DERRY City's failure to overcome a rejuvenated Sligo Rovers at the Brandywell on Saturday night, has given Shelbourne a significant confidence boost as the Premier Division Championship draws to a close.
Shelbourne, now eight points adrift of the league leaders, but with a game in hand, entertain Derry at Tolka Park on April 11th and that match could go a long way to deciding this year's champions.
But Sligo boss, Jimmy Mullen, despite his side's shock win, had no doubts as to which team would take the title.
"Derry are the best team in the league, there's no doubt about that. And our victory will not change my opinion. The only way Derry can lose the championship is by losing it themselves," he said after the game.
"We got it tactically right on the night and, from our point of view the victory is a massive one considering the shambles we experienced against Bray last week at the Showgrounds," he added.
Brandywell boss, Felix Healy, did not seem overly concerned. "These things happen in football," he said. "They got two shots and scored two goals in a match we should have won easily.
"But I've been repeatedly saying to journalists that league's are not won so easily. We're still eight points clear with six matches remaining and if I had been offered that at the start of the season, I would have grasped at it with both hands," he declared.
Healy's heart must have missed several beats during the first 25 minutes when Derry should have raced into a 3-0 lead. And striker Gary Beckett missed the easiest of those opportunities in the sixth minute when he ghosted in between Ian Lynch and goalkeeper, Alan O'Neill, to win possession. However, from only five yards the 22 year old failed to place the ball in the unguarded net, his snap shot squeezed agonisingly wide of the post - it was a terrible miss.
Ryan Coyle had a close range shot saved by O'Neill's legs eight minutes later while Beckett's superb control on the edge of the Sligo area resulted in his volley crashing off the base of the upright with O'Neill beaten in the 25th minute.
Totally against the run of play, Sligo broke the deadlock following a long throw in by Clint Brown in the 31st minute. The ball was flicked on inside the box falling perfectly to Lee Thew who blasted home from close range.
From Derry's point of view, that goal was fashioned by uncharacteristic sloppy defensive play and the same situation must be applied to Sligo's second strike in the 59th minute.
The villain on this occasion was right back Declan Boyle, who needlessly lost possession in a vital area to Padraig Moran and his speculative shot found the Derry net despite a valiant attempt to save by the startled Tony O'Dowd.
