Athlone Town win inaugural Women's President Cup

Shelbourne 2-2 Athlone Town

(Athlone win on penalties)

Athlone Town secured their first ever piece of silverware by lifting the President's Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Shelbourne after it finished 2-2 at full-time.

In the inaugural staging of this competition for SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division teams, first-half goals from Noelle Murray and Alex Kavanagh put Shelbourne ahead before Muireann Devaney and Roisin Molloy brought Athlone back into it.

Then substitute goalkeeper Ciara Glackin was the hero of the shoot-out by making two superb saves.

Uacharán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins was in attendance in Athlone Town Stadium for what turned out to be an exciting encounter between the teams who finished first and second in both the League and FAI Women’s Cup last year.

The opening goal arrived on eight minutes when an attempted cross from Maggie Pierce hit Murray but she was quick to bring the ball under control and chip it over goalkeeper Nyla Peterkin from inside the penalty area.

Athlone attempted to respond after that early set-back but they were dealt a further blow on 13 minutes when Kavanagh fired in a penalty after Shauna Brennan was adjudged to have handled a cross from Siobhan Killeen.

The Reds were dangerous on the counter attack with Jemma Quinn volleying over the crossbar from distance and was then denied by Peterkin following a breakaway.

Athlone, who had five players making their debuts, pulled one back through Devaney on 37 minutes as she poked the ball into the bottom corner of the net following a neat exchange of passes with Scarlett Herron.

Manager Tommy Hewitt made two changes at the start of the second half with youngster Glackin taking over from Peterkin between the posts