Taylor hoping for Cup Final glory

With women’s football in Ireland being an amateur sport, female players face a daily battle to maintain a balance between football and a working lifestyle. Sinead Taylor a member of Shelbourne Ladies FC will soon jet off to Lebanon with the Irish Defence Forces for a tour of duty and the forward spoke to Extratime.ie about balancing football and work commitments along with the impending trip.

After spending the first-half of the 2014-15 season on the fringes of the UCD Waves squad, Taylor felt frustrated with a lack of game time on offer at the South Dublin club and she felt management were not fully aware she would have to miss certain training session due work commitments.

“I feel that at UCD I was just going through the motions,” she explained. “I wasn't getting much game time, which was frustrating and with work commitments, management didn't understand that I couldn't be at every single training.”

When the winter transfer window reopened, the forward made the move to Peamount United where she helped them qualify for the WNL League Cup and the forward thought she had ended her time with the Peas on a dream note when she fired them into a late lead against Raheny United.

“The girls still slag me over that,” she jokes with Extratime.ie.

“I honestly thought that when we went ahead that was it. It was such an end to end game and both teams played out of their skin. Obviously it was disappointing not to be on the winning side, but conceding at the end of injury time was such a kick in the teeth, the game should've been over and we should've been smarter running the clock down and then when it looked like it was going to penalties we conceded again. You could see some of the younger girls hearts breaking.”

Although being opposition in the League Cup final, Taylor would soon join many of her Raheny rivals when she made a summer move to the newly formed Shelbourne Ladies and she feels having a manager like Casey McQuillan allows her to miss training as the Shels boss is understanding her work commitments, with himself also being a member of the defence forces.

“The reason I made the move [to Shels] was because I wanted to go to a team that has a great team ethic, that challenges each other and with management that support me especially with work. Casey knows what it's like to have to do twenty-four hour duties and that my hours aren't your average 9-5. The move to Shelbourne has been a positive one I have loved every minute of it and the girls have been so welcoming.”

Despite having hit the ground running for her new club and scoring on her league debut, Taylor a Corporal based in Cathal Brugha Barracks will soon see her season with Shels cut short when she jets off to Lebanon for a six month tour of duty where she will be involved in peacekeeping missions along with patrol activities. With her impending departure the forward is hoping to leave Dublin victorious when she lines out for Shelbourne Ladies in the Women’s FAI Cup final on Sunday week.

“I'm really disappointed I have to leave. From day one of pre-season, I said my main goal this year was to enjoy playing again and with Shels I have enjoyed every minute of it, getting on the scoresheet is a bonus for me, but my main aim and the team's aim is to win games. A bunch of individuals don't win games, it's a team effort right throughout the squad and with such talent coming through the underage ranks Shels future looks bright.

“To win in the Aviva would be absolutely unbelievable. The girls got to experience it last year, so hopefully for me and some of the others we will get to experience it this year. It would make going away a little bit easier.”

Although being forced to curtail her season with Shelbourne, the forward is looking forward to her tour of duty as she explained it is one of the reasons she joined the defence forces.

“I'm looking forward to going away, it's part of the reason I joined the army in my first place. I've lived away from home since I was 18 so I'll be grand. I don't get homesick, but saying that it will be the longest I've been away from them.”

With Taylor not due to return to Irish shores until next May, she also explained that both her family and friends are anxious about her impending departure, but she believes with new technologies she will be in constant contact with her loved ones and it will feel like she was never away.

“My family and friends are anxious that I'm leaving. They don't want me to go, but I have to. We have wifi so I can FaceTime them and Skype so it'll be like I never left.”