Galway United overcame Athlone Town in a five-goal thriller at Eamon Deacy Park to bring the curtain down on a thrilling 2024 SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division.
Julie-Ann Russell set the hosts on their way before Jenna Slattery netted - ensuring she would finish as top scorer. Hazel Donegan scored shortly after the break but Eve Dossen made sure of the three points with a fine header as Donengan struck late to make it a nervy last couple of minutes.
With one eye on next week’s Women's FAI Cup showpiece against Shelbourne and the carrot of a double, Ciaran Kilduff rang the changes against one of only two teams to beat the champions this season.
Following a blistering start to the game in which Athlone’s Roisin Molloy tested Jess Berlin early on with a great hit from outside the area, it was all the hosts from then on.
With just seven minutes on the clock, the highly rated Katie Keane was forced into an incredible point blank stop from Russell’s powerful header.
Moments later Lucy Grant saw her 35-yard free kick come crashing off the bar as the pressure ramped up.
Phil Trill’s side, who were in the title race until a couple of weeks ago, eventually took the lead with 20-minutes played when skipper, and player-of-the-match Slattery won the ball in midfield and drove at the heart of the Athlone defence. The talented 20-year-old let fly with a powerful low strike that Keane got down well to save and could have maybe done better with but couldn’t hold in the end and the ball fell invitingly into the path of Russell who reacted quickly to tap home.
Despite missing the likes of star player Madison Gibson, Molloy was in inspired form looking to carry the can for her side, marauding down the left at every opportunity to try and stem the flow of Galway attacks.
But minutes before the break the home side deservedly doubled their lead when Slattery went on an unstoppable solo run to get the goal her dominant midfield performance deserved.
Clearly unhappy at what he saw, Kilduff made a triple substitution at the break and must have read the riot act for their first half performance, as his side came flying out of the traps.
Less than 10-minutes after the restart Emily Burke saw her volley well tipped over by Berlin, but from the resulting corner substitute Donegan rose unmarked at the back post to half the deficit and it looked like it was game on again.
With the game finely balanced both sides continued to pour forward. And just after Donegan looked to get in behind from a brilliant ball by Molloy, the hosts went straight down the other end and restored their two-goal advantage through a well taken Dossen header, who got on the end of a deep Slattery free-kick.
In keeping with the theme of the afternoon the chances kept flowing as the game entered the dying embers, and with a couple of minutes remaining Donegan delightfully lifted the ball over the onrushing Berlin for her second of the evening.
Time got the better of the visitors in the search for their equaliser as referee Lucas Keating brought a game that perfectly summed up the enthralling season to an end.
Galway United: Jessica Berlin; Aoibheann Costello, Jamie Erickson, Eve Dossen, Lucy Jane Grant (Ava Mullins, 63’); Isabella Beletic (Roisin Jacob, 83’), Jenna Slattery; Amanda Smith (Heather Loomes, 73’), Emma Doherty (Abbie Callanan, 73’), Julie-Ann Russell; Aislinn Meaney (Emily Kavanaugh, 83’)
Subs not used: Abbiegayle Ronayne, Rola Olusola,Therese Kinnevey, Emma Duffy
Athlone Town: Katie Keane (Amy Mahon, 77’); Ciara O’Neill (Hazel Donegan, 45’), Shauna Brennan, Jesi Rossman; Mary Phillips (Kayleigh Shine, 46’), Kate Slevin, Emily Burke, Taylor Anderson; Isabel Ryan (Kellie Brennan, 46’), Roisin Molloy, Brenda Tabe
Subs not used: Laurie Ryan, Madison Gibson, Aoife Murphy O’Connor
Referee: Lucas Keating
Stephanie Zambra brought the curtain down on her career in style as the former Republic of Ireland international scored a second-half equaliser for Shamrock Rovers as they drew 1-1 with Shelbourne at Tallaght Stadium.
Earlier this week, the 35-year-old announced that she would be retiring after Saturday's game, calling time on a playing career that saw her represent her country 58 times and famously saw her nominated for the 2014 FIFA Puskas Award.
It just had to be! 🤩
— LOI Women (@LoiWomen) October 12, 2024
Stephanie Zambra scores in her last ever game! 👏 What a finish too!#WLOI | @RoversWomen pic.twitter.com/XByaVOab82
But it was Shelbourne, who hit the front through the prolific Kate Mooney on 59 minutes.
However, the lead would not last long as Zambra found the net to level matters, before leaving the pitch to a standing ovation in the 84th minute.
Shelbourne finish the season second behind champions Athlone, while Rovers' resurgence in the second half of the season sees them end up fifth.
Orlaith Conlon scored a brace including a second-half equaliser for Wexford as the league's fourth-place team salvaged a 2-2 draw away at bottom side Sligo Rovers.
Conlon had put the visitors in front with a left-footed strike from outside the box which looped over the goalkeeper but Sligo, buoyed by last week's first win of the season, fought back following an own goal via Sarah Kiernan's cross on the half hour mark and Anna McDaniel's finish just after half-time.
But Conlon ensured the points were shared, scoring after a second-half set-piece.
Treaty United finished the season seventh after a 1-0 win away at 2023 league champions Peamount United who must settle for sixth spot.
Danielle Steer scored the only goal of the game just before half-time for Treaty as the Limerick club accumulated 15 more points than the last season's haul which had left them second from bottom.
Treaty subsequently confirmed that manager Dominic Foley, a former Republic of Ireland, Wolves, Watford and League of Ireland forward, would depart the club after guiding them to their best league finish to date, with the decision "agreed a number of weeks ago". The club added that they will announce a new manager a next week.
Bohemians also ended the campaign on a positive note with a 2-0 home win over DLR Waves.
Lisa Murphy and Savannah Kane scored goals in each half as Bohs finished eighth.
Watch Greece v Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary with 2fm's Game On.
Watch Derry City v Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland on Monday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Kick-off 7.15pm. Follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app
