With two trophies already won in 2026, Sean Russell’s Shelbourne side are looking to cap a memorable season with the bonus of European qualification. Standing in their way this Saturday are the familiar and formidable Athlone Town. The Shels Head Coach sat down with ShelsTV ahead of Saturday night’s big game and started by talking about the atmosphere in training leading up to the game.
“After a little bit of a break last week there was a real eagerness in training this week to get back on the ball again and refocus. We obviously know the importance of the next two weeks and the energy levels have been really good as we head into Saturday against Athlone.”
With Galway United still to play after facing league champions Athlone, the remaining two fixtures are as thorough a test as is possible. Russell discussed how the difficulty of the task at hand can help to focus minds.
“If you don’t bring the best version of yourself when facing this Athlone Town side, you’re not going to win. It’s that simple. But two of our best performances this season have come against our next two opponents in cup finals. That’s because we fully respected them and knew that we had to be at our best to win. We have good momentum behind us now, and if we can bring the right mentality into Saturday, I’m sure we can get the result we want.”
With several of his players away on international duty during last week’s break from domestic action, the Shels boss gave an injury update ahead of the game: “Young Sadhbh (Hartley) is still out with a leg injury, but her recovery is going well. Beyond that we are looking strong; the girls who were away on international duty have come back in good shape and our squad depth is looking healthy. Nia (Hannon) missed out on the Waterford game, but she’s back fully involved now which is great for us, and as a management team we have some good selection headaches to deal with!”
With seven of Shels’ last ten games of the season being broadcast live on national television, Russell reflected on the spotlight, its effect on players and being involved in important games at the business end of the season.
“This is what people come to Shelbourne FC for; to be on platforms, and there’s no better platform that being on national TV. There’s an energy and a buzz that comes from that, and we welcome every opportunity we can to showcase ourselves and the club. The fact that we’ve been on television so regularly this year is a credit to the players and how they’ve played. It’s something that we are embracing. It’s great to have Tolka Park on the TV again and no bigger game than the cup champions hosting the league champions with something still there to play for. We can’t wait for it.”
This Saturday will see Tolka Park hosting its final Community Day of the season where partner and affiliate clubs alongside local residents, schools and community groups are all given a special welcome. Russell signed off with a message for all who will be cheering on the Reds under the lights on Saturday night.
“The season has gone so fast it’s hard to believe that this is our last home game! But we know that this fixture always delivers excitement, and we will be aiming to leave absolutely everything out on that pitch in pursuit of the result that we’re after. We know we have the best ground in the country in Tolka Park. We know we have the best fans in the country and the best atmosphere to play in, and we certainly don’t take that for granted. We want to make sure that, for our last home game of 2026, when the final whistle goes, we can celebrate with our fans and take some time with them to enjoy it. We’ve had a great season at Tolka Park this year and we are determined to finish it on a high.”
Kick-off at Tolka Park is at 7.35 pm and the game is live on TG4.