Shelbourne remain on course to defend their Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup crown after they booked their place in next month’s decider with a ruthless second half display.
This was a game won by Shelbourne’s clinical front three with Christie Gray heading the visitors in front six minutes after the interval when Megan Smyth-Lynch whipped in a delicious cross.
Fifteen-year-old wonderkid Hannah Healy capped an impressive performance 14 minutes from time when she pounced on a fatal error from former Red Shauna Fox to finish into an empty net and silence the majority of the record 1,567 in attendance.
Last season’s double winners who relinquished their Premier Division title to Peamount earlier this afternoon showed no signs of letting slip their grasp of the Women’s FAI Cup and produced a much more solid performance than when they lost 3-1 here last week.
Shamrock Rovers, starting five of the six players they pinched from Shelbourne in pre-season, were looking for their first piece of silverware since returning to the senior ranks with the added incentive of a potential home final.
The first half had minimal goal mouth action with two tame Joy Ralph efforts either side of a deflected Stephanie Zambra effort, which hit the side netting, the best the Hoops could muster.
Noel King’s charges started with intent and almost hit the front after just eighteen seconds when Gray fired a shot narrowly wide of Amanda Budden’s goal from 25 yards.
Colin O’Neill’s back four were unsure of themselves during the opening half and Shauna Fox almost put into her own net when a Megan Smyth-Lynch cross caused confusion between her and Budden.
Shels almost broke the deadlock just after the half hour mark when Gray’s stinging effort from a tight angle rippled the side netting at the near post.
Shelbourne started the second half as they did the first and Gray’s superb long ball launched a counterattack but Smyth-Lynch's cross was deflected out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, Smyth-Lynch gathered the loose ball and delivered a delicious ball which was headed home by Gray.
Fifteen-year-old Hannah Healy, the youngest ever UEFA Women’s Champions League player, should have doubled Shels’ advantage after the hour but she failed to control a ball from close range, allowing Budden to smother.
Just as the Hoops looked like they finally had a foothold in the game, a calamitous error from Fox gifted possession to Healy who finished into an empty net with fourteen minutes remaining.
The game rather fizzled out and Shamrock Rovers will end their first year back at senior level without silverware.
Shamrock Rovers: Amanda Budden, Jessica Gargan, Shauna Fox, Jessica Hennessy, Aoife Kelly, Alannah McEvoy (Jaime Thompson 61), Stephanie Zambra (Melissa O’Kane 61), Lia O’Leary, Aine O’Gorman, Joy Ralph, Scarlett Herron (Lauren Kelly 83)
Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan, Keeva Keenan, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle, Rachel Graham (Nadine Clare), Megan Smyth-Lynch (Noelle Murray 77), Hannah Healy (Jemma Quinn 83), Kerri Letmon (Alex Kavanagh 83), Margaret Pierce, Christie Gray, Elizabeth Moore.
