Shelbourne and Athlone Town are all set to clash once more in the women’s Sports Direct FAI Cup final, marking the third consecutive year they face one another in the championship. In the semi-finals, Shelbourne displayed firm dominance against Cork City with a 5-0 victory on Saturday, while Athlone had a narrow win against Sligo Rovers, with their match on Sunday being decided by a single goal.
With the finale on the horizon, both teams are also eyeing a shot at winning the league and cup double. Currently, Athlone is ahead of both Shelbourne and Galway United by two points at the top of the Premier Division, whilst having an extra match yet to play.
In the semi-final match against Cork City, Shelbourne put on a commendable performance, with Kate Mooney and Noelle Murray leading by 2-0 by half-time, the latter score a penalty. The lead was stretched further right after half-time with another goal by Murray. Christie Gray and Megan Smyth-Lynch consolidated the win with excellent goals. Athlone secured their place in the final with a solitary goal by Shauna Brennan, her deflected corner finding the back of the net.
The cup holders, Athlone and Shelbourne, have a history of intense showdowns, with Shelbourne winning 2-0 in the 2022 final, but Athlone clinching their victory through penalties in the next match. The deciding third match will unfold at Tallaght Stadium on October 20th.
Meanwhile, the Super League kicked off with less than ideal beginnings for the Irish contingent, apart from Katie McCabe, Courtney Brosnan and Anna Patten who were selected to start for their respective teams. This comes amidst 15 total players from the Republic of Ireland, with Jessie Stapleton on loan at Sunderland from West Ham.
In a captivating match, McCabe left a notable impression during Arsenal’s draw of 2-2 against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, attracting an audience of 41,818. McCabe was awarded player of the match, but Brosnan and Patten tasted defeat. Brosnan’s Everton crew lost 4-0 to Brighton at their home and Aston Villa, Patten’s team, was overcome by reigning champions Chelsea with a 1-0 defeat on Friday.
Other athletes who got a chance to play included Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Heather Payne (Everton), and Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool) who were all brought on during the second half. However, Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Megan Walsh (West Ham) and Izzy Atkinson (Palace) were all left out and didn’t make it off the bench. Hayley Nolan couldn’t participate in Palace’s inaugural WSL game due to a shoulder injury.
Saoirse Noonan, who has been on a phenomenal scoring run since she joined from Durham, which includes two hat-tricks, was an unexpected benchwarmer in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier versus Vorskla Poltava on Sunday. Caitlin Hayes, who had a stellar start, was left bewildered as she could not convert any of her numerous headers into a goal during set pieces. Nevertheless, the superiority of Celtic was affirmed by Murphy Agnew’s decisive goal in the 5th minute.
The second leg of this thrilling game is scheduled for Thursday, with the venue remaining in Airdrie as Poltava is unable to host games due to political unrest in their homeland. If Celtic manages to hold on to their lead, this will be their first successful entry into the group stages of the Champions League.