SSE Airtricity Women’s National League

Shelbourne FC vs Galway WFC Tolka Park, Saturday @2pm

It’s been a fascinating start to the SSE Airtricity Women’s National League for Billy Clery and all at Galway WFC, and they’ll be looking to maintain their encouraging start to the campaign when they head to Tolka Park to face off against Shelbourne.

Both sides are on similar trajectories so far this season, with mostly positive results on their record since the offset of the season, and both will have aims of being near the top of the pile by the time the season meets its conclusion.

Billy Clery’s charges have proven to be excellent on their day since the season got underway, with their attack up there amongst the most potent in the division. When looking at what has clicked so far for the Tribeswomen, there is no way you can look any further than Rachel Kearns, who may prove to be one of the shrewdest additions to any side in the league.

Kearns has decided to offer her services to the Eamonn Deacy Park outfit for the current campaign, and her prolific nature in front of goals for the Mayo gaelic footballers has translated perfectly onto the soccer pitch for Galway WFC.

She is leading the line on the goalscoring charts at the time of writing, and has shown herself to be a handful for any defence so far. The Crossmolina native terrorized the Cork City defence on the opening day of the season, constantly pressuring them and earning the hat-trick in the 3-3 draw.

In her side’s 4-1 trouncing of Treaty United last weekend, there was some consternation as she hobbled off of the pitch minutes before the full-time whistle, having already scored in the first half. That said, it seemed to be more precautionary than anything as she returned to the squad for the most recent clash with Wexford Youths.

The defence of the visitors has been relatively solid thus far in the season, however solving the enigma of keeping the totemic attacker Kearns quiet may prove to be a bridge too far.

The added dimension of Dave Bell in the Galway WFC dugout is not one which can be ignored either. Bell will have a knowledge of his opponents matched by few in the league, having been in the hot-seat in Tolka Park for back-to-back secondplaced WNL finishes, as well as winning the 2019 WNL Cup.

He will know the traits and attributes of Saturday’s opposition better than anyone, and will be looking to tap into that well of knowledge to mastermind a defeat for his former side.

One of the players he did not have the opportunity to work with during his time as Shelbourne manager however is sharpshooter Saoirse Noonan. Noonan is someone who excelled for both Cork City and the Cork gaelic football team in the past, however having given up playing GAA and moving to Dublin to focus on her soccer career, there is potential for her to improve even further upon her frightening statistics from the 2020 league campaign.

Noonan netted twice in the season opener on her return to face her former side, with the first goal displaying her potency in finding the net. If the Galway WFC defence offer her anywhere near the same level of breathing room, there ball will only be going one place, given her unerring accuracy.

This game will certainly not be one devoid of entertainment, with both sides favouring an offensive philosophy and a penchant for goals. Both sides have excellent quality to compliment their key strikers, with Lynsey McKey and Ciara Grant among the standouts for Galway and Shelbourne respectfully. Home advantage may prove important for Shels as well. However, with the sheer attacking quality which the women in maroon have in their ranks, I see them just edging this clash. VERDICT: Galway WFC.

LAST CLASH:

7th October 2020, FAI Women’s National League Phase 2

Shelbourne FC 5-0 Galway WFC It was a comprehensive victory for Shels on their home patch in their last home game of the 2020 season. Savannah McCarthy missed an early penalty to open proceedings in the fourth minute, before Pearl Slattery, Izzy Atkinson and Ciara Grant put WFC to the sword before the changeover.

The goals didn’t stop there, with Jessica Ziu and an Atkinson penalty rounding off a miserable day at the office for Saturday’s visitors.

LAST FIVE GAMES:

L

W

W

W Peamount Utd 2-1 Shelbourne FC

Cork City 0-3 Shelbourne FC

Athlone Town 0-2 Shelbourne FC

DLR Waves 0-4 Shelbourne FC W

L

W

D Galway WFC 4-1 Treaty Utd DLR Waves 2-1 Galway WFC

Galway WFC 3-1 Bohemians

Galway WFC 3-3 Cork City

KEY PLAYERS: Shelbourne FC: Ciara Grant Galway WFC: Chloe Singleton

RESULTS: Shelbourne won 2-1 against DLR Waves and Galway WFC lost 5-0 to Wexford

Media Influence in Female Sports: From Negative to Positive?

Aine Cleary

Sport has historically been culturally dominated by men, frequently used as a means to exhibit masculine physical attributes such as strength and stamina. The contrast that forms between male and female sports are often based on these physical attributes, with the female sports often being perceived as ‘slower’ and ‘of lower skill’ when compared to their respective male counterparts. Obviously, this is an arbitrary comparison cultivated by the media, who reinforce this by using the terms “sport” and “women’s sport”, rather than men’s sports and women’s sport or in the demeaning reference to women pursuing sports as ‘tomboys’ or ‘masculine’. In addition, media outlets have been guilty of diminishing female athletes, particularly in the overt sexualisation of their coverage that overshadows their skills and achievements.

Positive media coverage is essential to change the gender stereotypes that exist. The 20x20 campaign ran from 2018 to 2020. Its aim was to create a cultural shift and a change in attitudes towards women in sport. HerSport is Ireland’s only media platform dedicated to women in sport. It creates a platform to celebrate the skills and achievements of women.

Irish athletes such as Sonia O Sullivan, Cora Staunton and Katie Taylor have also changed how women in sport are perceived and showed that there is a place for women even in elite sports. Sonia O Sullivan is one of Ireland’s greatest ever athletes having won five Sportsperson of the Year Awards, more than any other athlete. In 2019 Cora Staunton became the first female GAA player to write an autobiography and the Katie Taylor documentary released in the same year showed massive progression in interest and respect for female athletes. Despite this it remains clear that women must achieve the extraordinary to gain recognition.

The primary issues for women in sport are; the fight for equal treatment, equal pay and equal opportunities. According to an Irish Examiner report, just 5% of sport print media coverage was focused on women in 2020. This is despite the fact that 40% of participants in sport are female. Sport Ireland has set out targets under the ‘policy on women in sport’ including increased female participation in coaching, officiating and leadership. Gender pay gaps still exist in many sports, including soccer and golf. Professional female soccer players earn just a fraction of the fee earned by male players. The argument is often made that the media coverage represents the interest levels, and that the higher wages are due to the higher commercial value. However, without increased visibility and access to women’s sport it is impossible for women’s sport to reach a similar level of interest to men’s.

Gender equality in sport would ensure that all children have an equal chance of succeeding in sport regardless of their gender. Increased female participation would have benefits for both mental and physical health. Gender equality would also be economically beneficial for all stakeholders in sport, increased female participation and interest in sport creates a larger market. Women’s sport is an untapped market with a lot of potential.

Investment in women’s sport is essential to ensure equal access and equal opportunities becomes a reality. The media has a huge role to play, it is difficult to create more interest in the women’s game without media coverage and recognition.