Wednesday’s All-Island Cup Semi-Final in Tolka Park kicks off at 7:45 pm.

After a week off due to international break, we’re back with a big game away to Shels in the All-Island Cup semi-final. Has the short break allowed the group to relax and refocus on this challenge in front of us?

Yes, it has. It was an idle weekend for us so we had pre-planned it to give the team a couple of days off so everyone could take a break, and catch a little bit of sun somewhere else. We’ve been back at it hard this week and the mood in the camp is good so that little bit of rest has been vital for everybody just to recharge their batteries.

Shels are always a really tough side to face, especially when they play at home with their supporters out in full voice. Do you find that going to Tolka and getting a result is always a hard-fought battle?

It’s a place that we enjoy going to. It’s one of those places where you know it’s going to be a good, proper game. Sometimes we play sides that just like to sit in and defend but I think this is going to be one of those games where both teams are going to just go at it from the off, so it’ll be a complete head-to-head. They’re the kind of games we like, the kind of games we look forward to and I think that they’re the kind of games that we thrive in.

We were overcome by Shels at this stage of the competition in the FAI Cup last season. Do the memories and disappointment of that game motivate the girls even more to win this game and achieve the prospect of reaching the final?

It’s not something where it comes in just to motivate them to try and win this game, it’s something that we had spoken about since we came back in pre-season, in that we needed a second style of play when it comes to certain games because we found that once we went behind in that Shels cup game we didn’t really create anything, and I think Shels were set up very well to try and nullify all of our threats. Since pre-season, we’ve been working on being able to play with 3 at the back, 4 at the back and having different shapes and different options so that if games are not going our way, at least we have a different approach to those games and we can change our shape and have another way to go and attack the games.

Shels are a very well-organised, tough and clinical side. What areas of their play or players do we have to pay particular attention to during this clash?

I think the main spark for them for the majority of this year has been Noelle Murray. She’s been brilliant. I know an awful lot of younger players get the credit and the kudos from all teams within the league throughout this year but for me it’s been more the senior players that have been the standout performers, particularly when you look at Noelle Murray or Áine O’Gorman for ourselves as being the senior ones, and I don’t think that they get enough credit for how good they are at setting the standards for the progression the league has made over the last couple of months.

It’s going to be a very demanding game I’m sure, so do we have a full squad to take advantage of or are there any doubts going into it?

I think we’ll be pretty close to having a full squad, particularly if those three players on international duty (Lia O’Leary, Joy Ralph, Aoife Kelly) come back fit and available, it should be a full available squad for us.