A bizarre chain of events around the 36th minute mark more or less decided this lively affair at Tolka Park last night. Shelbourne had previously been kept at bay by a physically resolute Cork City defence, but then a handball, a sending-off, and a goal from a free kick gave them the momentum they needed to grab the three points and make the league's top spot their own.

Richie Baker was his troublesome best up and down the right side of the field from the start and it was fitting that he provided the break that led to the first goal. After leaving the Cork defence trailing, his shot was stopped well outside the box by the hands of goalkeeper Michael Devine. Immediate red card.

Cork made the necessary substitution and brought in Alan O'Shea. Yet, just as he took his place on the line, he saw the resulting free by James Keddy gain the slightest deflection off the Cork wall and drift into the corner of the net.

From then on, the 10-man Cork battled in vain to hold back a now dominant Shelbourne.

In truth, the game was dominated by the hosts. The first 25 minutes belonged almost exclusively to them and they could have been in front well before Keddy's sweetly-taken free.

Stephen Geoghegan made his presence felt from the outset, although he badly wasted his first chance to score. On 22 minutes, Richie Foran sent over the perfect cross from the right and with Devine badly placed, all Geoghegan had to do was sweep the ball into the net. Instead, he sent it over.

When Cork did press forward, they found the Shelbourne defence sleepy. Fergus O'Donoghue squandered the best chance just before the half hour.

Once Shelbourne scored, however, the only question that remained was how long Cork keep the deficit at just one goal.

The answer came 11 minutes into the second half when Richie Baker, let loose again on the right flank, produced a superb finish to put Shelbourne two up.

Cork didn't totally fade out of the picture, but Shelbourne's scoring opportunities were coming at more regular intervals. Foran certainly should have made it three when he only had O'Shea to beat 20 minutes from time. Instead the bookings just mounted on both sides (Mark Herrick was the fourth Cork man to see yellow) and the clocked ticked out without much further excitement.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Scully, McCarthy, John; R Baker, Doolin, Fenlon, Keddy; Geoghegan, Foran. Subs: D Baker for Geoghegan (half-time).

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, O'Donoghue, Daly, Coughlan; O'Halloran, Cahill, Gaughan, Herrick; Morley, Mulligan. Subs: O'Brien for O'Donoghue (35 mins), O'Shea for Mulligan (37 mins), Caulfield for O'Brien (45 mins).

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).