SHELBOURNE OVERCAME 10-PLAYER Galway United to earn their first ever All-Island Cup title.
A bumper crowd of 1,368 were treated to an enthralling encounter that saw the previously unbeaten Galway United fall at the final hurdle in their bid for a hat-trick of wins in the competition as second-half goals from Becky Watkins and Pearl Slattery proved the difference
Phil Trill’s unbeaten side have tasted victory just once in their last eight meetings with the Reds, with the last clash a bruising 0-0 war at Tolka Park and this was no different as tackles flew in on the sun-soaked surface.
Before the game fell into any sort of pattern, the home side could have grabbed the lead in the opening 10 minutes when skipper Slattery saw her header scrape the outside of the post from Aoibheann Clancy.
Minutes later, the drum-bashing away support watched their side go close when Aoibheann Costello saw a header of her own drift wide.
Clancy’s quality set-piece deliveries were causing all sorts of trouble for the Tribeswomen and should really have added an assist to her name when she found the competition’s top scorer Watkins, who failed to hit the target from just a couple of yards out.
Both teams continued to go blow-for-blow in a relentless first half and up next was right-winger Aoibheann Donnelly who tried her luck from 30-yards out but saw her shot sail just over Mya Sanches’ crossbar.
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Missing Maeve Wollmer and with Leah Doyle fit enough for the bench, Sean Russell’s new-look left-side of Olivia Damico and Keeva Keenan worked well in tandem to deny the dangerous Donnelly further space.
Galway United's Isabella Beletic and Aoibheann Clancy of Shelbourne. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
It was going to take something special to break the deadlock between the two heavyweights, and it came from the opposite side, when Watkins made up for her earlier miss by picking the ball up on the right, cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable effort into the far top corner – for her seventh of the competition – giving former Shels stopper Amanda McQuillan no chance.
The Galway boss had hinted at a surprise inclusion in the match day squad coming in the shape of the impressive Remi Tillotson, who had last featured on 30 May with doubts surrounding her return since that clash with DLR, and the American was called upon moments after the concession.
The visitors were beginning to look more of a threat in the final third as they chased the equaliser. Hotshot Emma Doherty showed great movement inside the area to find a yard but on the stretch could only poke the ball towards goal.
And with a quarter of an hour remaining, Doherty thought she had levelled when latching onto Donnelly’s through ball but had strayed just a yard offside before finishing into the bottom corner.
Having seen a goal disallowed for a narrow offside, uproar followed from the visitors’ bench when Shels doubled their lead just minutes later.
Alex Kavanagh did well to recycle a set-piece, looping the ball high back into the area. Slattery looked just onside beside Tillotson, but Watkins looked ahead of the play.
But it was Reds stalwart Slattery who looped her head to double their lead.
Pearl Slattery celebrates her goal. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Incensed by the decision, which may have included some frustration over a potential push by Slattery in the build-up to the goal, McQuillan then raced over to remonstrate with the linesman but took things too far and received her marching orders.
It was a frustrating end for the visitors who battled throughout but can now refocus on their title tilt and FAI Cup journey, as Shels held out to get their hands on the trophy that had eluded their cabinet up until tonight.
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Shelbourne overcome 10-player Galway to win their first All-Island Cup
Shelbourne 2
Galway United 0
Darryl Geraghty reports from Tolka Park
SHELBOURNE OVERCAME 10-PLAYER Galway United to earn their first ever All-Island Cup title.
A bumper crowd of 1,368 were treated to an enthralling encounter that saw the previously unbeaten Galway United fall at the final hurdle in their bid for a hat-trick of wins in the competition as second-half goals from Becky Watkins and Pearl Slattery proved the difference
Phil Trill’s unbeaten side have tasted victory just once in their last eight meetings with the Reds, with the last clash a bruising 0-0 war at Tolka Park and this was no different as tackles flew in on the sun-soaked surface.
Before the game fell into any sort of pattern, the home side could have grabbed the lead in the opening 10 minutes when skipper Slattery saw her header scrape the outside of the post from Aoibheann Clancy.
Minutes later, the drum-bashing away support watched their side go close when Aoibheann Costello saw a header of her own drift wide.
Clancy’s quality set-piece deliveries were causing all sorts of trouble for the Tribeswomen and should really have added an assist to her name when she found the competition’s top scorer Watkins, who failed to hit the target from just a couple of yards out.
Both teams continued to go blow-for-blow in a relentless first half and up next was right-winger Aoibheann Donnelly who tried her luck from 30-yards out but saw her shot sail just over Mya Sanches’ crossbar.
Missing Maeve Wollmer and with Leah Doyle fit enough for the bench, Sean Russell’s new-look left-side of Olivia Damico and Keeva Keenan worked well in tandem to deny the dangerous Donnelly further space.
It was going to take something special to break the deadlock between the two heavyweights, and it came from the opposite side, when Watkins made up for her earlier miss by picking the ball up on the right, cutting inside and unleashing an unstoppable effort into the far top corner – for her seventh of the competition – giving former Shels stopper Amanda McQuillan no chance.
The Galway boss had hinted at a surprise inclusion in the match day squad coming in the shape of the impressive Remi Tillotson, who had last featured on 30 May with doubts surrounding her return since that clash with DLR, and the American was called upon moments after the concession.
The visitors were beginning to look more of a threat in the final third as they chased the equaliser. Hotshot Emma Doherty showed great movement inside the area to find a yard but on the stretch could only poke the ball towards goal.
And with a quarter of an hour remaining, Doherty thought she had levelled when latching onto Donnelly’s through ball but had strayed just a yard offside before finishing into the bottom corner.
Having seen a goal disallowed for a narrow offside, uproar followed from the visitors’ bench when Shels doubled their lead just minutes later.
Alex Kavanagh did well to recycle a set-piece, looping the ball high back into the area. Slattery looked just onside beside Tillotson, but Watkins looked ahead of the play.
But it was Reds stalwart Slattery who looped her head to double their lead.
Incensed by the decision, which may have included some frustration over a potential push by Slattery in the build-up to the goal, McQuillan then raced over to remonstrate with the linesman but took things too far and received her marching orders.
It was a frustrating end for the visitors who battled throughout but can now refocus on their title tilt and FAI Cup journey, as Shels held out to get their hands on the trophy that had eluded their cabinet up until tonight.
Shelbourne: Mya Sanches; Jess Gargan (Nia Hannon, 83’), Pearl Slattery, Maggie Pierce, Keeva Keenan; Alex Kavanagh, Abbie Clancy, Aoife Kelly (Rachel Graham, 79’); Becky Watkins, Olivia Damico (Leah Doyle, 64’), Halle Harcourt (Brie Severns, 83’).
Galway United: Amanda McQuillan; Aoibhin Donnelly, Niamh Cotter (Aislinn Meaney, 82’), Aoibheann Costello, Lucy Jayne Grant; Eve Dossen, Niamh Farrelly, Isabella Beletic; Cara Griffin (Nicole Nix, 79’), Abbie Callanan (Remini Tillotson, 64’) Emma Doherty.
Referee: Glen Geraghty.
*****
Results – Women’s Premier Division
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