Women’s Premier Division: Cork City 0 Athlone Town 4 (Shine 19; Brady 58, 63, 90 pen)
They might be on their third manager in 10 months, but none of the off-field distractions they’ve experienced in that time could throw Athlone Town off track in their efforts to retain their league title.
It was mission accomplished at Turners Cross on Wednesday night when they beat the Premier Division’s bottom club Cork City 4-0 to keep hold of the crown they won for the first time last season.
The victory put them seven points clear of their closest challengers Shelbourne with two games to play, their 2-1 win at Tolka Park last Saturday having all but ensured they’d beat the Dublin side to the title for the second year running.
Kayleigh Shine has been a rock at the back all season for Athlone, but it was at the other end of the pitch that she made her mark on 19 minutes when she opened the scoring. A corner from the right resulted in some pinball in the box, but quick feet from Shine gave her the space to slot the ball home.
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And a second-half hat-trick from Kelly Brady wrapped it up, the striker scoring from Róisín Molloy and Shauna Brennan crosses before converting a last-minute penalty. That brought her league tally for the season to 19, moving her three ahead of Shels’ Mackenzie Anthony in the top scorers’ list.
Brady is American-born, but her father is from Monaghan, as she’ll hope Republic of Ireland manager Carla Ward might note.
Athlone eased their way to their win, despite being at the tail end of a gruelling schedule that included the conclusion to their debut season in European competition.
It’s only five years since the club made its debut in the Premier Division, and here they are, champions two years on the bounce.
Not since Shelbourne in 2016, in a league that featured just seven teams as opposed to this campaign’s 12, has a side gone unbeaten through an entire season. If Athlone can avoid defeat away to Peamount and at home to Sligo Rovers in their final fixtures, they’ll match the feat.
After that, they’ll turn their thoughts to achieving their first ever league and cup double – Bohemians are their opponents in the FAI Cup final in Tallaght on October 19th. It’s been some season.
