Shelbourne hit the summit after comeback win over Waterford
The Reds came into the game buoyed by title rivals Athlone Town dropping points yesterday away to Bohemians and knew victory in Drumcondra would move them to the summit.
However, the Blues caused a major surprise as a superb Fiana Bradley strike gave the visitors the lead on 17 minutes.
Fiana Bradley, oh my 😮💨
Waterford have the lead in Tolka! pic.twitter.com/2RcmhLHYid
— LOI Women (@LoiWomen) August 10, 2025
Despite a Shels onslaught, struggling Waterford held strong to hold the advantage at the break.
The lead did not last much longer as Jessica Gargan headed into the net from close range in the 47th minute.
Alex Kavanagh then struck on the hour mark to put the home side in front.
Shels saw out the rest of the game to claim three points, with Waterford not troubling their goal.
Eoin Wearen's side will be in FAI Cup action against Shamrock Rovers next Friday, while there is a colossal game to come in the league against Athlone in the title race in a fortnight.
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The 42
23 minutes ago
- The 42
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Advertisement His opportunistic snap shot volley inside the D at the edge of the box was clinical and classy. Striker Ante Matej Juric laid the ball out to Tiago Dantas and his tee up for Fruk was half a yard above the ground. In an instant he had a decision to make. Take a touch and get closed down or rely on his technical gifts to come up with something wonderful. He opted for the latter, and delivered. He was on the right side of the D and connected with such sweet conviction that Wessel Speel's dive to his right side was forlorn. No sooner and that sound of the connection reverberated around Drumcondra than the ball hit. All was quiet then. The Rijek bench celebrated wildly with some coming on the pitch but with their away supporters banned from travelling for poor behaviour the most piercing sound was of silence. Until that point, Shels might have been relatively happy with how they were keeping the Croatian champions at arm's length. 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Rijeka: Martin Zlomisilic; Ante Orec, Ante Majstorovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Mladen Devetak; Dejan Petrovic, Toni Fruk, Tiago Dantas; Merveil Ndockyt, Ante Matej Juric (Justas Lasickas 75), Niko Jankovic. Referee: Marian Barbu (Rou)
The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Shelbourne set for Conference League playoff after late Europa defeat
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There would be redemption by the home crowd for the whistler later. Against such talented opponents, those moments are critical. Shels did conjure a couple more openings in the first half, primarily by counterattacking a Rijeka side fluid in possession. Brave blocks by Paddy Barrett and Kameron Ledwidge – coupled with the wall repelling Fruk's free-kick – kept them at bay as goalkeeper Wessel Speel was hardly called upon. Ante Majstorović volleying wide off a corner signalled danger but there was nothing the stopper could do for a rasping opener by Fruk on 33 minutes. He didn't require any back-lift to crack a volley off his left foot from 20 yards out that dipped beyond the Dutchman. Although that concession brought the tie level on aggregate and removed a degree of fervour, Shels should have equalised on the night straight away. Kerr McInroy popped in the box from a James Norris knockdown but couldn't steer his close-range volley past Martin Zlomislić. Coote was first to react without replicating his strike against Linfield, fizzing his rebound wide. Martin's introduction offered an injection upfront for the Reds and just seven minutes in, he dashed clear from McInroy's pass. His unselfish cutback met the toe of Odubeko without the striker applying the necessary accuracy to keep it on target. Apart from in-demand Niko Janković firing a deflected shot into the arms of Speel, Shels were untroubled until another screamer of a goal swayed the tie away from their grasp. Joey O'Brien is entitled to be livid at the absence of pressure on Tiago Dantas when receiving the ball unattended but must credit the Portuguese, one of the two non-Baltics in the line-up, for floating a peach of a shot into the top corner from 30 yards. Behind but unbowed, Shels persisted into the dying stages. Five days after Rijeka were unable to cope with Martin in the box, it was a similar story but this time Ante Oreč opted to foul him as he stretched for an 82nd-minute header. Four minutes elapsed for a VAR check to award the spot-kick, enabling Odubeko to squeeze his shot under the arm of the Bosnian goalkeeper into the right corner. Oreč went from zero to hero within three minutes, swivelling inside the box to fire his low effort into the far corner. More of a wonderball than wonderwall for the Croatians. They march on to meet the winner of PAOK and Wolfsberger for a Europa League berth. SHELBOURNE: W Speel; P Barrett, S Bone, K Ledwidge; M Mbeng, K McInroy (D Kelly 90), JJ Lunney (E Caffrey 78), J Norris (E Chapman 78); H Wood, A Coote (J Martin 46); M Odubeko. HNK RIJEKA: M Zlomislić; A Majstorović, S Radeljić, M Devetak; M Ndockyt, T Dantas, D Petrovič, N Janković; A Oreč, T Fruk; AM Jurić (J Lasickas 75). Referee: Marian Barbu (ROU).
