By Conall Collier
There are more questions than answers ahead of Sunday’s eagerly-awaited Women’s FAI Cup semi-final as Sligo Rovers prepare to host double-chasing Athlone Town, 3pm.
The main question, and the only relevant one, relates to the identity of which Sligo Rovers team will turn up?
Will it be the team that ran Shamrock Rovers ragged at Tallaght Stadium last Saturday or will it be the team that was run ragged by Shelbourne in a midweek mauling at the Showgrounds?
Leaving that to one side for a moment, there are many intriguing statistics around both teams.
This will be a 77th competitive game for the Bit O’Red since the club affiliated a senior team in 2022 – that incorporates fixtures played in the League, the FAI Cup and Avenir Sports Cup, there was a walkover against Douglas Hall in 2022 that’s excluded.
Katie Melly and Paula McGrory played in the first game against Peamount Utd in 2022 and are on the panel for Sunday.
Casey Howe and Amy Mahon (goalkeeper) played with Sligo Rovers last season and moved to Athlone Town for this season while Muireann Devaney moved in the opposite direction.
That still leaves Sligo woman Roisin Molloy leading the charge for goals for the Westmeath side along with Brenda Erika Tabe while Sligo Rovers will be without the injured Jodie Loughrey.
Top goalscorer Emma Dohery left Sligo Rovers at the mid-season break and moved to Galway while Kelly Crompton and Zoe McGlynn also exited.
Those departures, for whatever reasons, impacted the balance of the team that was trying to adjust to new players and a new manager after Steve Feeney stepped away at the end of last season.
Add in the vital statistic that Sligo Rovers have not beaten Athlone Town since they joined the League of Ireland in 2022 and it all points to a comfortable stroll in the park for the team formerly managed by Bit O’Red boss Tommy Hewitt and now with Ciaran Kilduff in the hot seat.
This will be the fourth game for Sligo Rovers against Athlone this season, two in the League and one in the Avenir Sports Cup.
Sligo Rovers lost 2-0 in League in May and lost 2-1 in the Avenir Sports Cup in April with Muireann Devaney scoring the goal against her former club.
Athlone won 5-1 most recently, but Sligo Rovers had goalkeeper Bonnie McKiernan sent off after 60 seconds. She collided with former Sligo Rovers player Casey Howe as she raced out of her penalty area – both players were injured in the collision.
Tackling Athlone with 10 players for 90 minutes was only going to produce one result as goals from Roisin Molloy (two), Kerry Brown and the impressive Brenda Erika Tabe gave the hosts a comfortable victory.
However, it was a commendable display from the Bit O’red on the day with Anna McDaniel showing remarkable composure for her goal with 20 minutes remaining. Athlone’s fifth goal was a 90th minute penalty.
And it’s that performance in defeat, coupled with the display at Tallaght Stadium last Saturday that will give the Sligo Rovers players sufficient reasons for optimism as they face into what could best be described as a ‘mission impossible’ where the outcome could once more demonstrate the unpredictability of sport.
PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL
FIRST ROUND
Sligo Rovers defeated Terenure Rangers 5-0 in the first round at the Showgrounds
Paula McGrory (two), Keri Loughrey, Jodie Loughrey and Rebecca Doddy scored the goals.
Athlone Town received a bye as holders.
QUARTER-FINALS
Sligo Rovers defeated DLR Waves 3-1 away.
Anna McDaniel, Kelsey Munroe and Paula McGrory scored the goals.
Athlone Town defeated Treaty Utd 2-1 away.
Brenda Erika Tabe and Kerry Brown scored the goals.