Shelbourne won the WFAI Cup with a 6-1 victory over Athlone Town at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday
While special due to it being the third time the Reds had taken home the trophy, it was also the completion of a cup final trilogy between two sides with Athlone taking home the same title in November 2023, and Shels winning in 2022.
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At just 7 minutes into the game, Kate Mooney put the reds ahead 1-0. Veteran Shels player Noelle Murray made this two when she slammed the ball in from the penalty area. With Shelbourne on a role, a well thought out cross by Roma McLaughlin allowed Jess Gargan to get the third point of the match for the Reds. Mooney, already having made an impact on the pitch took her chances and bagged another goal for her team. It was fair to say that Shels were nothing short of unstoppable and had even gotten an extra two goals before halftime building a 6-0 lead.
Athlone would find some room to push back in the second half as Brenda Ebika Tabe scored the sole goal of the game for the Midlands team.
Ex-Athlone manager Ciaran Kilduff, who has since stepped down from his position following the loss against Shelbourne, has openly scrutinized the lack of pathway between the Women’s Premier Division (WPD) and the Irish Women’s National Team. Indeed, when Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson revealed her selection for the Euro 2025 qualifier playoffs against Georgia, Kilduff said that more players from his team should have been represented considering they had won the WPD title and were at this point, due to face off in an FAI Cup final.
Speaking to RTE Sport after Athlone's loss he said:
The best team won on the day, they’re a brilliant team, we knew that. It's probably a sobering afternoon for us especially in the first half. We're better than that but it is what it is, we're a young team out there as well, I think we had nine players under the age of 22 and it probably showed a little bit at times but credit to the girls, we've had a brilliant season, it's not a nice way for it to finish but we'll keep looking forwards, we'll dust it off and take it under the chin.
"A sobering afternoon for us"
Athlone manager Ciarán Kilduff was proud of his league champions, despite their 6-1 defeat in the cup final
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Shels manager Eoin Wearen had big shoes to fill when he took over the Reds from ex-Ireland boss Noel King in November of last year. Despite this, he has stepped up to the mark and has led Shelbourne to victory after victory this season.
I'm over the moon, it's no more than the players deserve this year, the staff have deserved", Wearen told RTE Sport.
"Since we've been in for pre-season I said there was a hunger in the group after last year not winning a trophy and i've seen that for the last nine or ten months. These players deserved this, they deserve a day like today, I feel like all the emotion was used up in the quarter-finals against Rovers. Today was one of those unusual halves where every shot we took seemed to go in but the professionalism, we talk about the squad, the players that we are bringing on, I just couldn't be happier for the girls and the club today.
