SOCCER / Setanta Cup / Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield: Supporters south of the Border may be on solid ground when they claim the league here is stronger than north of the Border, however, as Shelbourne continue to find to their frustration, there is something just a little bit special about the Linfield side that survived almost relentless pressure at Tolka Park to secure a point that sends them clear at the top of this close-fought group.

The newly-crowned Irish League champions came to Dublin unbeaten in 43 games and, though most have involved easy wins against all too ordinary opposition, they showed admirable resilience here as they survived the wrongful early dismissal of Paul McAreavey and a succession of close shaves to take a draw from a thrilling if, for the locals at least, frustrating game.

Shelbourne needed this game to follow an altogether different course to the two they had previously lost to the northerners and for once they started well, looking solid at the back, taking control of central midfield and exploiting the opponents' lack of width from early on.

Bobby Ryan, in particular, prospered out on the right flank even before the sending off, with the former Bohemians player given a good deal of freedom to run at Linfield left back Pat McShane.

With Jason Byrne playing a little deeper than Glenn Crowe, while Joseph Ndo and Jim Crawford pressed from just outside the area, the Shelbourne pressure was constant and, in stark contrast to their performance against Longford here on Friday, they produced a constant stream of chances with Ryan involved in most and Crowe central to the best of them.

During the first 25 minutes it was all Linfield could do to break out of their half and McAreavey's departure did little to enhance their chances of changing things.

It was, however, an awful decision by the match officials with David Crawley lucky to escape a booking for leaving his foot high after clearing a ball upfield and the northerners then presumably adjudged, after Alan Kelly had consulted his assistant Martin Moloney, to have kicked the Shelbourne player as he lay on the ground although no contact was actually made.

From the sidelines, David Jeffrey had little option but to haul one of his strikers back into midfield and so Peter Thompson was left to wander alone up front. Behind him, things just seemed to get worse for his team-mates with Jason Byrne firing over when he might have done better, Ryan going terribly close from just outside the area and Ndo seeing his scorching free turned wide six yards short of the target.

Crowe, though, twice came agonisingly close to opening the scoring for the Dubliners with the striker hitting the woodwork a minute or so each side of the half-time.

However, Shelbourne's approach work became less tidy as the second half wore on and, perhaps helped by a growing belief that they weathered the worst of the storm, the visitors even sought to catch their hosts on the break once or twice.

Pat Fenlon's side remained on top, though, and continued to look by far the more likely to score until the numbers were evened up 15 minutes from time when Colin Hawkins was dismissed for stamping on Michael Gault's back as the midfielder lay on the ground.

Even then they continued to press forward, but a late header from Crowe, sent just wide of the mark, was as close as they came to breaking the deadlock and avoiding a fourth straight competitive draw.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Hawkins, Rogers, Crawley; Ryan, Crawford (Reynolds, 49 mins), Ndo, Cahill (Kearney, 86 mins), J Byrne (O'Neill, 81 mins), Crowe.

LINFIELD: Mannus; Ervin, Hunter, Murphy, McShane; Gault, McAreavey, Mulgrew (Douglas, 58 mins), O'Kane; Thompson, Ferguson.

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).