Cork City's FAI Cup dreams shattered by Shels at Turner's Cross
Kate Mooney of Shelbourne, left, celebrates with Rachel Graham and Olivia Damico after scoring her side's sixth goal against Cork City. Picture: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile
Cork City’s hopes of reaching the Club Orange Women’s FAI Cup final ended with a hammering to Shelbourne at the Munster FA Turner’s Cross Stadium.
Derek Coughlan’s side found themselves 4-0 down after just 28th minutes, a hole with very little daylight.
This brings an end to a campaign that saw victories over DLR Waves and Douglas Hall, while Shelbourne go into the autumn challenging for an unprecedented treble. The Rebel Army will go through this stretch of the season aiming to avoid a third basement finish in four years.
The one time the club broke the trend was in 2024, a campaign that also saw a defeat to Shelbourne in the cup semi-finals. The feeling of possibility following that run has long faded around the club, into a repeat feeling of frustration from false starts and near misses.
The possibility of something special happening on Saturday was undone once Alex Kavanagh converted a sixth-minute penalty after Ciara O’Driscoll handled a Maeve Wollmer cross inside the area.
City tried going long in a bid to get back in the game, but nothing got through a back like marshalled by Pearl Slattery.
The Reds got their second in the 15th minute from a Leah Doyle free that was headed in by Nia Hannon.
Their third was an own goal, after a cross by Halle Hourcourt grazed the knee of Heidi Mackin as she tried to stop Isabella Marie Flocchini from getting to the ball at the back post.
It was all one-way traffic, while City struggled to assert themselves at the other end. Shelbourne were in complete control, and they showed no signs of slowing down as the first half progressed.
This led to the fourth goal in the 28th minute, scored by Wollmer after Damico squared the ball to the back post.
The first half faded out, as a slow countdown perpetuated by Shelbourne passing the ball around and City scrambling to cover space.
The Rebel Army pushed up once before the break and managed to cause one moment of panic. Mya Sanchez dealt with that for Shelbourne by coming out to stop Go from getting to the ball at the St. Anne’s End in the 43rd minute.
The second half saw more of the same, with the restart seeing a fingertip save by Foyle to stop a Damico cross from floating in.
It didn’t take too long for Shelbourne to get their fifth. An unmarked Wollmer scored that in the 54th minute with a header from a low Flocchini cross after the midfielder pressed high and won the ball on the right wing.
The Rebel Army responded with an effort from Eva Mangan on the edge of the area that was easily blocked down, a rare opening that looked like it could cause trouble.
Things wound down as expected. Shelbourne had possession, while City did everything they could to stop them from getting a sixth.
They eventually got it, from the penalty spot, with Kate Mooney sending the ball high and into the top corner.
It finished as a disappointing afternoon for all involved. City will try and pick themselves up next weekend against Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park, a team also in the fight for the Women’s Premier Division title.
Una Foyle; Ciara O’Driscoll, Holly O’Hagan, Anna Cronin, Heidi Mackin; Eva Mangan, Leah O’Leary Callender; Zoe Finnerty, Ellie O’Brien, Lauren Homan, Yuna Go.
Stella Berezowski for O’Driscoll (33); Amy McCarthy for Cronin (64), Sophia Redmond for Callender (64), Alix Mendez for Go (75).
Mya Sanchez; Maggie Pierce, Nia Hannon, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle; Alex Kavanagh; Olivia Damico, Aoife Kelly, Isabella Marie Flocchini, Maeve Wollmer; Halle Harcourt.
Brianne Severns for Harcourt (51); Madeline McKinley for Hannon (59), Rachel Graham for Kavanagh (71), Kate Mooney for Flocchini (71), Jenna Willoughby for Sanchez (72).
John S. Walsh
App?
