Tonight’s Guests Of Honour

Waterford’s U-17 Ladies World Cup Stars

(first published in the September 2010 Limerick match programme)

Waterford United are delighted to welcome Jessica Gleeson and Ciara O’Brien and their families as guests of honour for tonight’s match. Jessica and Ciara are members of the Ireland U-17 Ladies side that performed so superbly at the current World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago.
The girls, from Tramore AFC, were ever present in the side that topped their group, which included Brazil, Ghana and Canada, before going out at the quarter final stage to an excellent Japan side and a slightly less excellent penalty decision.

Despite narrowly losing out to Brazil in the opening game by two goals to one, Ireland bounced back with a 1-0 win against Canada, and then a superb 3-0 victory over Ghana, which put them through to the knockout stages as table toppers. Falling behind to that controversial first-half penalty in the quarter final against Japan, the girls dug deep and got back on terms in the second half, before an unstoppable strike brought an end to their dream. Japan have since gone on to make the final. Despite the heartbreaking exit, it was a phenomenal and unprecedented achievement from the girls, and Jessica and Ciara (and also Stacie Donnelly who has Dungarvan connections) have done themselves and their county proud. Well done girls!

The Ireland side which took on Brazil. Jessica Gleeson back row second left, Ciara O’Brien back row second right.