Kelly hoping to shine under Dalymount lights

Rachael Kelly is aiming for with Bohemians as they host Athlone Town at 18:00 on Saturday evening in Dalymount Park.

Kelly hoping to shine under Dalymount lights
HerSport Editor
HerSport Editor

Saturday night, floodlights on, a big crowd expected and playing in one of Ireland's iconic stadiums. It doesn't get much better than that.

Well, a first win of the season might be the cherry on top. And that is what Rachael Kelly is aiming for with Bohemians as they host Athlone Town at 18:00 on Saturday evening in Dalymount Park.

Back in the SSE Airtricity Women's National League following six months based in Sweden, the agile shot-stopper made her competitive debut for The Gypsies in last week's narrow lost to champions Shelbourne.

Now, the focus is on getting off the mark for the 2022 season.

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"We were unlucky not to get a draw against Shelbourne, but we will take the positives from that performance and hopefully create some more chances and get our first win on Saturday," said Kelly.

"As a team we would like to finish higher than the club did last year and go on a longer FAI Cup run, but we are taking each game as it comes and the Athlone game is the only one that matters now.

"It's fantastic that we will be getting to play in Dalymount Park under the lights. Bohemians have done a huge amount of advertising for the game and we're hoping that a big crowd will be there cheering us on.

"It shows how much the League is growing that we will play in such a fantastic stadium at 18:00 on a Saturday. It is actually a huge motivator for the girls, because you notice the difference when a crowd is really loud and cheering you on."

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Kelly is excited to get going. She is buzzing at being back involved with the League following a spell with P18 IK in Visby, which is a small island on Sweden's south-east coast.

During that time away, she watched WNL games on LOITV and followed the latest news on social media. In her words, the coverage of the League has 'blown up' and she reckons it is a boom time for women's football in this country.

"I think we can all be so proud over how far the League has come. It's clear that people are putting more time into promoting it and that is fantastic for everyone involved," she said.

Kelly, who is competing with long-time friend Courtney Maguire for the No 1 spot, reserves special praise for Bohs Goalkeeping Coach Pat Trehy after helping her to quickly adjust to being with a new club.

"Pat is great, he is a fantastic coach who shares everything with you. He has great respect in football and he deserves it because he puts the work in week in, week out," said Kelly.

"The training sessions are quite consistent, but there are a few competitions thrown in here and there to keep us on our toes. He creates a great atmosphere for everyone to get the best out of them.

"I have to say that everything is great since I came to Bohs, with Sean (Byrne) and Pat (Trehy) and all of the players. The club are doing a lot of promotion, so it's up to us to just take advantage of it now."

Standings

Series 2 - Saturday, March 12th

Bohemians v Athlone Town
KO 18:00
Dalymount Park
Referee: Sarah Dyas
Assistant Referees: Conor Fitzgibbon, Aaron Pisarnik
Fourth Official: Daryl Carolan
Watch LIVE on LOITV

Galway WFC v Peamount United
KO 18:00
Eamonn Deacy Park
Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan
Assistant Referees: Alan Dunne, Fintan Butler
Fourth Official: Chris Sheehan
Watch LIVE on LOITV

Sligo Rovers v DLR Waves
KO 14:00
The Showgrounds
Referee: Joe Hession
Assistant Referees: Richard Storey, Keenan Deering
Fourth Official: Martin Cuddihy
Watch LIVE on LOITV

Treaty United v Cork City
KO 17:00
Markets Field
Referee: Alan Carey
Assistant Referees: Jonathan Hennessy, Chris Braganza
Fourth Official: Marc Lynch
Watch LIVE on LOITV

Wexford Youths v Shelbourne
KO 18:00
Ferrycarrig Park
Referee: Claire Purcell
Assistant Referees: Trevor Cotter, Ricky Crean
Fourth Official: Mark Patchell
Watch LIVE on LOITV

Fixtures

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