Underdogs Athlone targeting historic first FAI Cup final success

Women’s FAI Cup Final: Athlone Town v Shelbourne, Tallaght Stadium, Sunday, 3.0 – Live RTÉ 2

If it’s true what they say, that you learn more from your defeats than your victories, then Athlone Town should be hoisting the FAI Cup in to the Tallaght air on Sunday afternoon.

Twelve months ago, in their first ever final in the competition, they suffered stage fright against a Shelbourne side sprinkled with experience of the vast kind, one that had the newbies two goals down after just 23 minutes, 2-0 the final score.

They could find no way back that day, but while Shelbourne are, most definitely, favourites to retain their trophy in a repeat of the 2022 final, Athlone will go in the game with a heap more confidence.

Granted, it’s been a season that’s had its up and downs, Athlone finishing 11 points behind runners-up Shelbourne in the league. But they showed enough potential under Ciaran Kilduff, who took over from Tommy Hewitt as manager in June, to suggest that they’re made of firmer stuff this time around.

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Apart from anything, they include in their line-up the league’s top scorer, Dana Scheriff knocking in 13 goals during the campaign, the New Yorker hoping that that achievement might help earn her an Irish call-up – she’s currently attempting to secure an Irish passport, her eligibility coming through her Dublin-born grandmother.

Shelbourne, meanwhile, relinquished their league crown to Peamount having lost six key players to Shamrock Rovers preseason, but they’ve rebuilt, and will hope to go out on a high in what will be manager Noel King’s final game with the club. In his three seasons in charge, his side won two league titles and the cup, success on Sunday would complete a decent roll of honour.

“We’ve had the better of them this season, but they beat us on penalties in the President’s Cup so they already have a cup while we haven’t won anything this year,” said Shelbourne’s Noelle Murray, who will be playing in her 10th cup final on Sunday.

“There’s never an easy game against Athlone, they’re such a tough team. I expect it to be close. I can’t see either team going on and easily winning it and having a walk in the park. I’ve a feeling it could go to extra time and penalties.”

Kilduff, no stranger to Tallaght after his spell with Rovers, lost one and won one of the cup finals he played in with Dundalk, so he is more than familiar with the highs and lows of the day.

“Shels are favourites and that’s fine with us. They have that expectation, they have good players but so do we. We had to beat the league champions, Peamount, to get here, so we fear no one,” he said.

“Shels beat us twice in the league this year, so they have that hold over us. But we’re on a good run and we’re capable of winning, we keep the focus on ourselves.”

The FAI say that 4,000 tickets are “gone” for the final, but whether all 4,000 will actually occupy their seats remains to be seen, non-occupancy a scourge of recent Irish women’s international games.

Whatever about the attendance, it should be a fascinating encounter, Athlone hell-bent on making up for last year, Shelbourne equally determined to make it deja vu – all over again.