Champions Shamrock Rovers' quest for their first win of 2023 goes on as they were frustrated on a chilly spring evening in Drumcondra.
Shels' solid structure is well-known to all and, while they rode their luck here and created next to nothing, they will feel they did enough to earn a point. Rovers will have regrets.
The Hoops, like in all of their games this year, were good in patches and comfortably the better team here but the main positive they can take from their night's work was that Derry failed to beat Dundalk.
Somehow, five rounds of games in, rather unheralded Bohemians are top with 12 points, Rovers eight behind their big rivals.
As Richie Towell followed the trajectory of his wild volley early in this game, wondering for some time whether it would go out for a goal kick or a throw, one was already wondering was this going to be one of those nights. And it was.
Neat play from Jack Byrne helped Neil Farrugia into a dangerous area before a vital Evan Caffrey block.
Paddy Barrett, looking really lean, fizzed a pass at Jack Moylan and after a clumsy challenge from Dan Cleary, the former Dundalk man got booked and subsequenly replaced at the interval. Given Rovers' poor disciplinary record in this fledgling season, it was a worry for boss Stephen Bradley.
Rovers nearly went in front midway through the half. Galwegian Rory Gaffney saw former Galway United keeper Conor Kearns race off his line and his curling effort trailed away from goal, Shels clearing the danger.
Byrne and Farrugia were combining really well, as Rovers edged on top, the half-hour approaching. Byrne was pulling the strings and angled a lovely pass into Towell, who looked for a penalty but referee Paul McLoughlin was understandably not having it.
The game was petering towards half-time when a sweet Graham Burke pass put Gaffney raiding down the left but captain Luke Byrne made a brave block.
The atmosphere was bizarrely flat but, to be fair to the locals, they had hardly any chances to cheer about in the first half. Then Mattie Smith combined with Moylan but he blazed his effort badly wide.
By far the best chance of the game came in the fifth minute of the second half. Byrne put it on a proverbial plate for Gaffney but, from a handful of yards, Gaffney headed tamely, straight into the clasp of a relieved Kearns.
Midway through the half, Gaffney's neat layoff put Towell in space down the right and he hammered a shot at Kearns, who palmed over, the game belatedly coming to life.
Rovers made changes aplenty to try to belatedly get the better of a resolute Reds defence. In truth, this game was forgettable, the scoreline reflecting same.
Shelbourne: Kearns; Barrett (Ledwidge 46) Byrne, Caffrey; JR Wilson, Lunney (McManus 55), Molloy, T Wilson; Farrell, Smith (Leavy 65), Moylan (Robinson 82).
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Cleary (Grace 46), Lopes, Hoare; Farrugia, Byrne, O'Neill, Towell (Kenny 84), Kavanagh (Clarke 78); Burke (Burt 88); Gaffney.
Referee: P McLoughlin (Donegal).
