WDSL Girls 2014 League Continues to Grow in Strength
The WDSL Girls 2014 League continues to go from strength to strength, with new teams forming and more clubs expressing interest in joining — a fantastic sign of growth for girls’ football in the county.
This week saw two exciting debuts as Roundwood AFC and Newtown Juniors lined out for the first time, facing Aughrim Rangers and Ashford Rovers, respectively.
Roundwood’s young side showed plenty of promise despite early nerves. Once they settled into the game, their confidence began to shine through. While Aughrim took the spoils on the day with a 4–0 victory, the focus for Roundwood was all about gaining valuable experience — and the girls were already eager to know when their next match would be.
Over in Newtown, there was late drama as Newtown Juniors marked their debut with a memorable 1–0 win over Ashford Rovers. The decisive moment came right at the death, when a defensive mix-up allowed Newtown to snatch the winner in injury time. Despite the narrow defeat, Ashford showed clear improvement from their opening game.
Meanwhile, Arklow United maintained their strong start to the campaign with a solid 2–0 victory over a talented Newcastle United side. Building on their earlier win against Ashford, Arklow once again impressed with their composure and teamwork.
With participation and competition levels rising each week, the future looks bright for girls’ football in Wicklow.
WDSL Emerging Talent Programme Gears Up for Interleague Challenge
As preparations intensify for the upcoming SFAI Interleague competitions, the Wicklow & District Schoolboys/Girls League (WDSL) held a comprehensive Coaching Forum as part of its League Emerging Talent Programme (LETP).
The event, which catered to all age groups involved in the LETP, was divided into two key sessions — a practical demonstration of football drills and an informative PowerPoint presentation outlining the league’s developmental approach. It proved to be a valuable and inspiring evening for all coaches and mentors in attendance.
Behind the scenes, Brian Kavanagh and Peter Porter have been instrumental in driving the LETP forward. Their dedication and quiet professionalism have not gone unnoticed, and their continued work — alongside the tireless administrative efforts of Brenda — has been central to the programme’s success.
The results speak for themselves. While other leagues across the country struggle with participation numbers, the WDSL will proudly field two teams each in the U12, U13, and U14 categories, and one team at U15 and U16 level. That’s a remarkable turnaround, considering there were no U15 or U16 squads just a year ago.
This growth is a testament to the hard work, structure, and planning put in by coaches, players, and league officials alike.
The WDSL also continues to strengthen its partnerships with League of Ireland clubs Bray Wanderers and Wexford FC, offering a clear pathway for talented young players to progress into academy football. A shining example of this is Drew Mernagh, who caught the eye at last year’s Kennedy Cup, where he won the Golden Boot before being signed by Bray Wanderers. His journey is proof of what the LETP can achieve — providing a vital platform for players to be seen and succeed.
With strong leadership and a thriving player base, the future of football development in Wicklow looks brighter than ever.
Fixtures for this weekend
We also have for the first time ever had an all-girls team management for the U16s, more will be reported on this in future articles.
This weekend Saturday 25th / Sunday 26th Travers Insurance Park, will see the first of the,
Group Games commence within SFAI Interleague Competition,
Home in SFAI Interleague Under 16s v Wexford – Saturday 4pm Kick-off
Home in SFAI Interleague Under 14s Blue v MSL Blue – Sunday 3pm Kick-off
Home in SFAI Interleague Under 14s Yellow v MSL Red – Sunday 1:30pm Kick-off
Finally the Trophy finals are this weekend , plenty of action.
Trophy Finals – Travers Insurance Park 25th / 26th Oct,
U12s Div 2
Ashford B v Rathnew B Sat, 10:00am Pitch 2
U12s Div 1
Ashford v Shillelagh Sat, 12:00pm Pitch 2
U12s Prem
Wicklow Rovers A v St Anthonys A Sat, 2:00pm Pitch 2
U14s Div 1
Arklow Utd B v Rathnew B Sat, 10:00am Astro
U14s Prem
Aughrim v Wicklow Rovers A Sat, 12:00pm Astro
U16s Prem
Glencormac v Aughrim Sat, 2:00pm Astro
U13s Div 2
Arklow Utd C v Newtown B Sun, 10:00am Astro
U13s Div 1
Shillelagh v Avonmore Sun, 12:00pm Astro
U15s Div 1
Roundwood v Arklow Utd B Sun, 4:00pm Astro
U15s Prem
Arklow Utd A v Rathnew Sun, 6:00pm Astro
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