Sion Swifts and Linfield both kept their slim hopes of winning the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership alive, as they drew Wednesday night’s encounter in Strabane.
Erin Fildara twice gave Tony McGinley’s side the lead but Linfield – who had won away to both Cliftonville and Crusaders in the past week – hit back each time through Rebecca McKenna and Alison Smyth respectively.
Perhaps the real winners of the night were league leaders Glentoran – who did not play – who are now five points clear of the Blues with two games to go, with Sion Swifts a further two points back but still possessing a game in hand.
The title is far from secure for the Glens yet as they have to play Sion – who defeated them earlier in the campaign – and travel to in-form Crusaders, while the Blues and Sion are still to face each other in South Belfast.
Crusaders Strikers ran out emphatic seven-goal victors at Cliftonville in the North Belfast derby on a night when striker Emily Wilson netted a remarkable four goals.
Claire Rooney’s own goal opened the scoring for the Strikers before Amy McGivern’s towering header from a corner doubled the score before the break.
Emily Wilson netted twice in the second half for Spike Hill’s Crusaders with the home side’s Fionnula Morgan sent-off in between those strikes, due to an off-the-ball incident – the third successive home game when Cliftonville have finished with 10 players.
The Crues then extended their lead to five as experienced defender and captain Julie Nelson scored directly from a free-kick to wrap up the points.
Wilson then netted twice more in the closing stages to complete her quartet of goals and wrap up an impressive derby triumph.
The result lifted Crusaders into third spot above Sion by two points, although the Strabane-based side have two games in hand.
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