FAI: PREVIEW | Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup Semi-Finals

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Extra-time and a penalty shoot-out will be used, if required, in either game to decide who makes it to this year's showpiece event in Tallaght Stadium on Sunday, November 19.
TICKETS FOR SPORTS DIRECT WOMEN'S FAI CUP FINAL NOW AVAILABLE
First, however, is a crunch semi-final day this Saturday with four SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division teams facing off in games that will be live on LOITV.
Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne
This Ringsend Derby was only played out last weekend in the League and it was a day that Shelbourne will want to use as motivation as they never got going in the game.
Rovers have momentum behind them, a home crowd and that slight edge - if it even matters when it comes to a Cup competition - but Collie O'Neill will not be taking anything for granted.
The key to success for The Hoops is using the width of the pitch with Áine O'Gorman on the right and Lia O'Leary on the left. They both create havoc and set up goalscoring opportunities that they themselves and their team-mates have been finishing.
Shelbourne are the reigning Cup holders so there is a lot of pride at stake here. They know that they are a good team and can bounce back from that recent League defeat.
Noel King won't be able to call on wonderkid Rebecca Devereux - who scored a sensational goal at Tallaght Stadium last week - as she is away on international duty with the Ireland Women's Under-17s.
Still, The Reds have plenty of players who can be potential game winners, such as Noelle Murray, Jemma Quinn, Morgan Rees, Christie Gray and Megan Smyth-Lynch.
Sligo Rovers v Athlone Town
Unbeaten in their last three games in all competitions, Sligo should be charged up with confidence going into this tie. Certainly manager Steve Feeney thinks so after calling on the fans to get behind his team.
The Showgrounds is a fantastic venue for The Bit O'Red when the fans do turn up and that could prove to be beneficial to the hosts here as they aim to reach their first ever Women's FAI Cup Final.
The dribbling of Casey Howe, the passing of Emma Hansberry and the finishing of Emma Doherty means that they have weapons who can fire at the right time to lead them to victory.
It is still very early in his management career, but Ciaran Kilduff will embrace this semi-final as the type of challenge that he sought out when agreeing to take over at Athlone.
The Midlanders are a different team to the one that lost last year's Final to Shelbourne but they still have some familiar faces who can make a real difference, chiefly Maddison Gibson and Dana Scheriff.
The arrival of talented youngster Katie Keane has given them a boost between the posts as she proved in the quarter-final win over Peamount United that she can make big saves when it matters.
FIXTURES
Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup Semi-Finals
Saturday, October 14
Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne, Tallaght Stadium, KO 16:00
Sligo Rovers v Athlone Town, The Showgrounds, KO 18:00
LIVE on LOITV



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Introduction:
The two teams who will compete in the 2023 Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup Final will be known on Saturday evening once the two semi-final games are complete.




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