FAI Cup final: Athlone Town v Shelbourne, Tallaght Stadium, Sunday, 3pm (Live on RTÉ2)
It was a mere four years and two months ago that Athlone Town played their very first senior league game.
They put up a good show on home turf that August evening, only losing 1-0 to Wexford Youths. But a fortnight later they were given a brutal enough lesson by eventual champions Peamount United; they were beaten 8-0.
Their ascent from under-17 to senior level, then, looked like it would be a less than easy ride. They’re fast learners, though.
2022: They finished runners-up in the league and reached their first ever FAI Cup final, Shelbourne getting the better of them in both competitions. 2023: They won the FAI Cup, beating Shels on penalties. 2024: They won the league, Shels the runners-up, and on Sunday they will play in their third FAI Cup final in as many years . . . against Shels.
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At this stage, the two clubs know each other better than they know themselves.
But it has been a remarkable rise by Athlone, who have also won the President’s Cup the last two seasons, their manager Ciarán Kilduff having had a huge impact since taking over from Tommy Hewitt in June of last year.
What makes their success this year all the more impressive is that they lost key players along the way, among them last season’s top scorer Dana Scheriff, Northern Ireland international Casey Howe, who left for Nottingham Forest during the summer, and Chloe Singleton and Kerryanne Brown, who both picked up season-ending injuries at crucial stages of the campaign.
But aside from stalwarts like captain Laurie Ryan, Kellie Brennan and Kayleigh Shine, their imports have made a major impact, not least Americans Madie Gibson and Jessi Rossman, as well as Cameroon striker Brenda Ebika Tabe.
Goalkeeper Katie Keane, who was called up to the senior Irish squad this week, has been outstanding too, as has player of the month for October, Róisín Molloy.
Shelbourne, though, aren’t short of their own stars, Kate Mooney banging in the goals since she returned to Ireland in July after spells in England and Scotland, while Canadian Christie Gray has had another fine season on the wing.
And in January, they added the experience of senior international Roma McLaughlin to their squad, the Donegal woman joining from Danish club Fortuna Hjørring.
Add in the experience of captain Pearl Slattery, who will be playing in her ninth final, and Noelle Murray, who is shaping up for her 11th, and you have a side more than capable of thwarting Athlone’s double-seeking bid.
The rivalry between the teams has developed into an absorbing one, with Shels, managed by Eoin Wearen, largely only having to fret about the challenge of Peamount, Wexford and Shamrock Rovers until the upstarts from Lissywollen started finding their feet in senior football.
After their 2022 and 2023 FAI Cup final meetings, the score is 1-1. Best of three on Sunday.
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