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WNL preview: Three-horse title race comes to the boil

(L to R): Pearl Slattery, Jessica Hennessy and Kylie Murphy
(L to R): Pearl Slattery, Jessica Hennessy and Kylie Murphy

Once again the SSE Airtricity Women's National League is heading for a remarkable last day of action, with three teams still in with a chance of winning the title.

Last year Shelbourne went into their last fixture, at home to Wexford Youths, two points behind Peamount United, who faced Galway at home.

When the Peas went 2-0 up, that looked to be that, but Galway stormed back to win 5-2 and Shels held their nerve at Tolka Park to edge past Wexford 3-2 and snatch the trophy.

It was an incredible afternoon of drama - and yet tomorrow could well top it.

Shels go from being the hunter to the hunted this time as they sit top, one point ahead of Wexford Youths and two clear of Athlone Town, the season's surprise package.

Peamount were still in the mix up until last weekend but a thrilling 3-3 draw with Wexford Youths wiped them out of the equation.

It's a three-horse race with two of the contenders - Wexford Youths and Shels - meeting in an absolute blockbuster. A win for either side hands the title.

Wexford simply have to win, while a draw would leave the door open for Athlone to force a play-off with Shels.


Wexford Youths v Shelbourne, Ferrycarrig Park, 5.20pm

What a game we have on our hands here.

Wexford and Shels are almost always involved when it comes to handing out the prizes at the end of a season, and they're right in the thick of it once more.

The treatment room at Ferrycarrig Park has been just as busy as Dublin Airport this year, and that's led to young players getting opportunities to prove themselves.

Youths have a long history of giving a chance to rising players, particularly since the introduction of the EA SPORTS Women's National Under-19 and Under-17 Leagues, which have felt like a talent factory producing new stars every year.

In 2022, the likes of Claudia Keenan, Meabh Russell, Grace Fitzpatrick Ryan, Freya De Mange, Emma Walker, Síun Murdiff, Jess Lawler and Áine Walsh have broken through. Not bad for a team competing for the title, where the focus would normally be on sticking with a core of experienced players.

Manager Stephen Quinn has placed his trust in these young players because they are good enough and the structures at the club mean that they are being coached in the right way. It is the same with someone like Michaela Lawrence who made the switch mid-season from Treaty United.

Quinn might admit that some of the young players have been promoted out of necessity due to their ever-growing injury list, but that has not stopped them from excelling on the biggest stage for women's domestic football in the country. They have chipped in with important goals too: Lawler (3), Walker, Walsh (2), Russell (1).

Whatever happens tomorrow, Wexford are shaping a roster of exciting players who should form the backbone to their team for a few years to come. That in itself is really exciting. But the focus is very much on tomorrow.

Standing their way is a Shels outfit packed with experience.

They have a lot of players who've been there and done it; players who've tasted the bitterness of defeat, the agony of injury, the frustration of harsh decisions and the sweet glory of success.

In Pearl Slattery and Rachel Graham, Shels have two of the most experienced footballers in the league.

As the Reds stand of the brink of back-to-back titles, it is Slattery and Graham who they will turn to.

While they remain outstanding performers on the pitch, the real influence from the double act will come on the team bus, in the dressing room, in periods of play when their team is under pressure and in those moments when the right words are needed more than just cliches. They are leaders because they say the right thing at the right time.

Of course, Slattery and Graham can play too. They wouldn't still be involved in Noel King's team if they were just offering words of encouragement. Slattery is a defender who reads the game superbly, while Graham is a conductor who connects play so smoothly that she could probably do it blindfolded.

The best thing about the pair is that they bring the best out in the team-mates around them. Watch Jessie Stapleton copy the approach that Slattery has roadtested for many years or look at how Alex Kavanagh and Megan Smyth-Lynch try to replicate what Graham does whether she is in posession of the ball or not.

These are the traits that have made Slattery and Graham into the players that they are. They have history when it comes to title tilts and big days. They know what is needed to get through them and where the pitfalls are too. This is why they are experienced. And it is why Shels need them so badly.

Bohemians v Athlone Town, Dalymount Park, 5.20pm

What a season it's been for Athlone. Tommy Hewitt has been playing down their title chances for the last few months and yet here they are, 90 minutes away from potentially being crowned champions - and they're in the FAI Cup final to boot.

The midlanders have thrived due to good coaching, young talent and team unity. Yet that hasn't stopped Jessica Hennessy from standing out again and again.

The towering defender has been superb all year. She has been so good that many have scribbled her name down as a contender for Player of the Year.

A quick look at her stats showcase her impact with 25 shots blocked, 176 interceptions made and 81 aerial duels won. When one sees those numbers they can begin to understand why opposition forwards complain about finding it difficult to find a way past her.

Hennessy is the rock at the back for Athlone. She has consistently been there for her team at crucial times and stepped up in the big games. Every team needs a player like her if they have any ambition to climb up a league table or to challenge for a Cup.

However, it is not just her defensive attributes that have made her such an influential player this year; she is also superb with the ball at her feet. She has made 261 long passes - 220 of which are considered to be progressive passes. So she is not just lumping it up the pitch, she is picking out team-mates to create attacking situations.

The TUS Midlands student still has a lot to learn and that is a little bit scary for other players in the league. But right now, she should be held up as one of the best players this season.

They have one more big push tomorrow in a tricky game at Dalymount, but whatever happens, this has been a cracking campaign or Athlone. The future is bright.


SATURDAY FIXTURES

Treaty United v Cork City, 1pm

Sligo Rovers v DLR Waves, 3pm

Wexford Youths v Shelbourne, Ferrycarrig Park, 5.20pm

Bohemians v Athlone Town, Dalymount Park, 5.20pm

Galway v Peamount, 5.20pm

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