Athlone boss Hewitt fumes as 'officials didn't do their job'

Athlone Town boss Tommy Hewitt could not hide his frustration after his side's EVOKE.ie FAI Cup final defeat to Shelbourne, fuming at crucial decisions that failed to go the midlanders' way.

Pearl Slattery and Jessie Stapleton goals settled it at Tallaght Stadium, but Scarlett Herron's effort was controversially ruled out for offside in the second half on a day when Hewitt felt his side just didn't get the rub of the green.

"Listen, I don't want to say too much but I have got to be honest," he said afterwards.

"We’ve worked very hard all season to be in a position we’re in today. Then you are asking three guys to do their job, and they didn’t do it. I saw it there now, it’s not that it’s close. There is no question [of offside].

"Their first goal, it is never a free-kick. I’m standing five yards away from it and genuinely I can’t understand how he can give that free-kick.

"It’s beyond our control. We can only control what we can control. Congratulations to Shelbourne but at the end of the day we’re bitterly disappointed that people can’t do their jobs properly.

"In the second half Shelbourne didn’t lay a glove on us and I think if we’d have scored a goal in that time we then go on to win the game. That’s how confident I was. But you’re relying on other people to do their jobs. That’s football isn’t it? That’s sport."

'It's not even close in my eyes - it's a goal' Athlone manager Tommy Hewitt wasn't happy with the officiating in today's FAI Cup final #RTESoccer pic.twitter.com/RzpR0hafaO

Regardless of the result, it's been a breakthrough campaign for Athlone.

They defied the odds to push Shels all the way in the title race - ultimately finishing second - and reached their first ever cup final.

They are an exciting young side with