Chances were at a premium at a wind-swept Morton Stadium as Sporting Fingal and Shelbourne were unable to muster a goal.
Shels played most of the game with ten men after Alan Murphy received a straight red card on 25 minutes for a late tackle on Conan Byrne and they were lucky to be on terms at the break after Daniel Corcoran and Byrne were both denied by goalkeeper Dean Delaney.
The Reds should have snatched the points with 15 minutes left but James Keddy wasted the chance by heading tamely at Steve Williams from close range.
Sporting dominated the first half and Corcoran set the tone with a wicked shot after five minutes which Delaney stooped low to turn away for a corner.
Byrne galloped through the defence from the left wing seven minutes before the break and forced a fine stop out of the keeper.
The winger was well positioned for the ensuing corner and screwed a shot from 12 yards just wide of the right post.
Shels posed more of a threat early in the second half, putting the hosts under the cosh with a series of corners and Colm James had to be alert on 58 minutes to clear Alan Byrne's header off the goal-line with goalkeeper Steve Williams well beaten.
However, the best of opportunity of the game fell to Shelbourne substitute James Keddy, and he will wonder how he failed to trouble his former team-mate Steve Williams with his header after being left unmarked inside the penalty area.
Sporting Fingal (4-4-2): Williams; Tyrell, Rogers, Collins (P. Byrne 79), Kelly; Gannon (McArdle 87), James, P. Caffrey, C. Byrne; Hynes, Corcoran (Doyle 72).
Shelbourne (4-4-2): Delaney; Murphy, Byrne, Brennan, Hedderman; Chambers, McGill, O'Brien, Rutherford (Keddy 46); Flood, Freeman.
Referee: Derek Tomney.
