Jessica Hennessy believes the tale of the game would have been different had her side gotten off on the right foot.
Cup final nerves were at play in Athlone Town's troubled start to their defeat to Shelbourne in Tallaght on Sunday.
That's according to their defensive lynchpin Jessica Hennessy.
The midlanders started the FAI Cup decider slowly and the Dublin side took full advantage with two goals from set pieces.
Athlone surged in the second half but narrowly and often failed to get a goal to get back in to the game.
Hennessy says the half time message from Tommy Hewitt got through to the players but the damage had been done by then:
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