An Evan Caffrey volley cancelled out Ruairi Keating's opener in an enthralling second half as Shelbourne and Cork City shared the spoils at Tolka Park.
Keating swept home from close range to put the visitors in front and this forced Shelbourne to come out of their shell and Caffrey’s deflected volley teed up a grandstand last 20 minutes.
The hosts continued their onslaught on the Cork goal but some heroic defending, including two goal line clearances, preserved a point for the Leesiders.
Shels are now winless in their last four games, while Cork’s first 90 minutes in Dublin saw them claim their first away point of the campaign.
Shelbourne, plagued by a virus in the camp, were slow to get going in this game, not helped by the flat atmosphere. Perhaps there was an air of expectancy in the crowd but Cork were not here to roll over and should have gone ahead in the fourth minute.
Bernardo Peixoto Couto swung in a free-kick with his left foot and captain Charlie Lyons’s header forced a superb save from Conor Kearns.
It took the hosts until the 20th minute to threaten the Cork goal as Ali Coote’s free-kick curled the wrong side of the post and rippled the side netting, prompting the Riverside stand to celebrate a goal in vain.
Coote was Shels’ brightest spark in an otherwise turgid first half, he set up Kerr McInroy in the box but Tein Troost expertly tipped over before running through the heart of the Cork midfield to force another smart save from Troost.
Cork ended the first half the stronger and Alex Nolan jinked his way majestically past a couple of challenges but couldn’t squeeze the ball by Kearns from a narrow angle.
Nolan was at the heart of it again, slipping Kitt Nelson in but his shot was held by Kearns before half-time.
Cork started the second half as they finished the first and after skewing a shot wide just two minutes after the restart, Keating was on hand to give the visitors a deserved lead in the 50th minute.
A speculative shot from Rio Shipston cannoned off Paddy Barrett’s head, forcing Kearns into a brilliant save with his feet but Keating pounced to sweep home the opener.
Shelbourne dominated to the whistle but Cork remained firm with Darragh Crowley proving a hero as he headed Sean Boyd’s scooped finish off the line.
The hosts got the goal they deserved through Caffrey who pounced on a poor header by Lyons with a rapturous volley.
Damien Duff’s side seemed more likely to get the winner with Coote volleying narrowly wide before being replaced by John Martin with ten minutes remaining.
Martin had an effort cleared off the line after Troost had fumbled a cross but Tim Clancy was left incensed with referee Rob Harvey for not penalising the substitute for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Amazingly, Cork almost snatched the victory, Milan Mbeng went charging down the wing and his pull back from the end line agonisingly avoided the onrushing Harvey Skieters in the 94th minute.
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns, Sean Gannon, Kameron Ledwidge, Ellis Chapman (Odubeko 46), Jonathan Lunney (Coyle 80), Harry Wood, Sean Boyd, Ali Coote (Martin 80), James Norris (O’Kane 67), Kerr McInroy, Paddy Barrett
Cork City: Tein Troost, Bernardo Peixoto Couto, Rio Shipston, Charlie Lyons, Ruairi Keating, Alex Nolan (Skieters 90), Kitt Nelson (Fitzpatrick 72), Sean Murray (Healy 78), Darragh Crowley, Milan Mbeng, Freddie Andersen
