Shelbourne threw down the championship gauntlet to Dublin rivals St Patrick's Athletic as they went to the top of the Premier Division table, albeit on goal difference, after coming from behind to out-play UCD in the second half at Tolka Park last night.
Left-footed midfielder Pat Fenlon was Shelbourne's unlikely match winner with two goals, both from his right foot, inside a fourminute period early in the second half after Pat Scully had equalised Ken Kilmurray's opening strike for UCD.
It's becoming a habit of Shelbourne's to give visiting teams a goal or more start and that concession was afforded to UCD. It could have come as early as the fourth minute as sloppy defending by Scully allowed a ball from Damien Bolger to bounce over him and present Kilmurray with a shooting chance from 25 yards which was well over Alan Gough's crossbar.
But the young UCD striker wasn't as wasteful when given a more clear-cut opening on 17 minutes.
The tigerish Ciaran Kavanagh won the ball in midfield, pushed it past a half-hearted challenge, and toe-poked the ball through to Kilkmurray whose finish was perfect, as his low right-foot drive flew into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.
It was the wake up call Shelbourne needed and they were level within four minutes from their first corner.
Scully stooped low to get his head to Baker's corner and direct the ball home for his eighth league goal of the season.
Fully awake now, Shelbourne gradually took a hold on the game and might have been in front by the break; Kavanagh had to clear off the line from a Campbell header while Tony Sheridan wasted a chance.
The second-half was totally onesided as Shelbourne turned on the style. Baker, excellent throughout, collected a throw from Sheridan to shoot straight at Seamus Kelly within five minutes, while the UCD goalkeeper did well to punch away a cross from the Shelbourne striker a minute later.
A fortuitous deflection presented Shelbourne with their lead inside a further minute. UCD captain Aidan Lynch was unlucky to see his clearance strike Baker and fall kindly for Fenlon who shot home with his right foot from 15 yards.
Fenlon's right foot then put the game beyond UCD on the hour when Rutherford's cross again broke well for him and he once more shot low past Kelly.
Stephen Geoghegan might have put some further gloss on the scoreline but shot a Fenlon cross against the crossbar on 81 minutes. Kavanagh was then deprived of a goal by a brilliant save from Gough at the other end six minutes from time.
Shelbourne: Gough; Costello, McCarthy, Scully, Neville; Sheridan, Campbell, Baker, Fenlon, Rutherford; S Geoghegan. Sub: Kelly for Geoghegan (82 mins).
UCD: Kelly; Bolger, Lynch, Palmer, Fitzgerald; Bennis, Kavanagh, O'Byrne, O'Donnell; Kilmurray, Griffin. Subs: Sherlock and Martin for Kilmurray and Bennis (both 80 mins).
Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).
