A 5-0 win over Cork in Tallaght last Saturday, how would you sum up that one?

“It was the pure definition of a game of two halves really. We were not at our very best in the first half but thankfully it was much more like our standard of performance in the second half. So overall it’s still another good win and it’s nice to keep scoring goals at home, which we’ve done the last couple of games.”

All the goals came in the second half with a nine-minute blitz at the end. Did Cork make it tough for us in the first 45?

“They did in fairness to them. They actually played very well. I suppose from our perspective, we always look at us and how we could do it better and there was loads of improvement needed, so we tweaked them at half-time. But credit must also go to Cork for how well that they set up in that first half and how they went about their business. It was a bit of us and a bit of them.”

Then the onslaught began with Jaime’s free kick sneaking into the net and Player of the Match Lia O’Leary sprinting clear and side-footing home. Both were good goals and how influential were those two players in sending us on our way?

“I think particularly in the second half, an awful lot of the players played really, really well. It was more up to the standard that we would be accustomed to. Particularly going forward, our tempo and urgency went up several notches, as well as our urgency to try and get the football back when we didn’t have it. Jaime’s goal helped with that early in the second half, it just gave us that little bit of momentum to kick on. Once Jaime scored, I think there was no looking back – we completely dominated it from there on.”

Jess Hennessy, with her first goal for the club, Abbie Larkin and Lauren Kelly rounded off the scoring so did you like how ruthless the team was in the latter stages?

“Yes, and I think it’s because of the level that the team has been training at over the last while, that once you get over that final 10 minutes, the extra fitness and sharpness, it just meant that the gaps began to open up. And when you have players like Áine and Abbie, who are clever footballers, they’ll really punish you if you’re not able to do that work of closing gaps.”

Another senior debut, this time for Chloe McCarthy. She’s had to be patient so was she delighted?

“Yeah, she was happy and from a club perspective, it is a very nice one to do, particularly with her family ties to the club with her dad Tony. It’s a nice one and I hope it’s the start of many. “

Athlone are mid-table after their defeat to Shelbourne at Lissywollen. They’re the second-highest goalscorers behind us. What sort of opposition are they?

“They’re very well organised and ones that would set out a good tempo and urgency, and ask an awful lot of questions of us. For us to get anything out of Saturday, we’re going to have to do things very, very quickly because any kind of two-touch or three-touch is going to result in them closing us down very, very quickly and forcing mistakes on us. So, we’re going to have to be at our very best on Saturday if we want to get anything out of this.”

Which Athlone players in particular could cause problems?

“I suppose the main one with the safety blanket on them is Laurie Ryan, she just sits in front of that back three. You then have Muireann Devaney, who is a player I’d be very fond of. She has a great engine being able to get it up and back and is a threat going forward for them. Then obviously you have the likes of Maddy Gibson in the attacking lineup and she’s one that will ask an awful lot of questions of us. It’s strength in depth that they have through the whole squad.”

The team has drawn the last three away games and were unlucky not to have won a couple of those. Are there no easy venues at the moment and are home teams eager to put on a good performance when Rovers come to town?

“That’s the extra incentive for these teams when you go and play them. And it’s up to us to be able to up our game as well to get anything out of it. I think it’s a good league this year where most teams are capable of beating each other on their day and that will be the exact same case this Saturday. Athlone are well able to go down to Wexford and beat them. They were very unlucky against Shelbourne on Saturday, having watched the game back. They should have gotten even more than a draw out of it, so it’s going to be a really difficult game.”

Are there any new injuries to report?

“No new injuries to report. Stephanie Zambra is continuing her training so we’re hoping that she’s only about a week or two away from being back in match day squads. So far, fingers crossed it all looks good.”