Kelly Brady is hopeful of finishing on top of two tables after playing her part in a win that has put Athlone Town within sight of a second SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division title in a row.

The striker netted Athlone’s second on Saturday as they beat nearest rivals Shelbourne 2-1 at Tolka Park to move four points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Should the midlanders beat bottom side Cork City on Wednesday at Turners Cross, the league title will be heading back to Athlone for the second season in succession, while they are also favourites in the Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup final against Bohemians on 19 October.

For US-born Brady, she is also vying for top spot in the league scorers’ charts, and sits level with Shelbourne counterpart Mackenzie Anthony on 16 goals each.

Speaking to RTÉ soccer correspondent Tony O’Donoghue after the win over Shels, Brady said she was hopeful that the result would help put the title race beyond doubt.

“I hope so,” she said of Athlone’s chances of finishing the job.

“I know Shels have only got two games left, we’ve got three.

“I’m hoping to score more goals and get to the top (of the scorers’ charts), secure my spot because it’s been a close race. Mackenzie is a great player and I just want to secure my spot.”

Athlone are not celebrating yet however, with the Cork City game in mind.

“Hopefully, we can secure the win. It’s a tough long journey down to Cork and we’ve still got to win the game, and then hopefully we can lift the cup,” Brady said.

Athlone’s run-in has been remarkable given the backdrop that they parted way with their manager Colin Fortune earlier this month but Brady is happy with how the squad dealt with the setback under caretaker boss John O’Sullivan.

“We have goals for our season and we just knew we have a great group and we just had to keep focused. Even though it was a little bit of turmoil,” she said.

“You don’t want to see a coaching change in the middle of a season but John has been doing a great job. He really lets us do what we’re best at. We respect him and he’s stepped in and done a great job.”

Shelbourne manager Eoin Wearen admitted that any hopes of winning the title were extinguished but equally felt his side had nothing more to give.

“It was win or bust today and we said to the players that it was almost like a cup final before the game,” he said.

“But I thought the pressure was on (Athlone). I don’t think anyone was going into these last few weeks and expecting us to accumulate a number of points to beat them.

“But we knew if we won today, we’d put them under serious pressure going into the last two or three games.

“That’s what we wanted to do and we knew the performance that we needed to put in to do that, and to be honest with you, I thought we did that.

“I thought for 70 minutes we were brilliant and it’s a reflection that their goalkeeper was getting player of the match, with the chances that we created and the pressure that we put them under.

“But they’re champions for a reason, they’re a good side, they punished us up the other end. They probably created four or five chances in the game and two of them they scored, extremely clinical as they have been all year.

“I said I couldn’t ask for anymore from the players but performance wise but unfortunately came out the wrong side result wise.”