Ruthless Shelbourne reach Women's FAI Cup Final with big win over Cork City
FIVE STAR SHELS: Shelbourne's Noelle Murray is congratulated by teammates after scoring her side's third goal of the match. ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Moments decide matches and Cork City will rue spurning theirs when an FAI Cup final place was still up for grabs.
Shelbourne were always favourites to reach a fourth successive decider given the 20-point gap between the teams in the table but they only prevailed after surviving a scare.
Becky Cassin, the City striker who rejoined the club after two years playing on the continent, found space between two Reds defenders to race towards goal just as the half hour mark passed.
All she had to execute was a finish past Amanda McQuillan but her shot from just inside the box curled past the post.
Within five minutes, City found themselves two goals in arrears.
A sweeping move was initiated by Jess Gargan, who fed Christie Gray on the right flank. She made inroads towards the box, spotted Kate Mooney lurking and her teammate applied the softest of touches to steer the low delivery beyond Una Foyle.
It was the start of the Gray show that had the 2022 Cup winners four goals to the good by the 68th minute.
She’s the Groover from Vancouver, the winger with experience from Sweden’s renowned Elitettan who ended last year as top scorer for the Reds.
They also had a veteran to the fore. Noelle Murray has a mixed history in the Cup, getting sent off in her first in 2007 but due to compete in her 11th on October 20th at Tallaght Stadium against the winner from Sunday’s other semi-final between Sligo Rovers and table-toppers Athlone Town.
She drew a foul from City midfielder Dorothea Greulich on 37 minutes that allowed her to send Foyle the wrong way from the spot-kick.
Against such a stellar side, it was a tough ask for City to rescue the tie, dashing hopes of returning to the final for the first time since 2020.
The tactic of Shels to stick Rachel Graham tight to star player Eva Mangan worked, as she struggled for fluency and was withdrawn early in the second half.
Shels had added a third by then, Murray taking just 35 seconds from the restart to nab her second, controlling a right-wing cutback by Gray.
Gray, the constant outlet for Shels hugging the right touchline, got in on the act. On 68 minutes, she cut in from the wing to float her left-footer from 20 yards high into the far corner.
Another long-range effort completed the rout. Megan Smyth-Lynch, on as a sub, got off the pitch after being fouled to loft her free-kick from 30 yards out of Foyle’s reach.
A McQuillan; J Gargan, N Hannon, K Keena (M Smyth-Lynch 61); C Gray (L O’Rourke 72), R McLoughlin (R Devereaux 80), R Graham (A Kavanagh 61), M Pierce, L Doyle; N Murray, K Mooney (H Healy 72).
U Foyle. A Mendez (K Sena 56), N Cotter, F De Mange, H Mackin (S McCarthy 56); B Edison (C Atkinson 70), D Gruelich (A Donnelly 70), O O’Mahony, C Kennedy (L Egbuloniu 70); E Mangan; B Cassin.
Daryl Carolan (Louth).
317.
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