The highs and lows of a vintage League of Ireland campaign

It was a vintage SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division as the title race went right down to the wire.

There's been some debate around the quality of the league, given the low points tally Shelbourne required to get over the line. However Shamrock Rovers' exploits in the Conference League perhaps lend more weight to the argument that this genuinely was just a really competitive division.

The 63-point title-winning total was low, for sure, but in a tough league with little between most teams, every point was hard-earned.

An enthralling campaign gave us plenty to talk about. We've picked out some of the highlights.

Ellis Chapman (Sligo Rovers v Derry City, 4 July 2024)
We had a selection box of long-range strikes and some superb free-kicks (Jake Mulraney against Shels and Jamie Gullan against St Pat's to name but two). However we're going with Chapman's mazy dribble and finish for two reasons: firstly, it's rare to see goals like it in an era where teams are so hyper-coached. The solo run and finish remains one of the game's most thrilling sights, and Chapman pulled it off in style. Secondly, it won Sligo the match, coming as it did in the 89th minute. It made Chapman's moment of magic even more special.

Ellis Chapman's superb solo goal for Sligo Rovers against Derry has been voted July's LOI Goal of the Month