FRIGHT ON THE TOWN

Lesson from final last year will help us: Ryan

LAURIE RYAN says Athlone Town paid the price for freezing in last year’s FAI Cup final – but that won’t happen again this afternoon.

Ryan, a TUS lecturer, had played on the big occasion before. She lined out for Clare in an Allireland football decider in Croke Park in 2016 – and did so again as recently as August and has won 14 county titles at club level.

But so many of her team-mates hadn’t experienced anything like it and it showed, with Shels taking a controversial sixth minute lead.

By the time the midlanders got into the game they were 2-0 down in Tallaght and time ran out on their bid to win the Cup for the first time.

“The experience last year will stand to us,” said Ryan. “We probably got a bit overawed last year by the occasion – it was a massive day.

“For a lot of the younger girls, it was the first time they would have played in a stadium like Tallaght and have so many things go on at the one time.

“So we’re just hoping that will stand to us this year. The more bigger games, the better you get at managing them so hopefully that will be the case this year.

“I probably wasn’t as nervous as some of the younger girls, just from playing in big games in football. There were definitely nerves.

“In the dressing room beforehand and the warmup, I could sense that a lot of the girls were nervous.

“When you come out, the stadium looked full, that can be a big factor, playing in front of family and friends, on RTE, all those things can add up and play a big part.

“So there is probably a fear of a mistake as well – we probably played within ourselves for the first 20 or 25 minutes last year but we definitely want to hit the ground running and not have a fear of losing.

“There is a good mix in the group now of youth, experience and new players to hopefully get us over the line.”