'Women's FAI Cup Final will come down to who wants it most' says Leah Doyle
WHO WANTS IT MOST: Leah Doyle during the 2024 Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup Final media day. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
From a 13-1 hammering to gracing the Champions League as a title winner, Leah Doyle has seen it all in the women’s game by 23.
Kilkenny City may be remembered as the team the FAI chucked out after one win in five years but for Doyle it was the foundation of her burgeoning career.
“You used to get to 16 and feel a bit lost,” Doyle summarised about the life of a developing female footballer in Ireland.
“I’d played with Peamount underage and then there was nothing. I struggled with enjoying football towards the backend of my underage football. A lot of players did; plenty I know, who were really talented, just stopped playing.
“I have had so many setbacks and there were times I was very disillusioned with football.
“But when I went to Kilkenny, I actually found the love of my football again. My friends were there and the people around me made me realise I love this sport. It came to a stage of seeing how far I could go.”
Shelbourne could see the potential in an all-rounder who was a world handball champion in her teens.
Then under the management of Dave Bell, he spotted, amid the gunfire of a 2019 annihilation, that Kilkenny City possessed a player capable of assisting them at the top of the table.
“We actually felt really good going into the first game of the season – that results wouldn’t be as bad – but it finished 13-1 against Shelbourne!,” the Kildare native recalls with a giggle.
Thirteen became the lucky number for Doyle, as she wore it in their double-winning season of 2022.
She remains a constant on the left side of the team aiming to reclaim their FAI Cup from Athlone Town in Sunday’s final. Continuity wasn’t straightforward.
“It wasn’t easy signing for Shels because I had a lot of people asking what are you doing going there? They claimed I’d never get a game for Shels.
“Yet for me - maybe a psycho type of person – but it pushed me on. Being knocked back was the inspiration I kind of thrived on, I wanted someone to say I can’t do it, so I can then go and give it my all.
"And, if I couldn’t do it, at least I tried my best and that is all I can do.”
Surrounded by experienced captain Pearl Slattery and another defender she idolised since being her direct marker in that Kilkenny hammering, Jess Gargan, Doyle has flourished at Tolka.
By denying Athlone a double on Sunday, she’d be both pocketing her first silverware of the season and disappointing her former coach at Maynooth University.
Ciarán Kilduff guided Town to their first-ever league title and the pivotal fixture was a 2-1 at Tolka Park in August.
Ironically for Doyle, it was a remnant of Kilkenny City’s tenure in the league that the FAI accorded precedence to head-to-head results over goal difference. That rule ensured Athlone pipped Shels for the league crown and the versatile player admits they can't make similar mistakes in Sunday’s decider.
“We’d drawn the first match away but for the defeat, Athlone simply outworked us,” she confessed bluntly.
“That’s something we don’t take lightly and want to put right. We are always very honest with each other and ourselves, knowing you’ve to work harder than everybody else to be the best.
“We know what Athlone are – and you could get caught up in a lot of how they play - but their main asset is workrate.
“They are so determined and work so hard for each other, on and off the ball. When you have a team like that, it is hard to beat them.
“They have players like Maddie Gibson to go along with but, if we are at our best, I don’t see why we shouldn’t put it up to them and hopefully get a win.
“This league has gotten tighter in recent years so Sunday will come down to who wants it the most.”
The televised finale at Tallaght (3pm) is the third year in row for these finalists to square up.
Doyle will have many a former teammate cheering her on but is glad the drop-out plague has been eased by the introduction of the Under-19 league since last year.
“The league is better promoted and structured now,” Doyle acknowledges.
“Off the pitch, it takes up your whole life and is draining but we’ve an incredible group who have been so good for me. I could never articulate that in words.”
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