SOCCER: Just a week after they went to Dalymount Park trailing their great rivals by a single point Shelbourne were crowned eircom League champions last night with Pat Fenlon's men securing their third victory in eight days to go seven points clear at the top of the table with two games remaining as Bohemians crashed to defeat at 0₂ Park. Emmet Malone, Soccer correspondent, reports.

With the Drogheda game having kicked off 15 minutes late the home support crowded under Tolka Park's New Stand to listen to commentary on RTÉ radio from 30 miles up the road in the aftermath of their own side's win.

With Stephen Kenny's men already two down the celebrations were in full flight well before the final whistle arrived but only then did the Shelbourne players emerge from their dressing room to join a party that looked set to continue long into the night.

Jason Byrne, with his 19th of the campaign, and Jamie Harris, an inspired summer buy from St Patrick's Athletic, provided the goals that earned the Dubliners a 2-0 victory over Cork while Declan O'Brien and Gary Cronin scored those that finally killed off the Bohemians' challenge.

Shelbourne's victory, though, was about much more than just their goalscorers with the team proving beyond doubt that they had the steel to press home an advantage they had won back for themselves after many had felt it was going to be another year of heartache for the club.

"I was here a couple of times as a player myself when we lost it on the last day of the season," said manager Pat Fenlon afterwards, "and I know a lot of people thought it was going to happen again but it was never going to, not with these lads. They're stronger than that.

"We have good players but it takes more than good players. We've lost games this year, big games. The Sligo cup match and the European tie, games like that, but the way they've bounced back each time has been tremendous. They did everything I asked of them and more."

Fenlon was asked about the contributions of last night's scorers, particularly Byrne who has more than justified the substantial investment Shelbourne made last summer. "Jason's been fantastic since he signed for us, so has Jamie. But it's wrong to single people out. It's been hard to leave anyone out for the last few weeks and you only have to look at the attitude of lads like Thomas (Morgan) and Wes (Hoolahan) who were terrific at Dalymount last week and then found themselves on the bench, which is hard to take. That's the sort of thing that wins you the league as much as the players who do it for you week in week out and we've had a lot of them."