Shelbourne aiming to complete memorable season by securing the double
Novel Women’s FAI Cup final pits recently-crowned champions against season’s surprise-packets Athlone
Daire Walsh
Shelbourne v Athlone Town, Tallaght Stadium, Sunday, 3pm – Live RTÉ2
A thrilling Irish women’s soccer season will reach a conclusion at Tallaght Stadium tomorrow when Shelbourne and Athlone Town clash in the FAI Cup final (kick-off 3pm).
In recent weeks, these two sides were part of a compelling four-horse race for the Women’s National League title – the other contenders being Peamount United and Wexford Youths.
In the end, defending champions Shels defeated Wexford 4-0 away in a crucial last fixture to hold on to their WNL crown with two points to spare over Athlone.
This was an impressive feat from Noel King’s side, who had edged out Peamount on the final day of the 2021 campaign. They subsequently lost out 3-1 to Wexford in an FAI Cup decider in November last year, but will now have another opportunity to claim a domestic double.
After only beginning life in the WNL as recently as 2020, Tommy Hewitt’s Athlone have been a revelation in 2022. Following back-to-back seventh-place finishes, the Westmeath club took a giant leap forward this term with an unbeaten run of seven games helping them to ultimately secure the runners-up spot in the final standings.
In the midst of this memorable sequence of results, American attacker Madison Gibson struck a hat-trick to guide The Town towards a magnificent 3-0 semi-final victory over cup holders Wexford on their home turf of Lissywollen.
Tomorrow will be the fourth meeting between these teams in the calendar year with both sides registering one win, one draw and one defeat across league duels in March, July and September.
Although Shels are making a quick return to cup final day in Tallaght, there will nevertheless be a different look to their starting line-up this time around.
Having all featured in that reversal to Wexford less than 12 months ago, the international quartet of Chloe Mustaki, Jessica Ziu, Ciara Grant and Saoirse Noonan are now all plying their trade in England.
While this is entirely new territory for Athlone, their captain Laurie Ryan did lead out her native Clare in the All-Ireland intermediate ladies football championship final against Kildare at Croke Park in 2016.
Her soccer commitments ensure she will be missing out on representing her club The Banner in tomorrow’s Munster LGFA showpiece against Ballymacarbry of Waterford, but Ryan will be hoping to bring her big-game experience to bear in the blue and black of Athlone.