Soccer

Women’s Football: Shelbourne now chief rivals to Athlone with two games left

Athlone held 3-3 at home by Shamrock Rovers as Shels reduced the gap to league leaders to three points

Madie Gibson celebrates scoring Athlone Town's second goal in their draw with Shamrock Rovers. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Madie Gibson celebrates scoring Athlone Town's second goal in their draw with Shamrock Rovers. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Mary Hannigan
Sun Sept 29 2024 - 18:00

The SSE Airtricity Premier Division has produced some dramatic climaxes to title races in recent seasons, and we have yet another one on our hands after Shelbourne cut Athlone Town’s lead at the top of the table to three points on Saturday.

Shelbourne and Galway United were five points adrift of the leaders going in to their meeting at Eamonn Deacy Park, but the Dublin side’s 1-0 win means they are now Athlone’s chief rivals with just two games to go.

Kate Mooney sealed the points for Shelbourne with her seventh goal in five games, the striker having made a huge impact since joining from Hearts in July.

Later in the evening Athlone were held at home to a 3-3 draw by Shamrock Rovers in a humdinger of a game that swayed one way and the other. Athlone had to come from behind twice, but a superb Madie Gibson double in the space of seven minutes looked to have nudged them ever closer to the title. But, with just eight minutes left on the clock, Rovers levelled through Joy Ralph straight from the restart after Gibson’s second.

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Four points from their last two games — at home to Bohemians and away to Galway — would wrap up the title for Athlone. But Shelbourne — who host defending champions Peamount before finishing up away to Rovers — will hope to take advantage of any slip-ups. And when the league is done, they and Athlone will meet in the FAI Cup final for the third year running. It’s turning into some rivalry.

Meanwhile, former Shelbourne striker Saoirse Noonan is continuing to have a happy time of it in front of goal for Celtic, who she joined from Durham during the summer. Two goals against Montrose in the League Cup on Sunday brought the Cork woman’s tally to 12 in just 11 appearances this season, capping a week in which Celtic qualified for the group stages of the Champions League for the first time.

Once again, just three Republic of Ireland players started for their clubs in the Super League at the weekend, Katie McCabe captaining Arsenal to a 1-0 win over Leicester City, Courtney Brosnan in goal for Everton in their 1-0 defeat by Manchester United and Anna Patten starting for Aston Villa against Spurs. Leanne Kiernan and Niamh Fahey (both Liverpool), Heather Payne (Everton) and Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace) did, though, all get run-outs as subs.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times