WOUNDED champions are a dangerous species and, with a few old scores to settle, Dundalk took delight in denting Shelbourne's title ambitions at Tolka Park last night with their first win of 1996.

It was vintage Dundalk alright. Striking a minute into the second half, it was all hands to the till as they defended in depth, went through their repertoire of time wasting tactics, sought to strike on the break and kept getting bodies in the way, either legally or illegally.

Indeed, Dundalk underlined their competitiveness with four fouls in the first five minutes.

The frees mounted, with referee Joey Byrne awarding 44 in all. Home frustrations on and off the pitch also mounted as old wounds resurfaced. They go back to a long running Vinny Arkins James Coll feud and a pre season Presidents Cup final in which Mark Rutherford was sidelined for much of the season with a broken leg sustained in a collision with Richie Purdy.

Far from holding back, Purdy incurred the wrath of Tolka Park with a scything two footed lunge at Rutherford after 52 minutes and thereafter flirted with an early shower by diving in again and obstructing Rutherford, who bravely ran at him with the ball at his feet all night.

Hence, Shelbourne will have many complaints, but in many ways they can have none. They didn't play well. Their passing was often hurried and awry, as sometimes they struggled painfully to build up from the back.

The cool head and long range distribution of Mick Neville was missed; Gary Howlett's touch and distribution occasionally let him down, though he always went looking for the ball, and ditto an off colour Tony Sheridan, while John O'Rourke was anonymous. There were occasional moves of quality for the Tolka faithful, but they weren't sustained.

This was partly because Dundalk emulated Sligo and St Patrick's in going to Tolka and employing a third central midfielder, Anto Whelan, to counteract Shelbourne 4-5-1 formation.

Briefly, Shelbourne flickered just past the midway point. Seven passes swept in O'Rourke but John Connolly came off his line well, before a marginal offside decision hauled Stephen, Geoghegan back after a sensational first touch move up the right with Sheridan.

In first half injury time, Sheridan missed Shelbourne's best chance when he took Stephen Geoghegan's ret urn back heel in his stride only to shoot wide.

However, a minute after the interval Shelbourne were, undone by the number 27: Keith Long swept it toward the far post where Mick Doohan stooped to conquer ahead of Ray Duffy.

Purdy promptly joined Doohan (also yellow carded for a crude tackle on Rutherford) and Brian, Flood in Byrne's book but his abrasiveness backfired, for it roused Shelbourne. Now they kept feeding Rutherford, whose gameness could not be disputed on the night.

Howlett skimmed the bar and Connolly made a point blank save from Stephen Geoghegan, both from frees naturally, and Sheridan mistimed a volley from a Rutherford centre. But Dundalk had even clearer chances on the break, Long, McNulty and Roche all failing to secure the points.

Four minutes from time Geoghegan laid the ball off to O'Rourke but his low drive was brilliantly turned away by Connolly before Sheridan shot over in injury time.

Instead of going top, Shelbourne have slipped to third. For the moment, at any rate, they've lost their way.