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.
At the other end Ceola Bergin teed up Grace Fitzpatrick-Ryan, but the Wexford attacker was off balance and couldn’t get any purchase on the shot.
Moments later Bergin was through on goal herself, but she shot straight at the goalkeeper, while, with the game opening up, Athlone’s Kate Slevin fired a speculative effort from distance over the crossbar in the 55th minute.
Town regained the lead in the 62nd minute and again Maddie Gibson was involved, whipping a superb cross from the left wing that was brilliantly steered to the corner of the net by the head of Brenda Ebika Tabe.
Ciara Rossiter also had a second goal in her sights, but she drove a difficult first-time effort wide in the 75th minute, while Athlone continued to attack at every opportunity and Róisín Molloy headed a Shauna Brennan cross off target.
The table-toppers had to survive a scare in injury time when there was a goalmouth scramble following an Aoibheann Clancy corner, but a Teegan Lynch shot landed in the grateful arms of goalkeeper Katie Keane and they could breathe again.
Wexford FC: Jayne Merren; Méabh Russell, Della Doherty, Nicola Sinnott (capt, Teegan Lynch 75), Abby Tuthill, Orlaith Conlon; Grace Fitzpatrick-Ryan (Kylie Murphy 63), Aoibheann Clancy, Ciara Rossiter; Ceola Bergin (Rianna Jarrett 75), Áine Walsh (Leah McGrath 54).
Athlone Town: Katie Keane; Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Jessi Rossman, Shauna Brennan; Kate Slevin, Laurie Ryan (capt), Róisín Molloy, Maddie Gibson; Isabel Ryan (Emily Burke 59), Brenda Ebika Tabe (Hazel Donegan 84).
Referee: Ian O’Keeffe.
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