Athlone Town advanced to the FAI Cup semi-finals tonight after eliminating league leaders, Peamount United, 3-2 in a spectacular penalty shootout, as Muireann Devaney netted the crucial spotkick.

Having been 2-0 down in the shootout, Devaney’s penalty put them 3-2 up, with Chloe Moloney the unfortunate Peamount player to see her effort saved heroically by home keeper, Katie Keane as the Town booked a final four slot.

This quarterfinal draw posed an intriguing matchup of last year’s beaten Cup finalists, Athlone against rampantly in-form, league leaders, Peamount United both entering this one having enjoyed emphatic 5-0 league wins last weekend.

Played at a high-tempo pace with a winner-takes-all stakes, Athlone forward, Dana Scheriff enjoyed the first opportunity twenty minutes in, getting on the end of Madison Gibson’s gliding cross in only for Peas’ defender, Chloe Moloney, to block brilliantly.

Despite being separated by six places in the league, the first half was an even encounter, both sides enjoying spells on the ball but unable to conjure the magic required to breach two, well-set, disciplined set of defences.

Fresh from her hattrick against Cork City last weekend, Peas’ striker, Ellen Dolan had a half-chance to open the scoring before the half hour, a cleverly timed header flicking just wide.

Ten minutes from the break, Scheriff had the best chance yet, playing a neat one-two with Gibson and peeling off to aim accurately for the bottom corner but away goalkeeper, Niamh Reid-Burke had stayed alert and got down smartly to tip the ball behind.

Reid-Burke was again authoritative in punching clear a dangerous Athlone corner, Gibson firing an effort narrowly off target before the referee’s half time whistle blew.

A substitution apiece into the final thirty minutes saw Isabel Ryan and Erin McLaughlin introduced, both teams seeking a winner before the ninety minutes were up.

The latter made a mark soon enough as she pirouetted on the edge of the area and unleashed a dangerous, rasping shot which bounced just wide of Katie Keane’s net, the second half’s clearest-cut scoring opportunity.

In response, Kellie Brennan drove just over for Athlone as an extra thirty minutes began to loom, as we entered the final ten minutes, score still deadlocked.

Scheriff went close late on as Athlone threatened from set pieces, but tiredness was becoming an ever-important factor as the clock ticked down.

Jesi Rossman went even nearer, with a spectacular solo run matched by a superb strike from range, the ball just too high to nestle in the goal, to the home crowd’s angst.

Into an additional thirty minutes we went and a few flickering anxieties at corners aside, both teams were struggling to maintain the first half’s fierce tempo.

Indeed, Reid-Burke showed her sharpness was still wide awake as she quickly got across to prevent an own goal following a miscued clearance, the keeper bailing her defence out to keep it level.

Lauren Karabin whistled one just wide as the final fifteen minutes of extra time descended upon the Midlands, a tense atmosphere growing amongst the locals.

Rossman impressed late on with a perfectly timed tackle on McLaughlin before Mia McGonnell, on as a substitute, arrowed a volley just over the bar with five minutes remaining.

With a place in the final four the prize, penalties were needed to split the sides with this venue having witnessed very recent shootout success against Galway United here in the last round.

Peamount took an early advantage as Gibson’s kick was saved well by Reid-Burke, McLaughlin smashing her penalty past Keane.

Scheriff and Freya Healy both tucked theirs away with aplomb before Karabin saw hers saved and away captain, Karen Duggan drill her spot-kick off target to keep Athlone in it.

Dolan then saw Keane save her kick as the pendulum swung dramatically, Muireann Devaney completing the turnaround to leave Moloney needing to score for Peas.

Keane leapt to her left and saved superbly, sending Athlone Town into the semi-finals after a pulsating penalty shootout, the crowd sent into absolute pandemonium.

There is now a fortnight’s break until the next batch of league games, with Athlone away to Cork City at Turner’s Cross (5pm KO).

Peas have an extra week’s recuperation so aren’t back in action until early October, hosting Treaty United at PRL Park (5pm KO), where they will look to continue closing in on the title.