Shelbourne did just about enough to ease past Kilkenny and open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table, after a lacklustre game at Buckley Park yesterday.

Owen Heary finally brought the game to life on 36 minutes, the first bit of football fittingly delivering a goal.

There appeared little on as right-back Heary picked up a loose ball in central midfield. And as if to show his forwards how it should be done, he cut past several challenges before planting a right-foot shot from the edge of the area past the dive of Matt Nelson.

A double defensive blunder cost them the lead a minute before the break. Declan Geoghegan's weak header fell to Dutchman Raimond Roos and his speculative lob deceived goalkeeper Steve Williams and dipped over him to the net.

Shelbourne took the game to Kilkenny from the start of the second half and were rewarded within nine minutes.

Paul Doolin orchestrated a passing movement to pick out Richie Baker, who shot against a post, and Stephen Geoghegan, on from the restart, scooped home the rebound.

Geoghegan added a similar goal 11 minutes from time, when Nelson could only parry a Pat Fenlon effort and the striker pounced to shoot home.

Shelbourne: Williams; Heary, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; R Baker, Doolin, Crawford, Keddy; Foran, D Baker. Subs: S Geoghegan for Foran (half-time), Fenlon for Crawford (58 mins.).

Kilkenny City: Nelson; Brennan, Purdy, Mulcahy, Brunton; O'Neill, Murphy, Johnson, Jackson; O'Byrne, Roos.

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).