‘I grew up in an Irish household and played a lot of Gaelic football' – New Yorker Kelly Brady wins award with Athlone Town
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The Irish Sun
10 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
‘What we play for' – Shauna Brennan reaping rewards of decorated sporting career in Athlone Town's Champions League run
SHAUNA BRENNAN admitted she could not have imagined herself playing Champions League football a few short years ago. Now, she is determined to go as far in the competition as she can. 2 Kate Slevin, left, and Shauna Brennan of Athlone Town celebrate after the UEFA Women's Champions League First Qualifying Round semi-final against Cardiff City Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 2 Izzy Groves of Athlone Town celebrates after scoring her side's first goal against Cardiff City Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile The record seated capacity crowd of 1,916 on Wednesday. That earned them the right to face ZNK Agram, who like Athlone are competition first-timers, in the Midlands at 4pm today. If they beat the Croatian champions they will be off to Holland later this month to face Breidablik of Star Belgrade. Brennan is reaping the rewards from the sporting choices she made in recent years. Read More on Champions League She said: 'I'm from Galway and I played for Galway for a few seasons, and I was playing Gaelic football as well. 'I went to Athlone in 2023 and we won the Cup that year. 'Then we went on to win the league last year obviously and I managed to be playing European football this year. 'If you had told me that three years ago, I would have told you you were lying. Most read in Football 'This is where we want to be. We want to play in Europe . We want to test ourselves against the best sides. This is what we play for. Hopefully we can get the job done and progress and see how we can get on in the later stages. 'Of course, it's one game at a time. This Croatian side is what we're focusing on now and that's what all our energy will go into. Bayern Munich star Sven Ulreich announces tragic death of his six-year-old son after 'long, serious illness' 'We know we've only half the job done. Wednesday means nothing without Saturday. That's our focus. They're going to be a good side. They've won the Croatian league but we'll look at their key players and we'll be ready.' While the club's full-time players were able to concentrate on their recovery since Wednesday, it was not the case for Brennan. Although she is out of term, the medical student was coaching on a football camp yesterday, which did have the upside of spreading the excitement from Wednesday. She said: 'Yeah, it's tough. We do have a lot of players that are full-time in Athlone but then there's the likes of myself and some of the other girls that are working, although we stayed up in Athlone on Wednesday night. 'There's a buzz around the camps and it's great that they have people to look up to as well.' 'DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE' Although she has played in two FAI Cup deciders, and previously, in Connacht finals for the Galway footballers, Brennan admitted there was something unique about Wednesday's experience. She said: 'We've never had that in Athlone so it was great. We obviously sold out the stadium, which we haven't had before in any of our games. 'So there was a different atmosphere, a great atmosphere. 'We were hoping it would be a sell-out but obviously that depends on the fans and it was great to see them all come out in their blue and black. 'I think it helped us in the first ten minutes. We hit the ground running and I think the crowd really got behind us to do that and it helped us to win tackles. They definitely did help us.' Colin Fortune's side took the lead after a quarter of an hour and were 3-0 up at the break, with the 21-year-old hoping they can be quick out of the blocks again as they look to make light once more of the fact that analysing their opponents has not been straightforward. Brennan said: 'It's hard to tell really with teams that are outside of our own league and we can't see them playing against anybody in our own league. We'll be hoping to start quick. 'But obviously we'll have our homework done on them and see where we can impose a threat on them and where they might threaten us as well.'
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Athlone Town v ZNT Agram: Where to watch free stream of Champions League clash
Shauna Brennan says Athlone Town are relishing the opportunity to crank it up a level against Croatia's league winners ZNK Agram. The midlanders, currently table-toppers as they defend their first Women's Premier Division title, easily dismissed the challenge of Cardiff City in their Champions League first qualifying round tie last Wednesday. The visitors will be a class - or two - above the Welsh visitors but Brennan insists there is no fear in the Athlone camp as they seek the win that will progress the club to round two and a meeting with Icelandic champions Breiðablik. "This is where we want to be," declared the defender. "We want to play in Europe, we want to test ourselves against the best sides. This is what we play for. "Hopefully, we can get the job done and progress and see how we can get on in the later stages but of course, it's one game at a time. This Croatian side is what we're focusing on now and that's what all our energy will go into. "We've done our homework but it's hard to tell really with teams that are outside of our own league and we can't see them playing against anybody in our own league," she said. "But it'll definitely be a different challenge on Saturday and we're expecting that. We know that we've only half the job done. Wednesday means nothing without Saturday, so that's our focus." Where is the game taking place? The first warm-up game is at Lissywollen Stadium, Athlone. What time is kick-off? The game kicks off this afternoon at 4pm. Where can I watch it? The match isn't being shown live on terrestrial TV but it can be streamed for free (registrations required) on LOI TV. Decision Brennan faced a tough decision ahead of last season when she opted out of the Galway football panel to focus on playing for Athlone and her medical studies in NUIG. The choice paid off as she was involved in an historic season for the club and the team has continued where it left off, despite the loss of Ciaran Kilduff as manager just hours after the FAI Cup final defeat to Shelbourne. "And now to be playing European football this year, if you had told me that three years ago, I would have told you you were lying," smiled Brennan. "Ciarán we all got along with very well. Colin (Fortune) is in now to take his place and we've really just gotten on so well and taken it week by week, doing our bit on and off the pitch. We really have just stuck together through it." Brennan and her colleagues played in front of a sold-out home crowd for the first time in the 4-0 defeat of Cardiff and she is hoping for the same again today. "It was great to see the support from everybody in Athlone to actually sell out the stadium," the 21-year-old said. "We were hoping it would be a sell out, but obviously that depends on the fans and it was great to see them all come out in their blue and black. "I think it helped us in the first 10 minutes. We hit the ground running and the crowd really got behind us to do that, they definitely did help us to get up for the game and be ready. "Everybody seemed to have such an energy. I think that probably came from the crowd and the occasion. We all wanted it and I think you could see that. We came out of the blocks very fast and thankfully we got a few goals to get us in at half-time. "I'm sure it will be the same again, we'll be hoping to start quickly and get at them and impose our game on them rather than worrying about them. "We know they're going to be a new challenge. They're going to be a good side. They've won the Croatian League but we'll look at their key players and we'll be ready for whatever comes at us." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Kerry FC roar to very welcome win after week of turmoil
Kerry FC 4 Athlone Town 0 Kerry FC responded to a week of turmoil with their biggest win of the season against a lacklustre Athlone Town in Mounthawk Park on Friday night. Colin Healy's men hit four for the first time this season, and held their biggest half-time lead in their short history in a clash that they well and truly dominated from the first whistle. Ronan Teahan, Sean O'Connell and Robert Cleary all found the back of the net before the break, whilst Carl Mujaguzi put the cherry on top of the cake with a superb long-range effort on the hour mark. The points see Kerry stretch the gap between their opponents on the night to seven points at the foot of the First Division. They come after a week in which both goalkeeper Mathyas Randriamamy and defender Shane Maroodza were stunningly released by the First Division club. It could've been very different as Athlone had the first major chance of the game when Stanislav Hulidov's header from a Billy Gilmour free-kick flew just past the post of Kerry goalkeeper debutant Matthew Connor. Kerry turned the screw from then on, their first chance came through Daniel Okwute, who managed to smash beyond Lee Axworthy but was denied by the foot of the woodwork. The opening goal of the game went the way of the home side, courtesy of Ronan Teahan, who smashed home after some lovely work from Robbie Cleary running directly at the Athlone backline before providing the inch-perfect assist. The home side doubled their advantage just a few minutes later. The goal was a bit more luck-based this time, as O'Connell's inswinging corner flew over the heads of everybody in the area and into the side of the net, despite the best efforts of Kelende Thiam to clear. Healy's men found their third just minutes before the break. With their tails up, Kerry were pressing Athlone high and found fortune off the back of a Gilmour error. Cleary, after winning the ball back, drove forward himself and smashed past Axworthy into the far corner. Mujaguzi rounded off the Kerry FC scoring on the hour mark. When the ball broke to the midfielder, the crowd urged the Ugandan to shoot, and with no hesitation, Mujaguzi nestled a sublime effort from range into the far corner. Kerry FC: Matthew Connor, Ewan Lee, Kevin Williams, Samuel Aladesanusi, Chris McQueen, Sean O'Connell, Oran Crowe, Carl Mujaguzi, Ronan Teahan, Daniel Okwute, Robert Cleary Subs: Joe Adams for Crowe (65), Sean McGrath for Mujaguzi (74), Cian Brosnan for Cleary (74), Arran Healy for Teahan (74), Finn Barrett for Healy (79) Athlone Town: Lee Axworthy, Reece Webb, Cole Omorehiomwan, Kyle O'Connor, Aderinsola Adewale, Kelende Thiam, Billy Gilmour, Jason Oyenuga, Gideon Tetteh, Stanislav Hulidov, Dean Williams Subs: Daniel McKenna for Thiam, (58), Ben Feeney for Adewale (58), Noe Baba for Hulidov (65), Eoin Sheeran for Gilmore (65), William Smith for Oyenuga (87) Referee: Alan Patchell.
