Determined Shelbourne plotting final revenge against Wexford

It appears not just the Association has learned lessons from last season’s FAI Women’s Cup final as Shelbourne intend righting the wrongs of their defeat to Wexford when the teams meet again tomorrow. 

A dramatic 2015 decider went all the way to penalties but the shootout descended into farce as Cork City were allowed warm-up on the Lansdowne Road pitch for the men’s equivalent finale which was to follow.

Eager to avoid more accusations of gender bias, the FAI have brought the kick-off time for this showpiece forward by 15 minutes to 12.05pm, thereby affording the females undivided attention from the crowd should spot-kicks be required on this occasion.

Based on Shelbourne’s form, they will be confident not only penalties but extra-time can be avoided in their pursuit of regaining the trophy.

Last season was the first under their new guise of Shels, yet including their previous incarnation as Raheny United, this will be the fifth final in a row featuring the Dublin club.

Wexford prevented the Reds from claiming a four-in-a-row by picking up the cup on their way to completing a treble.

Much has changed, however, in the year since, with the most unfortunate run of injuries meaning the Wexford team taking the field tomorrow could show six changes to the side successful in lifting their first-ever Blue Riband.

Ciara Rossiter, Ruth Fahy, and keeper Mary-Rose Kelly are amongst five regulars out through injury.

While Kylie Murphy joins them on the absent list due to suspension, at least Carlow native Lauren Dwyer has since switched sides from Shels, and Jess Gleeson is back. Most integral to Wexford’s prospects of retaining their silverware, however, will probably be how Claire O’Riordan performs.

The striker, who bizarrely has been granted just one senior international cap, bagged a hat-trick in last weekend’s 6-0 stroll over Kilkenny and wants to open her account at the national stadium after going close 12 months ago.

Shelbourne also have a striker in form, as Leanne Kiernan has been of late scoring for fun at club and international level for Ireland’s U19s.

Her haul of 11 goals has helped the Reds surge ahead in the league table, four points above third-placed Wexford, and is one of the reasons for them being rated favourites.

“A lot of our younger players will be better for the experience of playing at the stadium last year,” reasoned Pearl Slattery, part of the core group migrated from Raheny last year.

“Although we lost on penalties, there was much to build on and we’ve definitely improved this year.”

Ideally occasions like tomorrow wouldn’t be so rare for budding players but the reality is the national women’s league has failed to spark since being launched to much fanfare five years ago.

Starting with six teams, talk of the league expanding to include many women’s teams from the existing League of Ireland membership came to nothing.

The latest entrant, Kilkenny United, have picked up one point during a season-and-a-half, reducing Wexford’s last game to nothing more than shooting practice.

The mooted inflow of players, and resultant improvement, to the senior international team hasn’t materialised either.

“Rather than instigate an upturn in results, Ireland have exited qualification contention earlier in recent campaigns and are now ranked lower in the Fifa standings than they were seven years ago.

“Introducing the national league was essential for the FAI but we’re not keeping pace with other nations of similar size,” notes Ireland’s veteran goalkeeper and captain Emma Byrne.

“We need our players involved in competitive games on a regular basis to step up to international level.”