Athlone Town win 4-3 on penalties
Athlone Town held their nerve in a penalty shootout to exorcise their Sports Direct FAI Cup demons with a thrilling win over Shelbourne.
Twelve months ago Shels broke the midlanders' hearts when they won the decider 2-0, but revenge was sweet for Ciaran Kilduff's charges following a terrific game at Tallaght Stadium.
Jemma Quinn rose from the bench to turn the game the Reds' way after Dana Scheriff had fired Athlone ahead in the first half.
Quinn pounced inside the box to level it up and force extra-time, and then lashed home a super second to seemingly settle it. However Gillian Keenan rescued the midlanders with a fine volley that sent an absorbing battle to penalties.
After Jesi Rossman coolly slid home Athlone's fifth spot-kick, Shelbourne’s Alex Kavanagh hammered her effort off the crossbar. And that was that.
Athlone exploded with joy, the Reds collapsed to the turf in despair. Noel King’s final game at the helm has not ended with another trophy; instead it’s Kilduff’s vibrant outfit who will bring the cup home, just five months before the 100th anniversary of the club’s first – and until today only – FAI Cup triumph.
The weather broke just ahead of kick-off, as moody looking clouds that had tipped down rain all morning began to clear.
It meant conditions were surprisingly good in Tallaght, where Athlone made a sprightly start.
They should have taken the lead with only three minutes on the clock. An in-swinging corner caused panic in the Shels box, with Chloe Singleton's glancing header heeled goalwards by Kellie Brennan and Jesi Rossman – free at the back post - prodded an effort right across goal.
It set the tone for a bruising, entertaining opening period.
Athlone had a confidence in possession that unsettled King’s team. Madison Gibson rambled towards the edge of the area and tested Amanda McQuillan with a well-struck left-footer from 25 yards; then skipper Laurie Ryan picked out Gibson with a peach of a pass, the American taking a good first touch before drilling in another shot that McQuillan saved.
As the tackles flew in, things got increasingly heated.
It was absorbing stuff, and the clash was about to be blown open in a topsy-turvy eight-minute spell.
First, Hannah Healy intercepted a loose Rossman pass in the 25th minute and hared goalwards. The 15-year-old fed the ball to her left for Murray who looked certain to rattle the net from 10 yards out, but Kayleigh Shine made a superb block, the ball cannoning off her foot and spinning inches wide.
The agony of that near miss was compounded for Shels in minute 33 when Roisin Molloy picked out Singleton with a clever through ball that left the Reds exposed. Margaret Pierce tried to clear Singleton’s cross but sliced the ball towards her own net, the miskick bouncing off the post and presenting Scheriff with a gift from three yards out. First blood to Athlone.
A series of hefty challenges saw tempers flare. Christie Gray attracted the wrath of the Athlone bench when she caught keeper Katie Keane late when sliding into try and latch on to a Healy through ball.
Generally though, it was the midlanders who were winning the battle, their hunger typified by the tenacious Brennan and tireless Singleton, who teed up Gibson for another decent chance that she slashed into the stands.
The unfortunate Megan Smyth-Lynch left the field in tears after a clash of knees ended her cup final early – and that left King with a lot to chew over as they headed for half-time.
Deprived of Smyth-Lynch’s verve, Shels initially toiled on the turnaround as a well-organised Athlone took the game by the scruff of the neck. The tempo dropped, sagging into a scrappy affair that suited Kilduff’s charges. It helped them to tighten their control on proceedings, while continuing to show fluidity going forward.
Athlone looked relatively comfortable, but at 1-0 things remained on a knife edge, and Shels always possessed the quality to come good.
Midway through the second half, their rally started to build.
A lofted 65th-minute pass into the box caused complete panic when Keane fumbled it under pressure from Quinn, and after a frantic bit of pinball, Murray lifted her effort over the crossbar. Five minutes later Leah Doyle headed wide from close range having peeled away from her marker.
It felt like something was coming; on 74 minutes it arrived.
Kerri Letmon’s cross from the right caught out Keane who could only parry the ball into the path of Quinn, who gleefully swept it home.
That sparked an outpouring of Shelbourne relief, King taking a tumble over a stray water bottle as celebrations spilled out from the dugout.
Gibson almost restored Athlone lead with a sweet long-range shot that clipped the top of the bar. She went close again two minutes from time, curling inches wide after great work from Singleton.
Nerves were shredded as we entered a see-saw climax and both sides threatened to steal it, but there’d be no late sting in the tail – a bruising collision staggered into extra-time.
A cagey first half was drifting to its conclusion when Pearl Slattery peeled off the shoulder of the Athlone centre-halves to latch onto a clever pass over the top. Slattery was coolness personified as she steadied herself and teed up Quinn to unleash a thumping drive that flew home.
A shattered Athlone tried to muster a response, with Isabel Ryan smashing a good chance into the sidenetting. They looked gone, and then Gillian Keenan supplied this thriller with a fresh twist when she guided home a brilliantly controlled volley.
All square again, and after a couple of forays at either end, referee Marc Lynch blew the full-time whistle. Penalties. Gibson missed for Athlone, then McQuillan skied her effort for Shels before Rossman slotted home to pile the pressure on Kavanagh. Her attempt smacked off the bar to bring an evening of high drama to an end. Athlone Town are the 2023 FAI Cup champions.
Athlone Town: Katie Keane; Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan (Kate Slevin 70), Jesi Rossman, Dana Scheriff, Chloe Singleton, Kellie Brennan, Laurie Ryan (Isabel Ryan 105), Lauren Karabin (Muireann Devaney 58), Roisin Molloy (Gillian Keenan 98), Madison Gibson
Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan; Keeva Keenan, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle (Rebecca Devereux 99), Alex Kavanagh, Rachel Graham (Nadine Clare 76), Noelle Murray, Megan Smyth-Lynch (Kerri Letmon 45), Hannah Healy, Margaret Pierce, Christie Gray (Jemma Quinn 64)
Referee: Marc Lynch
Attendance: 3,536
