Shelbourne's Leah Doyle ready for another battle against mentor Ciaran Kilduff

In the women's domestic game, there are often less than three degrees of separation. Sometimes there’s barely one.

With just 11 teams competing in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division (Waterford will make it a dozen next season), and currently no First Division, players and coaches move around on a compact carousel.

For Shelbourne’s Leah Doyle, two worlds collide once again on Sunday when she goes up against her Maynooth University manager Ciaran Kilduff, who will attempt to lead Athlone Town to the Sports Direct FAI Cup final and thus complete a league and cup double.

It’s Shels versus Athlone in the decider for a third season in a row, the Midlanders having won last year on penalties to gain revenge on the Reds, who prevailed in 2022.

If the league games between these two are anything to go by, we can expect a tense, physical showdown that could easily go all the way to spot-kicks again.

Doyle is braced for that, but regardless of which way this one goes, her respect for Kilduff will not be dimmed.

"Ciaran has been great for me," she said ahead of the Tallaght Stadum showpiece.

"He’s been such a good friend, I’d say really at this stage. If I am struggling and need to talk about football he’s one of the first people I can call.

"He’s given me so much time. It’s just unfortunate he’s at Athlone really! What he’s done at that club has been incredible. I know Tommy Hewitt (who Kilduff succeeded) was really successful before but to get them their first league title is incredible for him and the club. You have to respect that. I think this rivalry is going to stay for a while."

Doyle has shone in a wing-back role after the signing of Republic of Ireland international Éabha O’Mahony allowed Shels boss Eoin Wearen to rejig his