Athlone Town came from behind to grab a massive win over Shelbourne that sent three points clear at the summit after a fiery and frenetic SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division clash at Tolka Park.
Having lost the influential Chloe Singleton to a nasty looking injury, goals from Brenda Ebika Tabe and Kerryann Ryan helped inflict a first defeat of the campaign on Shels, who had taken the lead through a Jemma Quinn stunner.
With the echoes of the AC/DC sound-check reverberating around the famous old ground, the real rock’n’roll took place on the hallowed turf of Tolka as the league's top two faced off.
Both teams, separated only on goal difference prior to kick-off, wasted no time feeling each other out, going straight for the jugular from the first whistle.
Roma McLaughlin tested Katie Keane in the first minute but the Irish under-19 stopper was equal to the strike.
Minutes later the visitors went rampaging down the left before Maddie Gibson delivered a deep cross to the back post finding Roisin Molloy, who saw her close-range volley bravely blocked.
Former Cameroon youth International Brenda Ebika Tabe was in from the start, replacing star forward Casey Howe who picked up an early injury in last week's win against Sligo Rovers.
Tabe was bright, controlling with her chest and turning before drilling a low shot straight at Amanda McQuillan.
The visitors, really growing in confidence, were left scratching their heads at just how they hadn't gotten in front midway through the half as gilt-edged chances went begging.
First Tabe failed to direct her free header on target from just six yards out before Singleton burst into the area to latch onto a deep cross but saw her effort on the stretch come back off the crossbar.
The game completely flipped on its head moments later as the whole ground came to a halt as distressing scenes unfolded. Singleton did brilliantly to get back goal side and deny Maggie Pierce a shot from the edge of the area but in doing so seemed to badly injure her lower leg. The paramedics were urgently called and she was swiftly taken off on a stretcher to rapturous applause.
The misery was compounded for Ciaran Kilduff’s side when Jemma Quinn exquisitely controlled Christie Gray’s cross from the right wing, on her thigh before turning and unleashing an unstoppable volley high into the top corner.
But Athlone showed huge character to level on the stroke of half-time thanks to the thorn in Shels side, Tabe, who took advantage of some sloppy play in the Reds defence before forcing the ball past McQuillan at the second attempt.
The chances continued to flow into the feisty second half with both sides going agonisingly close.
Kerryann Brown unleashed a thunderbolt in a crowded area that was sharply saved by the feet of McQuillan, just before Shels centurion Jess Gargan delivered a pinpoint cross onto the head of Quinn who failed to get any connection on her header.
Minutes later Quinn couldn’t have gone any closer as this time she did manage to get her head on another excellent Gargan delivery but this time saw the ball crash off the bar and away to safety.
The ping-pong nature of the game continued as both sides having chances galore to get that all-important winner and with just five minutes remaining it was the Town who were given the golden opportunity to take all three points when McQuillan was adjudged to have caught Shauna Brennan late, as the ball bounced between the two.
Kerryann Brown showed incredible composure to take responsibility, drown out the noise and smash the ball home from 12 yards and give her side a huge advantage as the title race enters the home stretch.
Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan, Keeva Keenan, Pearl Slattery, Leah Doyle (Noelle Murray 81), Alex Kavanagh, Hannah Healy (Megan Smyth-Lynch 46), Jemma Quinn (Kate Mooney 68), Roma McLaughlin, Jess Gargan, Maggie Pierce, Christie Gray (Eadbha O’Mahony 68)
Athlone Town: Katie Keane, Kellie Brennan, Kayleigh Shine, Shauna Brennan, Jesi Lynne Rossman, Chloe Singleton (Emily Burke 32), Kerryanne Browne, Laurie Ryan, Roisin Molloy (Isabel Ryan 90+2), Brenda Ebika Tabe (Hazel Donegan 90), Maddie Gibson
Referee: Claire Purcell
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