Shelbourne make it a two-in-a-row after thrilling title race

Wexford Youths 0 Shelbourne 4

A thriller of a title race, that saw four teams still in the running until the conclusion of the penultimate round of fixtures a week ago, ended with Shelbourne retaining their SSE Airtricity National League crown on Saturday with an emphatic 4-0 win over Wexford Youths at Ferrycarrig Park.

The Dublin side were a point clear of Wexford at the top of the table going into the game, so if either side won the fixture they would take the title. A draw, though, would have seen Shelbourne go in to a playoff against Athlone Town if they could beat Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

But once Jessie Stapleton gave Shelbourne the lead in first-half injury-time, they never looked back, the 17-year-old’s quick feet creating the angle to fire home after she was first to the rebound of Maeve Williams’s save from Alex Kavanagh.

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Abbie Larkin was involved in Shelbourne’s next three goals goals, her crosses turned home by Kavanagh just before the hour mark, with a header planted in to the bottom left corner, and Megan Smyth-Lynch in the 73rd minute, when she directed Larkin’s cross from the right wing past Williams.

A year ago, Smyth-Lynch was on the Peamount United side that lost the title on the final day of the season to Shelbourne, but this time there was no such heartache, Larkin sealing the title with a goal two minutes after Smyth-Lynch had made it 3-0.

Back at Dalymount Park, Athlone did all that was asked of them, beating Bohemians 2-1 to finish second in the table, the prolific Emily Corbet giving them the lead, Scarlett Herron restoring it after Kira Bates-Crosbie had levelled for Bohemians.

It was a spectacular league effort from Athlone who finished third from bottom of the table last season, but they still have a chance to end the season with silverware – they play the now double-seeking Shelbourne in the FAI Cup final at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday, November 6th.