The meeting of the top two teams in the eircom Premier Division tonight produced a cracking game of football with Shelbourne coming out on top 2-1 against bitter rivals St Patrick's Athletic. Although there's always some tension in this derby fixture, this time it was more contentious than most because of the controversy surrounding the two clubs after St Pat's were recently awarded nine points that had been deducted from them earlier in the season for fielding an improperly registered player, thus leapfrogging them above Shels to the top of the table.
It was a game that Shels simply had to win for a number of reasons and they went about it in determined style. With only ten minutes on the clock at Tolka Park, Davy Byrne was fouled in the area and Stephen Geoghegan crowned his 350th appearance by scoring from the spot. Eight minutes later Shels doubled their lead when Jim Crawford produced a brilliant finish when he volleyed Peter Hutton's cross ball into the back of the St Pat's net.
A remarkable double save from Seamus Kelly kept Pat's in the game and back they came. On 33 minutes Colm Foley steered in a header from Martin Russell's cross. The second-half produced no goals so this result puts Shels back on top of the table and there's no doubt that they deserve to be there after a gritty performance.
Shamrock Rovers hosted Dundalk at Richmond Park and enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 victory. Having taken just eight points from a possible 21, it now seems Rovers' title hopes are back on track after this latest result. First half goals from Pat Scully and Sean Francis built up a 2-0 lead at the break but Dundalk pulled one back through John Flanagan. Billy Woods calmed Rovers' nerves on 64 minutes making it 3-1 while Francis got a second to make it 4-1 15 minutes from the final whistle.
Drogheda United have gone top of the First Division after a 2-1 win over Sligo Rovers. Sean Flannery put Sligo ahead after 14 minutes but Damian Whitehead equalised on 31. Declan O'Brien gave Drogheda the lead with six minutes to go, and with Sligo's Ian Rossiter sent-off in the 69th minute all hope of a point was gone.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
