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Captain fantastic: Laurie Ryan lifting the Women's FAI Cup for Athlone Town. Bryan Keane/INPHO

Athlone Town crowned Women's FAI Cup champions for first time after shootout win over Shels

Ciarán Kilduff’s penalty shootout specialists reigned supreme at Tallaght Stadium.

Athlone Town 2

Shelbourne 2

Athlone win 4-3 on penalties

ATHLONE TOWN ARE Women’s FAI Cup champions for the very first time.

Penalty shootout specialists in 2023, Ciarán Kilduff’s side eventually came out on top of a see-saw encounter against Shelbourne — a repeat of the 2022 final — in front of 3,526 fans at Tallaght Stadium.

Dana Scheriff and Gillian Keenan were their goalscoring heroes from play in a dramatic, emotional victory; the latter the super sub who sent the game to penalties with a 116th-minute volley.

Alex Kavanagh rattled the crossbar from 13 yards to confirm the Midlanders as champions with Scheriff, Player of the Match Chloe Singleton, Kayleigh Shine and Jesi Rossman all on target in the shootout.

Athlone defeated Galway United and league champions Peamount on penalties through their cup run, while also beating Shels to President’s Cup glory in the same manner at the outset of the season.

In the first Women’s FAI Cup final to go to extra-time since Wexford Youths downed the Reds on spot kicks in 2015, it looked like Jemma Quinn would prove the matchwinner after completing her brilliant brace in the 104th minute, but the Midlanders reigned supreme with Laurie Ryan lifting the silverware.

It also denied Noel King of a winning swansong as Shelbourne manager.

madison-gibson-and-chloe-singleton-celebrate Madi Gibson and Chloe Singleton celebrate. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Kilduff’s Athlone started the brighter of the sides, and had the first real chance amidst a goalmouth scramble. Rossman ultimately flashed across goal, after Singleton and Kellie Brennan both helped the ball on from a third-minute corner. 

Shelbourne enjoyed the lions’ share of possession, with Kavanagh and Rachel Graham gaining a foothold in midfield and their intricate passing eye-catching. Tackles flew in, with Kavanagh, the ever-impressive Noelle Murray and Shauna Brennan getting stuck in.

Athlone were hungry and had the pick of the chances, though, the Midlanders making their impact felt on the break. Singleton lifted well over, while Madie Gibson shot straight at Amanda McQuillan on two occasions and Lauren Karabin played a dangerous ball across goal to no avail.

Shels’ only real chance of the first half arrived in the 29th minute, when 15-year-old Hannah Healy robbed Rossman and pulled back to Murray, but she was blocked by Kellie Brennan.

Four minutes later, the ball was in the back of the net at the other end, courtesy of Scheriff. The Golden Boot winner pounced after Maggie Pierce’s clearance ricocheted off the post. A good move down the right began with a big Kellie Brennan header, with Singleton’s cross troubling the unfortunate Pierce – who had brilliantly blocked her earlier.

In terms of football, the opening period petered out from there with a Scheriff wide the only real opportunity of note. But it was not without incident: things got fiery, with Megan Smyth-Lynch booked for a push on Roisin Molloy and later limping off with an injury, while Healy saw yellow for sliding in on teenage goalkeeper Katie Keane, who left Shels for Athlone in the mid-season. Shauna Brennan went in the book early in the second period, too.

rebecca-devereux-and-kate-slevin Shelbourne's Rebecca Devereux and Kate Slevin of Athlone Town. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

It was as you were for much of the early exchanges on the restart. Shelbourne had the majority of the ball but struggled to break down Athlone, and the Town had more clear-cut chances.

Gibson was lively, finding joy down the left. She sent a pinpoint corner in from that side around the hour-mark and McQuillan stepped up to stop Singleton’s header. Murray had a big opportunity to level matters at the other end, when a Kavanagh delivery exposed poor Athlone defending and Keane spilled, but the experienced Dubliner lifted over.

The Midlanders remained an attacking threat, but the pendulum swung Shels’ way as they piled the pressure on for an equaliser. Leah Doyle went close at the back post, but it was substitute Quinn who eventually prodded home in the 75th minute. She reacted first when Keane fumbled Pierce’s delivery, and her sliding celebration delighted the vocal Reds support.

There were chances for a coveted winner at either end down the home straight — Gibson rattling the bar, and Quinn seeing her injury-time effort tipped away by Keane — but extra-time appeared imminent.

The additional period threw up two real chances: Quinn and Keenan’s goals, one in either half. They were both excellent finishes, in contrast with the scrappier normal time offerings.

jemma-quinn-celebrates-scoring-her-sides-second-goal Jemma Quinn celebrates her extra-time goal. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Shelbourne’s experience was best seen in Quinn’s 104th-minute effort: Murray’s lobbed ball in was held up by long-time captain Pearl Slattery and 34-year-old Coolock native Quinn fired home, whipping off her jersey in raucous celebration.

But that proved premature as Athlone subs Muireann Devaney and Keenan combined to send the game for the shootout.

There, Gibson hit the upright, while Shels had mixed fortunes with Slattery, Healy and Rebecca Devereaux scoring, but Kavanagh’s miss – and McQuillan blazing over – proved costly.

The Athlone outpouring of emotion at the final whistle said it all.

History.

Athlone Town: Katie Keane; Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Jesi Rossman, Shauna Brennan (Kate Slevin 71); Roisin Molloy (Gillian Keenan 98), Chloe Singleton, Laurie Ryan (Isabel Ryan 105), Lauren Karabin (Muireann Devaney 58), Madi Gibson; Dana Scheriff. 

Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan; Keeva Keenan, Maggie Pierce, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle (Rebecca Devereux 99); Christie Gray (Jemma Quinn 64), Alex Kavanagh, Rachel Graham (Nadine Clare 76), Megan Smyth-Lynch (Kerri Letmon 45); Noelle Murray, Hannah Healy.

Referee: Marc Lynch.

Written by Emma Duffy and posted on the42.ie 

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    Mute Pauric McKenna
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:14 PM

    Cringe worthy, self obsessed bull.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:19 PM

    A series back slapping exercise at the expense of the licence payers.

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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:20 PM

    Oops serious damn fat fingers.

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    Mute Lou Tennant
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:24 PM

    Waterford Whispers would be damn proud if they had written this article.

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    Mute Richard Cynical
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:34 PM

    so all the over paid rt… ejets kept their jobs with more c rap shows

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    Mute Lou Tennant
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:14 PM

    seriously lads, are ye just having a laugh or what?

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    Mute Dave cullen
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:22 PM

    Outrageous salaries for little return,the Rte family marches on unchallenged.
    Does anyone under 40 even watch it anymore?

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    Mute MARK O 'LEARY
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:38 PM

    My refusal to buy even the cheapest Saorview box to receive RTE means I haven’t seen it since the changeover,do programmes still resemble 80′s American community t.v.?.If there’s a Rugby game I can’t see anywhere else I stick the player on the laptop,otherwise no thanks.

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    Aug 14th 2015, 12:24 AM

    I didn’t realise RTE was still going, hope it doesn’t cost too much

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:17 PM

    i’ve learned that I’m not giving up my Netflix subscription.

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    Mute f m
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:33 PM

    And it is literally a crime not to pay for this sh*te !

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    Mute Carmel Costello
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:19 PM

    RTE stands for Ryan Tubrity Ejitt

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    Mute Frank Dowling
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:44 PM

    good one!

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    Mute james moore
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:37 PM

    They don’t scrimp on snacks because we the public pay for them.
    Same tired auld presenters sure if the show is not working on Saturday we’ll just move to one of the other days sure go wan pick one there’s 6 more.
    Tubs = messi shows how delusional RTE are he has about as much talent for interviewing people as me and I can barely talk at the best of times

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    Mute Thomas Hannigan
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:22 PM

    Complete Bollox!

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    Mute Padraig Nolan
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    Aug 13th 2015, 10:12 PM

    Hasn’t Brendan O’Connor suffered enough being replaced by bloody Ray D’Arcy without showing that photo ?

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    Mute Dan Smith
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:37 PM

    Those self-obsessed knob heads above should be put in jail for spewing out such crap instead of us for non-payment of TV license.

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:32 PM

    Even RT’s dreams are boring.

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    Mute Joanna O'Shea
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:43 PM

    Looks like D’arcy is giving us the finger as they are laughing about their ridiculous pay checks! Glad I’m abroad and not paying for that crap!

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    Mute Dec O'Farrell
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:19 PM

    Turgidy is too bland for words, no idea how he came to be the highest-paid ‘artist’ on taxpayer TV – as for the rest of it…..ugh. Just ugh! Actually it’s all ugh, just Turgidy is ughier, if that is possible.

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    Mute Dennis
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:00 PM

    Tubridy is more like Falcao. Paid extravagant amounts to embarrass himself on a weekly basis.

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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:22 PM

    We’ve never learned anything important.

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    Mute Ripper Murphy
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:30 PM

    i learned how to do a handstand before. dat was improtant.

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    Mute Seth Mcguinness
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    Aug 13th 2015, 10:02 PM

    I’ll give you this, even though I don’t know you, and, generally, handstands are not that important, your achievement is much more important than what we’ve learned from RTE.

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    Mute Hung So Gud
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:23 PM

    Just the same old sh*te churned out in another crap version of the same format fronted by the same talentless gimps. Only there because of nepotism and despite no talent have a job for life. Meanwhile to see anything worth watching we all subscribe to sky yet are force to pay the rte tax that is the tv licence. Just scrap the institution altogether and let the publuc vote with their feet.

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    Mute john
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:18 PM

    Ha did they post a pic of pre-diet Brendan o’Connor on purpose? :)

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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:20 PM

    Depressing stuff, the whole thing. And we all have to pay for it.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Aug 13th 2015, 10:05 PM

    Ah now I see the urgency in sending people to prison over not paying their TV licence – the RTE branded Cookies!!! This bunch of saps can’t be left without their RTE treats!

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    Mute Al Ca
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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:23 PM

    If you seen any of the 50 reruns of every program ever shown by RTE…fear not!…..you can now be bored out of your tree on the internet too with RTE Player….again and again!

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    Mute Brendan
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    Aug 13th 2015, 10:37 PM

    All in all every single one of them are nothing more than cringey rte puppets

    They are all so full of themselves and to think the wages some them are on is outrageous, not only the licence fee but tax payers money as well

    Begs the question who watches such tripe to keep them in jobs in the first place

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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:40 PM

    Well the nature programmes are good on RTE TV without the BBC budget Apart from that ? Just as well RTE talent never look at the journal

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Aug 13th 2015, 11:24 PM

    No 3 “….Ryan Tubridy is our very own Lionel Messi”. More like a cross between Peter Crouch and a ladder, I think?

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    Aug 13th 2015, 10:24 PM

    as soon as ray d’arsy comes on in afternoon i switch!

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    Aug 13th 2015, 11:44 PM

    That man makes me cringe.His disgusting laugh and horrible Kildare accent…..and he’s paid massively for it.Disgusting!!

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    Aug 13th 2015, 9:44 PM

    Who (I’ll use the word wrote) wrote this article, are we to believe that it is just drivel about more drivel? There are people who could have written this properly for ye, pointed out the pros and cons, oh I know they are not really pros but they are extremely well overpaid, the cons have also been spotted by previous contributors

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    Mute Ripper Murphy
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    Aug 13th 2015, 8:25 PM

    bascally if ders no kardashans ders no point. rte is no e! and i find it sad da way it tinks it is!

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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Aug 13th 2015, 11:40 PM

    Any judge on planet earth would excuse me but paying my TV licence.In fact maybe I could sue.Repulsive,RTE!!

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    Mute Kathleen Kavanagh
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    Aug 13th 2015, 11:57 PM

    Looking good Guys – Good Luck !

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    Mute Integra-Ted
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    Aug 14th 2015, 10:27 AM

    I hearby refuse to pay my T.V licence renewal and henceforth accept 10 years hard labour at Spike Island prison, but please do not make me pay for the likes of this shower of talentless wasters!

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