Cup Final Ready | OneFootball

This Sunday sees rivalries renewed between Shelbourne FC and Athlone Town as they once again lock horns in the Club Orange Women’s FAI Cup Final. ShelsTV sat down with Head Coach Sean Russell and started by asking him how it feels to have the showpiece event in his sights.

“This has a different energy from any other week. It was great being out in Tallaght for the media day during the week and the excitement is palpable. The energy in training this week has been very impressive as it’s clear that everyone is raring to go.”

It’s an unusual situation for this Shelbourne side to be considered underdogs going into any domestic match, but that is the case ahead of the 2026 cup final. Russell reflected on that dynamic and how his squad will look to embrace it: “I think in the eyes of plenty of people we certainly are the underdogs heading into this game. But I think if there are a group of players who can handle that tag it’s this group; they are aware of it, and I think they can use it as fuel heading into Sunday’s game.”

The Shels boss then gave an injury update ahead of the big day: “It’s been great having Becky (Watkins) back amongst the group and looking sharp. It’s a testament to how she has looked after herself and dealt with her recovery that she didn’t look off the pace whatsoever against Shamrock Rovers. So it’s pleasing that we will be able to give Becky more minutes than she got against Rovers if we need to. Beyond that we are looking at a full squad to choose from, save for Maggie Pierce who is unavailable.  We know that the quality and depth that we have on the bench is going to be vital for us on Sunday as we look to come out on the right side of a very difficult fixture.”

Projecting the mind forward to Sunday, Russell considered what he expects from the opening stages of the game once the referee’s whistle blows: “I certainly envisage a fast start. Both games against Athlone this year have had that. I expect both teams to go at one another from the first minute, and we will absolutely be looking to take the game to them in the opening exchanges.”

Captain Pearl Slattery will be playing in her 10th FAI Cup Final this weekend, but for plenty of the Shelbourne squad the pageantry that lies in store on Sunday will be a totally new experience. Russell spoke about the importance of senior players heading into such a big occasion.

“As a staff we can prepare the players as best as we can for those moments; when you walk out onto the pitch, when the crowd roars and the game begins. But there’s only so much we can do in that regard. But players like Pearl, Rachel (Graham) and Jess (Gargan) who’ve experienced this before, they can be so helpful for those around them who haven’t had that experience yet. When there are key moments in the game, I’m sure they will be there to guide other players through it, and that’s what’s so great about having the blend of youth and experience that we have in this squad.”

A big Shelbourne support is expected in Tallaght on Sunday as they look to cheer their team on to a first Club Orange Women’s FAI Cup success since lifting the trophy in 2024. Their Head Coach finished with a word for the fans ahead of the final: “We don’t take our wonderful support for granted. A big part of the excitement that our players have is that they know that they will have that support behind them. It’s the one thing that when you play for Shelbourne you are almost guaranteed; you will have a group of fans who will be loud, will be vocal and will support you in numbers. It’s something that our players recognise and talk about amongst themselves, and they know what it means to represent the badge and to represent this club. We appreciate the supporters so much and we know that we’re going to need them getting behind us on Sunday if we’re going to go all the way and lift the trophy.”

Kick-off in Tallaght is at 3:30 pm and the game is live on TG4.