Rachel Graham says tough league losses fuel Shelbourne’s Cup triumph

Shelbourne defeated league champions Athlone Town 3-1 in the Club Orange Women’s FAI Cup final on Sunday, and midfielder Rachel Graham said the difficult fortnight in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division "fueled" the team’s performance.

A tough fortnight fuels triumph

Two weeks earlier Shelbourne had suffered back‑to‑back league defeats, first to Sligo Rovers and then to Shamrock Rovers, leaving them short of the League title while Athlone Town retained the crown with games to spare. The showpiece was staged at Tallaght Stadium, and the squad entered the final aware of the recent setbacks.

Lily Agg’s Midlanders entered Sunday as favourites to complete a double, having already secured the league. Their confidence added pressure on Shelbourne, who were determined to overturn the odds.

Motivation behind the victory

Shelbourne raced to a three‑goal lead by half‑time and held on for a 3-1 win, securing a second trophy of the season alongside the All‑Island Cup. Graham, making her 11th cup final appearance, was introduced in the last ten minutes and immediately reflected on the team’s mindset.

"Although it was tough having two tough losses in the league, it kind of nearly fueled us, a bit of motivation and the kick up the backside we needed," Graham told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

She explained that a Monday training session after the Shamrock Rovers defeat featured a team meeting where manager Sean Russell wrote three questions on the board and left the players to discuss them alone. "We had to speak really honestly about ourselves in the last two weeks and how we were going to turn this around for a cup final," she recalled.

Russell’s staff also displayed baby photos of the players on the wall, a gesture Graham described as a reminder of why they love the game. "What would your young self be saying to you now? You're playing in a cup final. How excited would they be?" she said, noting the image calmed and re‑energised the squad.

Youthful talent shone as teenagers Halle Harcourt and Maeve Wollmer both scored in the first half. Graham highlighted Wollmer’s precocious inspiration, recalling that the youngster had watched Spain v England the night before and tried to emulate Lamine Yamal’s move.

The RTÉ Soccer Podcast featuring Graham is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms. Listeners are also reminded to tune in to the Republic of Ireland v Austria UEFA Nations League match on Thursday at 19:00 on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.