Champions Shelbourne extended their lead at the top of the Women's National League table to seven points with a hard fought win at home to DLR Waves.
A blistering second half performance from the home side, in which they grabbed two goals in a minute through Saoirse Noonan and Jess Ziu set the home side on their way following a slow first half by their high standards.
Ziu grabbed her second and a towering Shauna Fox header made sure of all three points and enacted revenge over the Waves - who had handed Shels both their only defeat and only goal conceded this season, just four weeks previous.
With title rivals Wexford Youths and Peamount United drawing on Saturday evening, it leaves Shels with an increasingly commanding lead at the summit after 11 games.
In the Reds' third Dublin Derby in a row, having seen off bitter rivals Peamount and Bohemians in recent weeks, Noel King named an unchanged side from last weeks impressive 3-0 win at Dalymount Park.
The visitors, who included a host of ex-Shels players in their line-up including Lyn Craven, Jess Gleeson and Fiona Donnelly, to name but a few, started brightly as Kate Mooney swivelled on the edge of the area but dragged her shot just wide of the near post.
The hosts knew a battle was on the cards, and responded well, as Alex Kavanagh looked to dominate possession in the midfield and dictate the game.
The Finglas native was at the heart of Shels' best chance, playing a delightful ball over the top for Noelle Murray who volleyed first time, forcing Eve Badana into a great save.
Both sides looked a threat as the half progressed with speedsters Kate Mooney and Jess Ziu looking dangerous out wide for their respective teams, but there was little in terms of goalmouth action.
Oleta Griffin and Sarah McKevitt had speculative efforts from distance for the visitors Just before the break the game threatened to spark to life as a Kate Mooney thunderbolt destined for the top corner was smartly tipped around the post by Amanda Budden and Shels went straight down the other end and Saoirse Noonan was unlucky not to see her looping header nestle in the back of the net.
The home side upped the tempo in the second half, moved the ball quicker and hit the visitors with a quick-fire double just seven minutes after the restart.
Firstly, Saoirse Noonan reacted sharply to Jess Gleeson's miscontrol in the Waves area and volleyed home from point blank range.
Just seconds later on the counter, super-sub Abbie Larkin raced down the left wing and teed up fellow Irish international Ziu, who made no mistake with a well taken finish on the run.
With the bit between their teeth, the home side looked determined to kill the game off. Larkin was playing like a woman possessed and had a number of good strikes cutting in from the left wing and causing havoc.
Midway through a hugely impressive second half, Shels ensured all three points would stay in Drumcondra as Ziu added the third, following some incredible work from Noelle Murray dribbling along the endline and putting it on a plate for the winger to do the rest, although Badana did well to got her hands to it.
Shauna Fox put the icing on the cake with a towering header, as Murray turned provider yet again with a whipped corner kick, and the defender did the rest guiding home to make it four.
Shelbourne FC: Amanda Budden, Jess Gargan, Jessie Stapleton, Pearl Slattery, Alex Kavanagh, Jessica Ziu (Gloria Douglas, 83’), Rachel Graham (Shauna Fox, 66’), Noelle Murray (Lia O’Leary, 83’), Keeva Keenan (Abbie Larkin, 45’), Chloe Mustaki, Saoirse Noonan (Aoife Kelly, 83’)
Subs not used: Amanda McQuillan, Jemma Quinn, Megan Smyth-Lynch, Taylor White
DLR Waves: Eve Badana, Lyn Craven, Jess Gleeson, Aoife Brophy, Fiona Donnelly, Oleta Griffin (Jane McKevitt, 75’), Sophie Watters, Nadine Clare (Rachel Doyle, 63’), Katie Malone, Sarah McKevitt (Kerri Letmon, 75’), Kate Mooney (Joy Ralph, 63’). Subs not used: Rugile Auskalnyte, Nicole Keogh, Louise Corrigan, Carla McManus, Avril Brierly
Referee: Sara Dyas.
Wexford Youths and Peamount United lost further ground in the race for the league title after a thrilling 3-3 draw between the sides in the 6pm kick-off.
Visitors Peamount took the lead through Erin McLaughlin on 13 minutes but a brace from Ellen Molloy saw the hosts turn the tables on them.
Sadhbh Doyle levelled for Peamount 10 minutes before the break but Wexford were back in front on 42 minutes via Kylie Murphy.
Aine O'Gorman equalised for Peamount just two minutes after the break which proved to be the last goal of the game and the final flashpoint came as Stephanie Roche's red card saw the visitors reduced to 10 players.
The draw keeps Wexford second, seven adrift of Shelbourne, while last year's runners-up Peamount are three points further back in fourth on 20 points.
It's Athlone Town who are third in the table as they continued their fine start to the season with a 4-1 home win over bottom side Treaty United.
Emily Corbet's brace in between goals from Jessica Hennessy and Muireann Devaney earned the midlanders' victory with a consolation for their Limerick-based opponents through Heidi O'Sullivan.
Galway climb to fifth above DLR Waves after a 1-1 draw at home against Bohemians.
Sinead Taylor gave Bohs the lead midway through the first half but Chloe Singleton earned a point for the hosts just before the break.
Elsewhere, Sligo Rovers beat second-from-bottom Cork City 2-0.
Emma Doherty gave the Bit o' Red an ideal start with the opening goal in the first minute.
One goal remained between the sides late into the game until Gemma McGuinnes made sure Sligo would keep all three points when she added a second with five minutes left to play and helped the debutant club up to seventh.
