Dublin City - 1 Shelbourne - 2: They may have exited the Intertoto Cup last Sunday but Shelbourne came into this game on something of a high after a courageous performance in defeating Odense in the second leg of a tie which resulted in a 3-1 aggregate reverse.
And they carried that momentum into this Premier Division match to dismiss the challenge of a Dublin City side that seem to have lost the winning habit after starting life in the Premier Division so impressively. This was their third league defeat in a row. For Shels, it was their fifth consecutive league win as they play catch up having been in top spot before going on their European travels.
Spirited Dublin City actually started brightly despite their recent woes and could have opened the scoring after seven minutes but Damien Brennan headed Mark Rooney's corner over the crossbar. But that was the wake up call which sprung Shelbourne into action and they didn't have to wait too long before they took the lead.
It was harsh on Dublin City goalkeeper Gary Rogers who had made a brilliant stop to deny Glen Crowe from close range and push the ball behind for a corner. He barely had time to recover before Joseph Ndo's delivery was headed into the direction of the unmarked Bobby Ryan 25 yards out and his drive gave Rogers no chance. However, the City goalkeeper would have a moment to forget just before the break as he unfortunately played a major part in Shelbourne's second goal.
The initial mistake came from skipper Stuart Malcolm who fouled Crowe and was clearly feeling the effects of the ankle injury which dogged his preparation. He was replaced at half-time. That was too late as far as Dermot Keely was concerned as his men were two down. Jason Byrne's subsequent free kick after Malcolm's indiscretion caught Rogers off guard and he flapped the ball into the path of Ndo who converted from close range.
A slip-up from Shels centre half Seán Dillon allowed David Freeman to reduce the deficit in the 65th minute.
DUBLIN CITY: Rogers, Brennan, Doyle, Whelehan, Malcolm (Keely, 45 mins), Shiels, McGill, Pender, Roche (Crowley, 52 mins), Rooney, Freeman.
SHELBOURNE: Delaney, Heary, Rogers, Dillon, Hawkins, S Byrne, Ndo (O'Halloran, 70 mins), Ryan (R Baker, 87 mins), Cahill, Crowe, J Byrne (Harris, 84 mins).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork)
