FAI Cup Final between Athlone Town and Shelbourne will be taking place at the Tallaght Stadium at 3pm on Sunday, and will be broadcast live on RTÉ2. Four years and two months ago marked the beginning of Athlone Town’s journey in the senior league. Their debut was a vigorous display on home ground, succumbing to a small defeat of 1-0 against Wexford Youths. However, a harsh reality check followed in a fortnight, as they lost 8-0 to the soon-to-be triumphant team, Peamount United.
Their transition from an under-17 to a senior team wasn’t expected to be smooth, but they proved to be quick learners. In 2022, they were the league’s second-place finishers and also reached their inaugural FAI Cup final, but lost both competitions to Shelbourne. In the following year, Athlone turned the tables by winning the FAI Cup against Shelbourne during a penalty shoot-out. In 2024, they attained the league championship, consigning Shelbourne to second place. Coming Sunday marks their third consecutive FAI Cup final in as many years. Needless to say, the rivalry is well established.
Athlone has had a commendable rise, with consecutive President’s Cup wins over the past two seasons. A lot of their success they owe to their manager, Ciarán Kilduff, who replaced Tommy Hewitt in June last year. Despite the departure of key players like Dana Scheriff, the previous season’s highest scorer, and Northern Ireland’s international player Casey Howe, or the injuries of Chloe Singleton and Kerryanne Brown, they continued to impress.
Credit also goes to the leading roles like captain Laurie Ryan, Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine as well as significant contributions by foreign players like Americans Madie Gibson and Jessi Rossman, and strikers like Brenda Ebika Tabe from Cameroon. Goalkeeper Katie Keane, freshly recruited to the senior Irish team, and Róisín Molloy, the player of the month for October, have been exemplary performers as well.
Shelbourne certainly has their fair share of talent, with Kate Mooney consistently netting goals since her return to Ireland in July, following stints in both England and Scotland. Christie Gray, a Canadian player, has also contributed significantly to Shelbourne’s success this season from her wing position.
In January, Shelbourne bolstered their squad with the seasoned international Roma McLaughlin, a Donegal native previously playing for Denmark’s Fortuna Hjørring. Furthermore, the team relies heavily on the expertise of Captain Pearl Slattery, who is due to partake in her ninth final game, and Noelle Murray, who is gearing up for her 11th.
This potent mixture of skill and experience puts Shelbourne in an excellent position to disrupt Athlone’s pursuit of a double victory. There has been a growing tension between the sides, with Shelbourne, under the management of Eoin Wearen, mostly concerned with adversaries from Peamount, Wexford, and Shamrock Rovers until the Lissywollen squad proved their mettle in senior football.
After their encounters at the 2022 and 2023 FAI Cup finals, each team has a win to their name. The deciding match is set for Sunday.