for the home side.

Rovers continued to challenge the opposition’s defense. City appeared to adapt tactics by forming 4 at the back for the last 10 minutes of the game, but this would not prove enough as Shamrock Rovers travelled home with the 3 points.

Cork City travel to Bohemians next week while Shamrock Rovers are at home to Peamount in a Dublin Derby in the next Women’s LOI Premier Division game-week.

Player of Match

While Shanuagh McCarthy and Grace Flanagan played well in City’s defense and Katie O’Reily and Emily Corbet shun bright for Rovers, It is hard to not acknowledge 15 year old Leah O’Leary Callender as Player of the Match. For the 66 minutes the young girl engaged in, older opposition did not phase her as she put in a decent performance while on the field despite her side losing the match.

 

Lineups

Cork City: Foyle 22, McCarthy 3, Mackin 5, Flanagan 6, O’Brien 7, O’ Hagan 8, Mangan (C) 10, Homan 11, Finnerty 17, O’Leary Callender, O’Driscoll 28.

Subs used: Seward 27 for Mccarthy & Liston 29 for O’Brien 47′, Berezowski 9 for O’Leary Callender 66′, A. Mccartht 26 for Homan 84′.

Shamrock Rovers: Turner 16, O’Callaghan, Kinnevey 4, Reynolds (C) 6, O’Reily 7, Doyle 8, Corbet 9, Molloy 10, Kelly 11, McGovern 15, Thompson 21

Subs used: Cowper Gray 17 for Corbett 74′, Dodd 5 for Thompson & St Leger for Molloy 84′, McLoughlin 25 for O’Reily 86′.

Referee: Eoin Harte

Attendance: 257