AS IT APPROACHES 4.30pm this evening, Drumcondra should be humming.
The NFL game in Croke Park between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will take centre stage tomorrow, but it’s not the only show on Dublin’s northside this weekend.
Richmond Road and Grace Park Road will be lined with cars; a river of red — and blue — flowing towards Tolka Park.
As the main stand fills up and rallying cries are issued in the Shelbourne and Athlone Town dressing rooms, the familiar smell of curry chips will fill the air.
DJ Mauro Picotto’s ‘Komodo’ will ring out, with chants of, ‘Gwan Shels, gwan Shels’ never too far away.
The travelling contingent may respond with songs of their own, ‘Stand up for the Athlone Town’ the backing track of their recent European adventure.
All eyes now on domestic matters.
This is the 2025 League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division title decider.
All out combat.
Fire. Passion. Needle. Quality.
The TG4 cameras will be there to capture it all. If you can’t make the trip, tune in.
Why?
Why not?
Passion: Shelbourne celebrate during one of their previous meetings. Inpho.
Inpho.
The top two teams go head to head in the only game of real consequence in the league this weekend.
This has been a two-horse race for some time now, and as it stands, defending champions Athlone lead by a point with a game in hand.
It’s must-win for Shelbourne. Must-not lose, more so, for Athlone, but they would still hold the upper hand with two official rounds to play.
Theirs is a fascinating rivalry, one that has snowballed in recent seasons.
Drama is guaranteed when they lock horns; the bite and niggle that is often lacking in the league evident — and appealing to the neutral.
The duel really sparked to life in 2022, two years after Athlone’s inception.
Shelbourne’s last league success was that back to back triumph, Athlone’s two-point deficit a stark contrast to the 42-point gap the previous season. As Peamount United reigned supreme in 2023, Shels were runners-up and Athlone finished fifth after a tumultuous campaign, 11 points separating them.
The Midlanders won their first league title last season, Shels two points adrift. They have contested the last three FAI Cup finals; Shelbourne 2-0 winners in ’22, Athlone joining the roll of honour after a penalty shootout followed a 2-2 draw in ’23, and the Reds inflicting a 6-1 massacre last year.
That bizarre outcome has been the only real one-sided result since the rivalry was established, with little to nothing between the sides.
Shelbourne have dominated the head to head, however, with seven wins as opposed to Athlone’s five in all competitions since ’22. They have also played out two draws, discounting the 2023 President’s Cup and FAI Cup final thriller, both settled on penalties.
The quality and class of both teams is undeniable, and they generally bring out the best in each other.
Standards are constantly driven, 128km apart in Lissywollen and the AUL Complex.
Shelbourne have been to the forefront of the women’s game since their merger with Raheny United in 2015, and the club’s higher powers continue to provide that backing.
Professional and semi-pro contracts have been far from widespread since their introduction in 2022, but it’s understood Athlone are among those leading the way with a sizeable budget for their women’s team and a large contingent of international players.
As their men’s side flail at the bottom of the First Division, the hope is this support continues amid the recent change of ownership and questions around sustainability.
While Galway United and Wexford remain competitive and Bohemians and Treaty United announce themselves as rising forces, Peamount face challenges as the only club not affiliated with a League of Ireland men’s team.
Shamrock Rovers, meanwhile, have struggled to “change the game,” as promised on their return in 2023.
“We need more teams to be joining that (title) race as well,” as Peamount captain Karen Duggan told Off The Ball’s COYGIG Pod this week.
“A lot of the onus will fall on the clubs in how they’re going to bridge the gap between Shels, Athlone and the rest. The other challenges fell away pretty early this season.”
Athlone interim manager John Sullivan with Natalie McNally and Izzy Groves. Leah Scholes / INPHO
Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO
Driving the two powerhouses are a host of main characters.
Shelbourne captain Pearl Slattery is one of the most recognisable faces in the league, the defensive stalwart their undoubted beating heart. Athlone skipper Izzy Groves is new on the scene, having joined from London City Lionesses. The Jamaican international has been in and out of the XI — and squad — of late, with Madie Gibson and Kayleigh Shine taking the armband.
Gibson is part of Athlone’s tantalising front three, with Róisín Molloy and Kelly Brady their other flair players. Mackenzie Anthony has led the line for Shelbourne, stepping up further in the absence of injured Kate Mooney and fronting the Golden Boot race.
Just. Anthony has 16 goals as opposed to Brady’s 15, making for another interesting subplot.
Battle lines will be drawn across the pitch, nowhere more so than in midfield. Athlone’s Hannah Waesch is a live Player of the Year contender, while Alex Kavanagh, Roma McLaughlin and Aoibheann Clancy are reliables in the trenches for Shels, though the former is an injury doubt.
Noelle Murray is another who always brings the magic to Tolka, with experience and youth in abundance in both corners.
Athlone interim manager John Sullivan is set for his first taste of this face-off, having filled the void left by Colin Fortune’s shock departure earlier this month. It has been a relatively straightforward tenure to date, but the heat will intensify in a cauldron this evening.
Athlone players (some now departed) celebrate their 2023 FAI Cup win. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Eoin Wearen will patrol the Shelbourne sideline, as his second season in charge reaches fever pitch. While Athlone are chasing a domestic double with an FAI Cup final against Bohemians to follow next month, this is the only silverware Shels can now win.
The teams are locked at 1-1 in 2025: Shels lifted the President’s Cup after a 2-1 win at Tolka in March, Athlone took control of the title race after winning on the same scoreline in Lissywollen last month.
Another victory here will see them effectively wrap up back to back league honours.
A draw or Shelbourne win sends it to the wire.
All out combat. Don’t miss it.
Live – Shelbourne v Athlone Town, 4.30pm, TG4
