Kayleigh Shine relishing family friendly frenzy on FAI Women's Cup final day

Whatever happens in Sunday's FAI Women's Cup final, Athlone Town's Kayleigh Shine will not be short of vocal support.

When the Midlanders took on Shelbourne in last year's decider, a busload of family members roared its way to Tallaght Stadium to give her backing.

Fast forward to this week and Athlone are preparing to meet Shels again in a repeat match-up for the 2023 final, with the centre-back already forewarned that her loved ones will be filling the bus again on route to Tallaght.

"My family last year, they got a 52-seater bus and came up. They've the same done this year," Shine told RTÉ Sport as she looked ahead to Sunday's showpiece. .

"They’re just crazy, crazy people! It’s great though to know you have so many people behind you.

"Even though last year I wasn’t starting, they knew that before and they still came up. They were supporting myself, they were supporting all the girls that were playing. The support was just immense.

"I'm such a family-orientated person. Seeing them all come up, you just love to see them all. They do be commenting on everything on Facebook, they love everything about it. Even at the games at home, all my little cousins, you can just hear them screaming, 'Kayleigh!’ I’m on the ball and I’m just like, ‘oh my God.'"

Last year, the 20-year-old Ballinasloe native entered the fray when Athlone were 2-0 down and although the scoreline did not ultimately change, the magnitude of being involved in a cup final day was not overly diminished for a player who came through the club's youth ranks.

Indeed, 2022 was an unforgettable year for an Athlone senior team, who had only joined the league in 2020.

The cup run was no flash in the pan because they showed their mettle in a league title race in which they also