Athlone Town Secures FAI Cup Final Again
Athlone Town’s grip on the FAI Cup refuses to loosen.
The holders dragged themselves into a fifth straight final on Saturday, surviving 120 breathless minutes and a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out to finally shake off a fearless Galway United and book yet another date with title rivals Shelbourne.
Strickland pounces, Athlone strike first
Athlone, patched up but unapologetically ambitious, burst out of the blocks. No Emma Doherty, no Remini Tillotson, but no hint of doubt either from the only side to have beaten Lily Agg’s machine this season.
Madie Gibson, back from injury and immediately snarling into tackles, set the tone. She snapped into a challenge in midfield and suddenly Galway were exposed, three v one. Gibson released Izzy Ryan down the right, Strickland screaming for it in the middle. Ryan’s cross had too much on it, though, and Amanda McQuillan gratefully gathered. A warning, nothing more.
The next time Athlone came, Galway weren’t so lucky.
A loose ball after Niamh Farrelly’s tackle squirted back towards the visitors’ goal. Strickland read it quicker than anyone, darting in to force a collision between the onrushing McQuillan and the retreating Jade Rehberger. The ball spilled loose and the striker, alive to the chaos she’d created, rolled it home. One chance, one goal, and Athlone in front inside nine minutes.
Galway bite back
Galway didn’t blink.
This is a side with just one league defeat all season and they played like it, settling into the contest and refusing to be bullied by the holders. They almost produced a stunning equaliser when Abbie Callanan met a dropping ball outside the box with a sweetly-timed volley. Maria Matthaiou could only watch as it kissed the outside of the post and flashed wide.
From there, the game hardened. Tackles flew in, space disappeared, and the contest turned into a slog. Galway saw more of the ball, probing, recycling, edging Athlone back. Yet Matthaiou remained largely untroubled, her back four standing firm while Strickland’s pace and persistence kept Galway honest at the other end.
Half-time brought a breather, not a reset. The intensity never dropped.
Galway emerged from the break with a touch more purpose, letting fly from distance and working themselves into promising positions. Athlone, though, still carried the sharper edge in front of goal.
Gibson, now drifting into pockets of space, stitched together a move down the left and then delivered a gorgeous, teasing cross. Strickland rose, met it cleanly, and saw her header cannon off the crossbar. McQuillan was beaten. The woodwork wasn’t.
Griffin’s moment of brilliance
The pressure built. The clock ticked. Athlone chased the killer second; Galway waited for one clear opening.
When it came, Cara Griffin made it count.
On from the bench and brimming with intent, she collected the ball on the right side of the area with just over 15 minutes to go. One feint to shoot shifted the defender, a yard of daylight opened, and Griffin curled an outrageous effort into the far top corner. Matthaiou flew, but she was never getting there.
Galway’s bench exploded. Athlone, suddenly level and feeling the weight of a three-game week, had to dig again.
They almost avoided extra-time in stoppage time. Ryan and then Hannah Waesch forced McQuillan into two outstanding saves, the Galway keeper flinging herself to keep the tie alive. Athlone’s frustration was obvious; Galway’s defiance, even more so.
Extra-time and the long walk
Extra-time mirrored what had gone before: furious, physical, relentless. Legs tired, but nobody stepped back. Chances, though, were scarce. Both sides knew one mistake would be fatal.
None came. Penalties loomed, then arrived.
Galway went first. Four each, four scored each. Every kick cranked the tension another notch. Then came the break.
Isabella Beletic stepped up and lifted her effort over the bar, the ball sailing high as Athlone’s fans roared in disbelief and relief. Roisin Molloy, introduced late on, seized the moment and buried her kick to put Athlone 3-2 ahead and heap the pressure back on Galway.
The next round of penalties were converted. Then Farrelly, so influential in open play, faced Matthaiou with her team’s hopes hanging by a thread.
The Athlone keeper guessed right, sprang, and saved. A strong hand, a decisive moment. Athlone were through. Again.
Shelbourne await – again
Five finals in a row. A fourth meeting with Shelbourne in that run. The rivalry that has defined this era of the women’s game in Ireland gets another chapter.
Athlone have been pushed to the edge by a young Peamount United side and now by a relentless Galway within the space of a week, yet still stand one game away from keeping the FAI Cup in their hands.
Shelbourne know exactly what they’re up against. The question now is whether anyone can finally prise this trophy away from Athlone Town.
