Shelbourne crush Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds

Shelbourne occupy top spot in the Women's Premier Division after they sailed past basement side Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.

Goals from Leah Doyle and Jemma Quinn, added to Kate Mooney's first-half brace, saw the Dubliners take all three points without much fuss in the northwest.

The victory takes Shels a point above fellow league-chasing hopefuls Athlone Town and Galway United, although both their rivals have the advantage of more games to play.

Without several first-team regulars and yet to win a league game this year, the mood in the Sligo camp can't have been helped by a strong start from the visitors.

Murray should have got the Shels party under way within seven minutes but got her co-ordinates all wrong when she nodded a Christie Gray cross wide of Bonnie McKiernan's goal. But Mooney didn't need to be asked twice as she fired the Dubliners into the lead 90 seconds later.

Murray was the provider for Mooney, who was left with a relatively simple finish from close range.

Sitting 10 points adrift at the foot of the table, Rovers did start the season with an encouraging scoreless draw away to Shels but have since fallen off, gathering just two more points with draws against Bohs and Treaty.

There were a few promising moments for the hosts in the opening period. Katie Melly and skipper Eimear Lafferty both worked Shelbourne goalkeeper Amanda McQuillan, while Jess Casey and Rachel McGoldrick both broke the defensive line without success before the break.

But the Drumcondra outfit's sheer attacking superiority shone through again 11 minutes from the break when Mooney added her second.

The ex-Peamount forward finished off a sweeping move which involved input from both Doyle and Murray.

Shels had a third three minutes later. The