"They don’t teach you on the Uefa A Licence what to say when you’re 6-0 down in a FAI Cup final,” confessed Kilduff.

Tallaght experienced a hurricane this afternoon, Eoin Wearen’s Shelbourne storming to a vengeful return to the winners’ top table, blowing away league champions Athlone with a display that lurched between humiliation and embarrassment in front of a disappointing crowd of 3,118.

SHELBOURNE MORE THAN made up for missing out on the title with a ruthless destruction of champions, Athlone Town, in today’s FAI Cup final. All the goals came in the first half with a brace each from Kate Mooney and Noelle Murray.

Last year it took a penalty shoot-out to separate the two sides but a ferocious first half performance in Tallaght saw the goal-hungry Reds wrap up a facile 6-1 victory

It’s a repeat of last year’s Women’s FAI Cup final as Shels look for revenge after Athlone claimed the honours in a penalty shoot-out last November.

Pearl Slattery says that Shels' astonishing blitz of Athlone was all down to hunger - while Kate Mooney was overjoyed to score twice on her Cup final debut after previous heartbreak. The Reds stormed into a 6-0 lead before the midlanders finally managed to score on the stroke of half-time - but at that stage it was already a mere consolation.

Kate Mooney and Noelle Murray both scored twice as Shelbourne tamed Storm Ashley to hammer Athlone Town 6-1 in the Sports Direct FAI Women's Cup final.