Shelbourne 1 Derry City 2: When they heard the news from across the city, the visitors must have wondered quite how it is that their only defeat on their visits to Dublin so far this season came at Belfield.

Still, a second win in three weeks at Tolka Park reinforced the impression the Derry players like their trips to the capital and Stephen Kenny has the measure of the champions, whom the Northerners have now played seven times in league and cup since he took charge without losing once.

The home side started well enough as they sought to add to recent wins over Waterford and Longford to keep pace with league leaders Cork.

Their cause was helped early on by the fact not everyone in the City defence appeared to be on the same wavelength, and on more than one occasion there was a slightly frantic air about the way David Forde had to tidy things up.

It was all promising enough stuff from the point of view of the Dubliners. However, as it turned out it was, with two chances of note, to be their most productive spell of the first half; for their visitors gradually got on top of their task around the edge of their own area, after which Forde had only to cope with a series of high balls and set-pieces, all of which he did comfortably.

In the Shelbourne goal, Dean Delaney had somewhat more trouble coping at key moments. He was beaten twice in the space of six minutes owing, in no small part, to the inability of his defenders to close down opponents. The defence allowed first Killian Brennan and then Mark Farren to score with fine finishes from long- and close-range shots respectively.

The second came with 24 minutes played and Shelbourne took some time to come up with anything by way of reply. In every part of the pitch they were hustled when attempting to settle on the ball and in attack neither Byrne nor Glen Crowe seemed capable of carving out even a half-decent chance to test Forde.

That changed not long after the break when Byrne was only narrowly off target with a fine shot. There could have been a penalty at the other end when Shelbourne's Bobby Ryan looked to push Alan Murphy in the box and a goal from the spot would surely have sealed things, but the incident passed and Shelbourne started to show the stomach for a fightback.

City did well to survive a prolonged goalmouth scramble eight minutes into the second period, when Eamon Doherty cleared off the line and Crowe hit the post.

Five minutes later Byrne halved the difference between the teams when he dived low to head Richie Baker's cross past Forde into the bottom-right corner.

From that point on it was pretty much one-way traffic, but City clung on, albeit shakily at times, to secure the win and three points that leave them just one behind Pat Fenlon's side with two games in hand.

SHELBOURNE: Delaney; Heary, Rogers, Crawley, Cahill; Baker (Fitzpatrick, 79 mins), S Byrne, Ndo, Ryan (Hoolahan, 59 mins); J Byrne, Crowe (O'Neill, 88 mins).

DERRY CITY: Forde; McCallion (Higgins 52 mins), Hutton, McChrystal, Hargan; McGlynn, Murphy (Martyn, 59 mins), Doherty, K Brennan; Beckett, Farren (O'Flynn, 88 mins).

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).