2021 Women's National League (Ireland)
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| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 27 March 2021 – 13 November 2021 |
| Champions | Shelbourne 2nd title |
| Champions League | Shelbourne |
| Matches played | 108 |
| Top goalscorer | Áine O'Gorman (16 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Peamount United 8–1 Cork City (30 October 2021) |
| Biggest away win | Treaty United 0–10 Peamount United (3 October 2021) |
| Highest scoring | Treaty United 0–10 Peamount United (3 October 2021) |
| Highest attendance | 1,007 Cork City 3–1 Treaty United (6 November 2021)[1] |
← 2020 2022 → All statistics correct as of 13 November 2021. | |
The 2021 Women's National League, known as the SSE Airtricity WNL for sponsorship reasons,[2] is the 11th season of the Women's National League, the highest women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland since its establishment in 2011. Peamount United were the defending champions, having won their third league title the previous season.
In January 2021 the League attracted a new title sponsor, as SSE Airtricity agreed a two-year renewal of their existing deal with the (men's) League of Ireland and extended it to also cover the WNL.[3] The Bank of Ireland also signed a three-year deal as an associate sponsor of the League of Ireland and WNL.[4] This followed a season without a WNL sponsorship deal in 2020.[5]
The 1,007 spectators at Cork City's 3–1 win over Treaty United on 6 November 2021 at Turners Cross set a new WNL record for the highest attendance.[1]
A dramatic conclusion to the season saw defending champions Peamount United unexpectedly squander a two-goal lead to lose 5–2 at home to Galway on the final match day, allowing Shelbourne to claim the title with their 3–2 win over Wexford Youths.[6][7] Both matches were subject to live television coverage, following the WNL's agreement of a broadcast arrangement with TG4 in September 2021.[8]
During the season a number of players transferred to professional clubs in England and Scotland. Peamount manager James O'Callaghan called for the formation of a task force, to examine the possibility of making the WNL semi-professional in future: "It's great for those players that they are getting to play professionally, but it's not great for the league to be losing them."[9]
Teams[edit]
The same nine teams who had contested the abridged 2020 season returned for 2021.[10]
| Team | Home town/suburb | Stadium | 2020 finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Athlone | Athlone Town Stadium | 7th |
| Bohemians | Dublin (Coolock) | Oscar Traynor Centre | 9th |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 4th |
| Galway | Galway | Eamonn Deacy Park | 5th |
| Treaty United | Limerick | Markets Field | 8th |
| Peamount United | Newcastle, South Dublin | Greenogue | 1st |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 2nd |
| DLR Waves | Dublin (Belfield) | UCD Bowl | 6th |
| Wexford Youths | Crossabeg | Ferrycarrig Park | 3rd |
Personnel and kits[edit]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town |  Tommy Hewitt | Kayla Brady | Nike | Stodge Face |
| Bohemians | Sean Byrne | Sophie Watters | O'Neills | ICHH - Inner City Helping Homeless |
| Cork City | Rónán Collins | Becky Cassin | Adidas | Jackie Lennox Chip Shop |
| DLR Waves | Graham Kelly | Catherine Cronin | Jako | CDS - Clare Distribution Services |
| Galway | Billy Clery | Shauna Fox | Acerbis | The Plaza Group |
| Peamount United | James O'Callaghan | Áine O'Gorman | Uhlsport | SPAR Kelly's Newcastle |
| Shelbourne | Noel King | Pearl Slattery | Umbro | Hamptons Homes |
| Treaty United | Niall Connolly | Esra Kangal | Umbro | Ei Electronics |
| Wexford Youths |  Tom Elmes | Kylie Murphy | Jako | Energia |
Managerial changes[edit]
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelbourne | Dave Bell | Resignation[11] | 16 December 2020 | Pre-season | Noel King | 31 December 2020[12] |
| Treaty United | Dave Rooney | Resignation[13] | 1 January 2021 | Pre-season | Niall Connolly | 17 January 2021[14] |
| Galway | Billy Clery | Resignation[15] | 19 May 2021 | 5th | Stephen Lally | 22 May 2021[16] |
| Cork City | Rónán Collins | Resignation[17] | 28 May 2021 | 9th | Paul Farrell | 16 June 2021[18] |
| Wexford Youths | Tom Elmes | Resignation[19] | 9 June 2021 | 3rd | Stephen Quinn | 9 June 2021[20] |
| Treaty United | Niall Connolly | Mutual consent | 12 October 2021[21] | 9th |
Format[edit]
The nine teams play each other three times, with a mid-season break from 7 June to 25 June 2021.[22]
League table[edit]
Standings[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelbourne | 24 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 65 | 22 | +43 | 61 | Qualification for the UEFA Women's Champions League |
| 2 | Peamount United | 24 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 81 | 18 | +63 | 60 | |
| 3 | Wexford Youths | 24 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 64 | 17 | +47 | 55 | |
| 4 | DLR Waves | 24 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 34 | 24 | +10 | 39 | |
| 5 | Galway | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 36 | 45 | −9 | 29 | |
| 6 | Bohemians | 24 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 51 | −21 | 19 | |
| 7 | Athlone Town | 24 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 27 | 59 | −32 | 19 | |
| 8 | Cork City | 24 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 28 | 61 | −33 | 16 | |
| 9 | Treaty United | 24 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 27 | 95 | −68 | 9 |
Positions by round[edit]
The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.
= Leader and UEFA Women's Champions League; = Second; = Third
Results[edit]
Matches 1–24[edit]
Teams play each other three times, with one team idle on every round of fixtures.
|
|
Statistics[edit]
Top scorers[edit]
Last updated after fixtures on 13 November 2021.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Áine O'Gorman | Peamount United | 16 |
| 2 | Kylie Murphy | Wexford Youths | 15 |
| 3 | Eleanor Ryan Doyle | Peamount United | 14 |
| Ellen Molloy | Wexford Youths | 14 | |
| 5 | Saoirse Noonan | Shelbourne | 12 |
| 6 | Jenna Slattery | Treaty United | 10 |
Source: Extratime.com
Awards[edit]
Monthly awards[edit]
| Month | Player of the Month | References | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | ||
| April | Rachel Kearns | Galway | [23] |
| May | Eleanor Ryan-Doyle | Peamount | [24] |
| June/July | Kylie Murphy | Wexford | [25] |
| August | Savannah McCarthy | Galway | [26] |
| September | Karen Duggan | Peamount | [27] |
| October | Jessie Stapleton | Shelbourne | [28] |
| November | Ellen Molloy | Wexford Youths | [29] |
Annual awards[edit]
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| WNL Player of the Year | Kylie Murphy | Wexford Youths |
| Young Player of the Year | Aoibheann Clancy | Wexford Youths |
| Manager of the Year | Noel King | Shelbourne |
| WNL Team of the Year | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Eve Badana (DLR Waves) | |||||||||||
| Defenders | Jessie Stapleton (Shelbourne) | Lauren Dwyer (Wexford Youths) | Savannah McCarthy (Galway) | |||||||||
| Midfielders | Áine O'Gorman (Peamount United) | Ciara Grant (Shelbourne) | Karen Duggan (Peamount United) | Aoibheann Clancy (Wexford Youths) | Ciara Rossiter (Wexford Youths) | |||||||
| Forwards | Kylie Murphy (Wexford Youths) | Ellen Molloy (Wexford Youths) | ||||||||||
Broadcasting[edit]
In February 2021 the Football Association of Ireland announced that all WNL matches would be streamed worldwide, free of charge on the new LOITV platform.[32] In September 2021 the TG4 Irish language television network agreed a deal to broadcast four matches.[8] Alex Kavanagh scored the first televised goal, in Shelbourne's 1–0 win over DLR Waves at Tolka Park.[33] The 309,000 viewing figures exceeded expectations, and TG4 extended the arrangement into the following season.[34]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Horgan, Andrew (6 November 2021). "Cork City breaks record for attendance at a Women's National League game in win over Treaty". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "SSE Airtricity extends title sponsorship of League of Ireland". The Irish Times. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ O'Halloran, Rob (20 January 2021). "Huge boost for Irish football as LOI and WNL land new title sponsorship deal". Extra.ie. DMG Media. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Bank of Ireland signs on as Associate LOI Sponsor". Football Association of Ireland. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ McDonnell, Daniel (20 January 2021). "Aine O'Gorman hopes sponsorship deal will help end WNL's 'pay to play' system". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ O'Mahony, Paul (7 December 2021). "Women's National League: "These are exciting times for women's football in Ireland. The time to jump on board is now…."". Hot Press. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ Fahey, Cian (17 November 2021). ""I'm in the history books for being part of the biggest implosions ever" | Karen Duggan COYGIG podcast". Off the Ball (media company). Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ a b "TG4 to broadcast four WNL games live during the remainder of the season". Irish Independent. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ Malone, Emmet (4 February 2021). "O'Callaghan wants taskforce on women's professional league". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "The nine clubs and their star players chasing glory in Ireland's top-flight this season". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Dave Bell steps down as WNL Head Coach, applications now sought for role". Shelbourne F.C. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Niall (31 December 2020). "Noel King takes charge of Shelbourne's WNL team ahead of 2021 season". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Kinsella, Colm (1 January 2021). "Treaty United on look-out for new senior women's and U17 managers". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Kinsella, Colm (17 January 2021). "Limerick's Treaty United appoint new senior women's manager". Limerick Leader. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ "Galway WFC confirm resignation of manager Billy Clery". RTÉ Sport. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ O'Connell, Cian (22 May 2021). "Stephen Lally appointed new Galway WFC manager". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Rónán Collins steps down as boss of Cork City women". Irish Examiner. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Horgan, Andrew (16 June 2021). "Paul Farrell to manage Cork City Women's squad for the rest of the season". The Echo (Cork newspaper). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Duffy, Emma (9 June 2021). "Tom Elmes' first international job confirmed after emotional Wexford Youths farewell". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "SER Sports Hour Sunday 13th June with Aidan Delaney". South East Radio. 13 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Carroll, Paul (12 October 2021). "Tipperary's Niall Connolly parts way with Treaty United senior women's squad". Tipp FM. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "2021 SSE Airtricity WNL Fixtures unveiled". Women's National League (Ireland). 8 February 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ "Kearns lands new WNL Player of Month award". RTÉ Sport. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Duffy, Emma (3 June 2021). "Seventh heaven as Peamount United striker scoops Player of the Month award". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Murphy lands award as Wexford keep in title race". RTÉ Sport. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Savannah McCarthy wins WNL Player of the Month for August". RTÉ Sport. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Duggan Collects WNL Player Of The Month Award For September As Tolka Park Braces For TG4's Cameras". Her Sport. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Duffy, Emma (5 November 2021). "Shels' 16-year-old sensation named Player of the Month for October". The42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Ellen Molloy scoops player of the month award". RTÉ Sport. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Healy, Martin (1 December 2021). "Wexford Youth's Kylie Murphy claims Player of the Year prize at SSE Airtricity Women's National League Awards". Extra.ie. DMG Media. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Healy, Martin (1 December 2021). "Wexford Youths dominate in 2021 SSE Airtricity Women's National League Team of the Season". Extra.ie. DMG Media. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "FAI announces new broadcast deals". Football Association of Ireland. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Donnelly, Dave (2 October 2021). "Shelbourne's Alex Kavanagh makes history as spectacular strike settles first-ever live WNL broadcast with DLR Waves win". Dublin Live. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ Fanneran, Vinny (29 October 2022). "Galway Women's football in TV breakthrough as major milestone passed". Galway Beo. Retrieved 6 November 2022.