Dana Scheriff marked her return to the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division with a goal that helped Athlone lift the President's Cup and she's targeting more silverware as the season progresses.
Scheriff is back playing for Athlone, the team where she won the Golden Boot in 2023 and helped the club to an FAI Cup triumph.
After that breakout season, Scheriff moved on, playing for FC Aarau in Switzerland, FC Brooklyn in New York, and Czech outfit Slavia Praha.
The striker rejoined the defending double champions last month, replacing Kelly Brady who moved to Crystal Palace in the off season and she made an immediate impact, scoring the winning goal in her side's 1-0 win over Shelbourne.
Scheriff came off the bench in the second-half and with 20 minutes to go, she stretched to sweep home from a Kellie Brennan cross.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport afterwards, Scheriff was pleased to make such a speedy impact on her return and she is encouraged by the progress the league has made in her absence.
"I'm excited to be back and get going. I've been really looking forward to representing Athlone again. It's been three years, I think, so I'm really happy to get some minutes.
"At halftime we had a good talk to the team to push forward. We needed more energy, so that's all I aimed to do.
"I mean, in terms of football, I think the level just in general in Ireland has really significantly gotten better since the last time I was here.
"With Athlone it feels like home, so I don't even say much has changed. This is just the beginning, I'm sure."
Athlone get their league campaign underway away to Sligo Rovers next week and Scheriff wants to see her team defend the league and cup double they won last season.
"That's the goal we set at the beginning of the season," she said. "I mean, Athlone Town won the Cup and the League last year, so we have to hold up those standards. I’m just looking forward to a really good season with the girls and the staff."
