Northern Ireland, visibly undercooked, could not deal with Wales in the opening half hour in Cardiff as the hosts raced into a three-goal lead.
After the Irish FA elected to skip February’s international window following the departure of Shiels in late January, Thursday’s match was Northern Ireland’s first game since the win over Italy in November.
In fact, five of the starting team had not played a club game since the Women’s Premiership season ended in October and, ultimately, it showed.
Waterworth stepped into the void left by Shiels knowing it would be a challenge. He stepped into the group with a fresh set of eyes and, despite the defeat, he was optimistic about the future.
“You learn more from these games and it reveals character. I certainly saw a lot of character in the second half,” said Waterworth, whose side pulled a goal back through Lauren Wade’s excellent strike.
“Nobody chucked it, which is important. There was enough in that game for me, especially in the second half to see it is positive moving forward.
“It’s not an excuse and we’re not looking for excuses, but the Welsh team are in season and most of our team aren’t.
“While the result is there for everyone to see, and we’re not looking to dress it up, but as coaches we are taking loads and loads of positives out of it.
“The group were superb, probably the most professional group I have ever worked with. They are respectful, focused and even tonight after the game, they were distraught .
“They aren’t used to this [heavy defeat] in a long time but this can propel you into success moving forward. You need a bit of extra fire in the belly.”
To put the game in context, Waterworth only started working with these players on Monday, and his tenure, however long it may last, was a fresh start for the squad and not a new era.