Ciaran Kilduff hails the 'never give up' attitude of his Athlone Town history makers

Kilduff guided the club to its first FAI Cup success in 99 years since the Athlone men last triumphed at that level all the way back in 1924.

NEVER GIVE UP: Athlone Town manager Ciarán Kilduff celebrates with the FAI Cup. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

WOMEN’S FAI CUP FINAL

Athlone Town 2 Shelbourne 2

(Athlone Town won 4-3 on penalties)

Ciaran Kilduff hailed the impact of substitute Gillian Keenan after his Athlone Town side made history with a penalty shootout win over Shelbourne in a gripping Women’s FAI Cup decider at Tallaght Stadium yesterday.

In just their fourth season as a functioning senior outfit, Athlone bounced back from a final defeat to the same opposition in 2022 to add their name to the competition’s roll of honour for the very first time. Remarkably, it is also the club’s first FAI Cup success in all of 99 years – the Athlone men having last triumphed at that level all the way back in 1924.

After Dana Scheriff and Shels substitute Jemma Quinn traded goals in normal time, the aforementioned Keenan – who was introduced to the fray in the 98th minute of a compelling affair – cancelled out Quinn’s second of the day to force a battle of wits from 12 yards between Athlone and their north Dublin counterparts.

Like in their victories over Galway United and Peamount United in the opening two rounds of the competition – and the FAI President’s Cup at the start of the season against Shels when Kilduff’s predecessor Tommy Hewitt was still in charge – Athlone ultimately edged the ensuing shootout to get their hands on a much-coveted piece of silverware.

Although his troops have been galvanised since he came into the set-up alongside his assistant Ken Kiernan in June, Kilduff gives all the credit for Sunday’s landmark achievement to Keenan and the rest of the Athlone players.

“We have had a couple of those shootouts, I don’t know if my heart is able for it, to be honest! I’m just delighted for the girls, it’s really nothing to do with me. They showed that character, Ken and I steered them a little bit, but they were excellent and never gave up,” an elated Kilduff acknowledged in the aftermath of the game.

“We were 4-1 down here to Shamrock Rovers last week [in the Women’s Premier Division] and I echoed that to them at half-time of extra-time, saying ‘we’ve been here before’. We were actually in a worse situation last week and found a way.

“There is just something about Gillian, she is such a great character. She can be quiet sometimes, but she’s just a great person. For her to bag what feels like a winner I couldn't be happier and prouder of her.

“We didn’t have it easy. We beat Peamount, who won the league. We beat Shelbourne, who finished second and beat Galway United, who are All-Island champions, along the route and Sligo to boot. We did it the hard way, but we earned it.”

After finding themselves two goals adrift on the first-quarter mark 12 months ago, Athlone were determined to come out of the blocks on this occasion. Despite having just three players that started last year’s final in their first 11, the Midlanders showed no signs of fear and took the lead on 33 minutes when Women’s Premier Division Golden Boot winner Scheriff fired home from close-range.

They remained in the ascendancy until the aforementioned Quinn clinically dispatched a loose ball to the net in the 74th-minute and Noel King looked set to receive a perfect swansong as Shels boss when the impressive super sub spectacularly doubled her tally in the first period of extra-time.

Yet an enticing delivery into the area by Muireann Devaney provided the platform for Keenan to lash the ball into the Shels net with 116 minutes on the clock. Given how much the game had ebbed and flowed, it was fitting that penalties were needed to separate these two teams in the end.

After both sides had scored three of their four efforts on goal, Rossman’s coolly dispatched strike moved Athlone 4-3 ahead and within touching distance of the promised land. Alex Kavanagh had an opportunity to move the shootout into sudden death, but after she failed to find the net, The Town etched their names into women’s football folklore.

SHELBOURNE: McQuillan; Keenan, Slattery, Pierce, Doyle (Devereux 99); Kavanagh, Graham (Clare 76); Gray (Quinn 64), Healy, Smyth-Lynch (Letmon 45+2); Murray.

ATHLONE TOWN: Keane; K Brennan, Shine, Rossman, S Brennan (Slevin 71); Karabin (Devaney 58), L Ryan (I Ryan 106); Molloy (Keenan 98), Singleton, Gibson; Scheriff.

Referee: M Lynch.