WNL: Athlone get the better of DLR Waves

Athlone Town moved up to sixth in the SSE Airtricity Women's National League as they edged out DLR Waves in the rescheduled game at the UCD Bowl on Tuesday evening.

A Niamh Prior own goal midway through the second half proved the distance as the visitors upset a Waves side still on a high following Saturday's win over champions Shelbourne.

The original fixture had been postponed at short notice last night following a sprinkler malfunction at the Bowl.

There were no such issues on Tuesday as an entertaining game under the lights in Belfield went in favour of the midlands club.

A win for Graham Kelly’s Waves would have put them within a point of third place but the exertion of two games in four days seemed to have a bigger effect on the home side.

Athlone started the game at a furious tempo and had all the ball in the early stages, and it required a great save from Ireland keeper Eve Badana to deny Gillian Keenan one-on-one.

Waves had a couple of half-chances in the aftermath, Katie Malone just failing to connect with a Nadine Clare before the latter volleyed wide from the edge of the box.

Brilliant work on the right from Sarah McKevitt almost yielded another chance for Waves but neither Orlagh Fitzpatrick nor Malone, who scored the winner against Shels, could connect.

And Tommy Hewitt’s Athlone side took the lead just before the hour in fortuitous circumstances as Kelsey Monroe’s free was turned past her own keeper by Prior.

The visitors had a chance to double their lead 15 minutes from time as sub Emily Corbet latched onto a ball over the top but Badana did enough to put her off.

A late effort from Clare cleared Niamh Coombes’ crossbar as Athlone closed the game out to seal their third win of the season.

Elsewhere in the league, Sh