Wales got the better of Ireland for a Euros spot but there was a sinew of revenge on the club front by Athlone Town dumping Cardiff City out of the Champions League.
This was the first time in 42 years for Athlone Town to sample the European stage – the first time for the women’s team – and they made their mark with an emphatic first-half blitz to slay the Welsh dragons.
Athlone’s women’s team has always carried a transatlantic influence, even before latest investor Nick Giannotti recently came onboard.
They had four in the starting team from USA and Canada yet it was Róisín Molloy from Gurteen in Sligo that was the star that shone brightest.
A marauding presence from the right flank, she teed up captain Izzy Groves to fire home a 15th minute breakthrough before swelling the lead with a brace within three minutes approaching the break.
Hannah Waesch slotted in from close-range within four minutes of the restart to complete the rout, allowing manager Colin Fortune to rest player with Saturday’s second round tie against Croatian side ZNK Agram in mind.
Former Ireland manager Vera Pauw criticised Uefa for recalibrating Uefa’s sole women’s competition in favour of the larger powerbrokers, suppressing any slim prospect of an outlier emerging from the shadows to cause a shock.
Restructuring changed the old 16-team group stage that kicked off the competition into an 18-club league phase. That entails three rounds of qualifying – beginning with this Celtic derby in the first round of the Champions Path.
It means a quick turnaround for Athlone but at least to do again have home advantage. That worked a treat on this occasion, for the sold-out sign was raised four hours before kick-off, leading to queues around a Lissywollen Stadium that struggles to attract 400 for the men’s team.
As it transpired, a historic number of 1,916 was declared for a crowd that did include Ireland assistant manager Alan Mahon.
At 23, Molloy is someone the international management could be minded to consider with the Uefa Nations League playoff against Belgium approaching in October.
For all the brilliance Athlone displayed, Cardiff were abject.
Welsh champions for three seasons in a row, the Bluebirds were camped in their own half from the outset, struggling for breath under the Athlone press.
Megan Plaschko in the hosts’ goal was an idle spectator, save for comfortable stop in the 20th minute from Fiona Barry.
Otherwise, the Midlanders were ravenous, clearly adopting a ploy of testing shaky goalkeeper Ceryn Chamberlain with long balls.
Punts into the six yard box, particularly from Molloy on the right and Maddie Gibson from the left, posed early dangers and it was inevitable the opener was coming.
Sarah Rice was a fraction too late in connecting with Molloy’s cross, while the latter fired a free-kick straight into the stopper’s grasp.
Fine footwork on the flank from Molloy created the space for Groves to wriggle free inside the box and chip her shot beyond the stranded goalkeeper into the far corner.
New York native Kelly Brady then flashed her header wide before Molloy made the pressure count with the second, finishing at the second attempt when left alone at the back post.
She illustrated her flexibility by rising high amid a crowded box to power a header towards goal that Helen Evans could only steer into her own net in attempting to clear.
Relentless in their attack, Athlone avoided second half jitters by making it 4-0 with their first surge forward of the second half.
Gibson’s corner allowed Natalie McNally to power a header and although it rebound off the post, Waesch was there to wrap up the rebound by poking the ball across the line.
German native Waesch was awarded the player of the match award, perhaps for being on the pitch after Molloy was substituted because that is the only explanation for her to be overlooked.
M Plaschko; K Brennan (I Ryan 85), S Brennan, N McNally, K Shine; H Waesch, I Groves (K Slevin 70); R Molloy (A Murphy 82), S Rice, M Gibson; K Brady (H Donegan 70).
C Chamberlain: L Owen, F Price, H Evans, N Jenkins; F Barry, K Walklett, L Billingham, M Cook; H Evans, L Curnock.
Karoline Marie Jensen (NOR).
1916.
