Details

Date Time League Season
14 October 2023 4:00 pm FAI Women's Cup 2023

Match Report

Shels Edge Past Rovers to Secure Final Spot

Shelbourne booked their tickets into the FAI Cup Final with a 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium this evening, Christie Gray and Hannah Healy netting in a cagey display.

The visitors enjoyed a strong start in the context of their 3-1 loss to Rovers last weekend, employing a stronger, compact shape that afforded the hosts little chances.  

Megan Smyth-Lynch proved to be far more influential compared to the previous clash, progressing the ball up the pitch and routinely swinging in corners that resulted in a succession of close chances.  

Rovers looked incapable of breaking down Shels’ low block, Stephanie Zambra and Áine O’Gorman lacking their usual creative spark. When chances did come up Joy Ralph’s finishing left something to be desired, the young striker lacking the apt power and accuracy to challenge Amanda McQuillan in goal.  

The best chances of the half fell to Gray and Elizabeth Moore, two shots on either end of the half veering just shy of goal as they rippled the side netting.  

The visitors took a deserving lead at the beginning of the second half, a short corner seeing the ball played to Smyth-Lynch on the edge of the area. The winger was given too much time as she swung a sumptuous ball into the back post to find the on-rising figure of Gray, who headed into the ground and left Budden scrambling as the ball found the back of the net. 

Rovers went in desperate search of an equaliser but to no avail-Shelbourne suffocating any potential chances for Rovers with relative ease. 

The Hoops conceded their second in a manner that seemed emblematic of a flat, wayward performance as a defensive blunder between Amanda Budden and Lia O’Leary saw Hannah Healy catch the ball and finish into a practically open net-the 15-year-old wheeling away in celebration as the hosts buried their heads in their hands.  

Shelbourne will now wait until 19 November to face off against either Sligo or Athlone Town in the cup final in Tallaght Stadium. It makes it a third successive cup final for Noel King’s side, having won last year’s edition against Athlone 2-0.

Shamrock Rovers travel to the UCD Bowl on Wednesday to face a struggling DLR Waves side in the league, while Shelbourne welcome Sligo Rovers to Tolka Park. There remains little to play for either side, with Peamount United wrapping up the league title this afternoon with a 2-0 win over Wexford Youths.

Shamrock Rovers

1Amanda Budden Goalkeeper
2Jessica Gargan Defender
4Shauna Fox Defender
5Jessica Hennessy Defender
8Aoife Kelly Midfielder
20Scarlett Herron 14 Midfielder
9Alannah McEvoy 21 Forward
10Stephanie Zambra 22 Forward
11Lia O’Leary Forward
13Aine O’Gorman Forward
19Joy Ralph Forward
6Maria Reynolds Midfielder
14Lauren Kelly 20 Forward
16Abby Tuthill Defender
17Alannah Prizeman Midfielder
21Jaime Thompson 9 Midfielder 89'
22Melissa O’Kane 10 Defender
25Summer Lawless Goalkeeper
28Tiegan Ruddy Midfielder
40Shannon Coady Forward

Shelbourne

20Amanda McQuillan Goalkeeper
2Keeva Keenan Defender
4Pearl Slattery Defender
5Leah Doyle Defender
8Rachel Graham 12 Defender
15Hannah Healy 9 Midfielder 75'
32Elizabeth Moore Midfielder
22Maggie Pierce Midfielder
11Megan Smyth-Lynch 10 Forward
16Kerri Letmon 6 Forward
23Christie Gray Forward 52'
1Courtney Maguire Goalkeeper
6Alex Kavanagh 16 Midfielder
9Jemma Quinn 15 Forward
10Noelle Murray 11 Forward 79'
12Nadine Clare 8 Midfielder
17Taylor White Forward
18Leah Riley Midfielder
33Morgan Rees Forward
34Catherine Gravensen Defender
  • Full-time: Shamrock Rovers 0-2 Shelbourne.

  • 90'

    Five minutes of added time to be played in Tallaght Stadium.

  • 88'

    A record attendance at Tallaght for a Rovers match recorded-1,576.

  • 83'

    Herron is replaced by Kelly, while Kavanagh and Quinn come on for Healy and Letmon.

  • 77'

    Goal! Healy makes it 2! A defensive blunder between Fox and O'Leary sees the 15-year old forward nip the ball away and catch Budden out of position, finishing into an empty net.

  • 75'

    First sub for Shels, Clare coming on for Graham.

  • 72'

    Rovers continue probing for an equaliser that's so far evaded them, Shelbourne proving to be a frustrating opponent as they continue to suffocate The Hoops in attack.

  • 66'

    Kelly produces a venomous shot from the outside of the box, her shot deflected and just veering wide of McQuillan's left post.

  • 63'

    A double header substitution for Rovers-Thompson and O'Kane replacing Zambra and McEvoy.

  • 56'

    Rovers continue to fall under heavy pressure! Budden plays a poor ball out from the back and is intercepted by Healy, the young striker breaking through and drawing a good save from Budden who makes amends for her original error.

  • 52'

    Goal! A corner for Shels sees the ball played short to Smyth-Lynch, who whips a well-placed cross to the back post and finds the rising figure of Gray, the forward heading into the ground and beating Budden in net to give the visitors the lead!

  • 46'

    Shelbourne get play back underway for the second half!

  • Half-time: Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Shelbourne.

  • 45'

    One minute of added time to be played in Tallaght Stadium.

  • 38'

    Rovers continue to struggle at breaking down Shelbourne's low block, Zambra and O'Gorman lacking their usual creative spark.

  • 33'

    Gray breaks down the right flank and tries to fire a shot in at the near post, rippling the side-netting.

  • 28'

    Healy limps off the pitch temporarily with a niggle but now returns to play.

  • 23'

    Hennessy produces an excellent pass to cut out the Shels' back-line and play Ralph in, the striker's shot again lacking power and accuracy as McQuillan comfortably saves.

  • 20'

    McEvoy slides a pass into the feet of Ralph's feet 18 yards out-the forward failing to challenge McQuillan in goal with a tame effort.

  • 17'

    An encouraging start for Shelbourne in the context of last week's defeat, enjoying a lot more of the ball and probing the Shamrock Rovers box.

  • 12'

    A poorly cleared corner from Shelbourne sees the ball fall at the feet of Zambra who drops the shoulder and fires her shot just wide and into the side-netting.

  • 6'

    Smyth-Lynch swings in a corner that's comfortably cleared by Fox.

  • 1'

    Rovers get the action underway here in Tallaght Stadium!

  • O'Neill names an unchanged starting XI from last week's clash. Noel King makes two changes to his side, replacing Alex Kavanagh, Noelle Murray, and Morgan Rees with Elizabeth Moore, Christie Gray, and Hannah Healy.

  • Speaking to club media about his side's second-half performance, Rovers manager Collie O'Neill said he was happy with how his side held out under some intense Shelbourne pressure: "Obviously for Shels, when you have a first half like that you want to try and get a reaction out of the players. They did react well and put us under a lot of pressure,” he said. “From our perspective, our areas of improvement are to try and pick them off a bit better when they do throw so many bodies forward. We will take some of the positives out of it, that Shels threw the kitchen sink at us and it was only into injury time that we did concede.”

  • Rovers dominated the first half of that win, finding a lot of opportunity down the right wing in particular-all three of their goals coming down that flank. The second half proved to be much of a dead rubber affair as the pace of the game flattened out significantly, Rebecca Devereux scoring in injury time to grab a consolation goal for her side.

  • Afternoon all welcome to our coverage of Shamrock Rovers vs Shelbourne in the women\'s FAI Cup semi-final. Rovers come into the fixture as favourites, having comfortably beat Shelbourne 3-1 just last week in league action.

Past Meetings

(Round 19)
3 - 1
LOI Women's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers FC v Shelbourne FC

(Round 32)
1 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers FC v Shelbourne FC

(Round 27)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 1-1 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 10)
2 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers FC 2-2 Shelbourne FC

(Round 3)
1 - 1
LOI Women's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 1-1 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 5)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 0-0 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 32)
3 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Shelbourne

(Round 24)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne 0-0 Shamrock Rovers

(Round 18)
2 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne

(Round 9)
1 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers

(Series 18)
0 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers

(Series 9)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne

Ground

Tallaght Stadium
Tallaght Stadium, Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 XC9W

Alex is a second-year Journalism student at DCU. As well as being a soccer enthusiast, he's also an avid athletics fan, competing in the sport for over ten years.