The Blues fell to defeat in their opening All Island Cup game of the season, as goals from Issy Walsh & Aisling proved not to be enough for Waterford against a strong Shelbourne outfit.
Ahead of kick-off, Gary Hunt made three changes to his side from last week’s game against Peamount United, with Jess Lawler, Leah O’Donoghue & Olivia Shannon coming into the side.
The visitors, playing into a ferocious wind in the first-half, almost got of to the perfect start after just 40 seconds, when Maeve Williams pulled off a stunning save to deny Brianne Severns’ volley. Minutes later, Aoife Kelly had an effort blocked by her own player inside the Blues area, as they applied early pressure.
As both sides shared possession, looking to deal with the difficult playing conditions, it took until 23rd minute for the next effort of the game as Leah Doyle fired a free-kick from 25-yards narrowly over the Blues crossbar.
After heavy pressure applied by Issy Walsh on the Shelbourne defence on the half-hour mark, Walsh stung the hands of Jenna Willoughby in the Shelbourne goal from an acute angle as the Blues looked to make the advantage of the wind count before half-time.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 39th minute when Issy Walsh broke the deadlock from close-range. Mia Lenihan’s dangerous cross was mis-handled by Willoughby in the Shelbourne goal, as Walsh reacted quickest from close-range to give the Blues the lead at half-time.
After the Blues opened the scoring six minutes before half-time, it was the visitors who equalised six minutes after the break when Maeve Wollmer weaved her way through the Blues defence before finding the bottom corner to level proceedings.
And just two minutes later, it was Wollmer who put the visitors ahead as he poked home Jess Gargan’s cross from close-range to make it a quick-fire double for Sean Russell’s side.
Leah Doyle made it three-one as the left-full found the bottom left corner from her 25-yard free-kick to give the Drumcondra outfit a two-goal lead, before Rachel Graham’s inswinging corner on 65′ evaded everyone before finding the back of the Blues net to make it four-one to the visitors.
The Blues reduced the scoreline on 76′ as substitute Aisling Mahony charged down Willoughby in the Shelbourne goal before firing home to an empty net to get the Blues their second, as the visitors saw out the remainder of the action to open their 2026 All Island Cup campaign with three points.
Waterford FC: Williams (GK) (C); Conroy, S. Dumevi, D. Burke, Doherty, Lawler (66′ Carley); O’Donoghue (81′ Darlington), Shannon (66′ Mahony), Lenihan; Walsh, Bradley.
Shelbourne FC: Willoughby (GK), Doyle, Slattery (C) (46′ Keenan), Hannon, Graham (66′ Kavanagh), Wollmer, Gargan, Kelly (72′ McCaffrey), Severns (66′ Whelan), Pierce, Damico (66′ Watkins).
Attendance: 288
