Athlone take another stride towards league title glory

Athlone Town moved another step closer to claiming the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division crown as a Brenda Ebika Tabe double earned them a precious three points against Wexford FC at Ferrycarrig Park.

The sides went in level at the break as Ebika Tabe’s opener was quickly wiped out by a fantastic Ciara Rossiter strike midway through the half.

However, the pacesetters were back in front not long after the hour mark when Ebika Tabe pounced for the match-winning goal to send her side five points clear at the summit.

The hosts had their first sight of goal in the 14th minute when Ceola Bergin slipped a clever pass through to Áine Walsh, but her shot from the edge of the area was straight at goalkeeper Katie Keane.

Four minutes later the midlanders threatened when the lively Maddie Gibson whipped a dangerous ball across the face of goal and Isabal Ryan fed Róisín Molloy, who was thwarted by Jayne Merren.

The visitors got their noses in front with 20 minutes on the clock when a Maddie Gibson corner fell kindly for Brenda Ebika Tabe and the attacker forced the ball home from close range.

It took just five minutes for Wexford to respond though, and they did so in style with a superb left-footed Ciara Rossiter rocket from outside the area that simply flew into the top corner of the net, giving Keane no chance.

Wexford’s Orlaith Conlon tested the netminder following a raid forward in the 34th minute, while at the other end Róisín Molloy turned smartly, before firing a long-range effort wide shortly before the interval.

The league leaders attacked with menace down the right three minutes after the change of ends, but the inrushing Kellie Brennan fired off target after the ball had been played back to her by Isabel Ryan.

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