Treaty United opened their SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division season with a 2-0 victory over Waterford FC at the Markets Field on Saturday, March 8.
The match, played on International Women’s Day, marked Waterford FC’s debut in senior women’s football, almost four years to the day since their men’s team welcomed Treaty United to the First Division.
Head coach Seán Russell, appointed on a multi-year deal following his success with the WU17 academy side, led his team to an impressive opening win. The manager was pleased to get off on the right foot.
“Pretty happy with the performance on Saturday – great to get off the mark with a home win and a clean sheet,” Russell began. “The players have worked hard in pre-season and really applied themselves, so it was nice to see them get their rewards.
“As pleased as we were with the result and performance, there’s still room to improve, and full focus will go on putting those moments right and improving for next week.”
Ireland international Katie Lawlee opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a sensational strike from the edge of the box. American international Bella Flocchini doubled the lead in the 76th minute with a long-range effort.
“Hosting Waterford for their first game was special, especially on International Women’s Day with so many girls and women in the crowd.
We had to weather the storm at times, but we put on a strong performance, and two beautiful goals from Katie and Bella sealed the win. We’ll take it week by week and look to build on this momentum for the rest of the season,” said captain Jillian O’Toole.
“We’re happy with the result and to start our season with a strong win,” added defender Anna Rockett, as she echoed her teammate’s optimism.
“Our style of play was on display, and while there’s always room to improve, it was an exciting start.
“We have a deep squad this year, and every player is putting in a shift.
We believe in ourselves and each other. Every day, we’re committed to our mission of a winning season, and I’m excited for what’s ahead,” Anna continued.
With three points secured, Treaty United sit at fourth in the table after the opening round.
They will travel to the UCD Bowl next weekend to face DLR Waves, who suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Galway United.
In the Men’s First Division, Treaty United staged a dramatic late comeback against Dundalk at Oriel Park.
Tommy Barrett’s side found themselves 2-0 down in the 87th minute, but Eóin Martin pulled one back with a composed finish under goalkeeper Peter Cherrie’s arm.
Lee Devitt then netted the equaliser in the 91st minute, bringing his tally to six goals in four games and securing a valuable point for Treaty United.