National League: Shelbourne - 1 Shamrock Rovers - 0 Shelbourne used all their experience to see off Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park last night after playing the entire second half with just 10 men.
Striker Jason Byrne and manager Pat Fenlon were sent off in separate incidents just before half-time, but Shelbourne showed why they will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season as they held out for the remainder of the game after Stephen Geoghegan had given them a 41st-minute lead.
Shelbourne - even with 11 men - were chasing shadows for much of the game as Rovers showed all the confidence of a team that had won their previous league encounter 5-1. At times their play was magnificent as they toyed with Shelbourne in midfield, though they rarely looked like threatening Steve Williams' goal.
But Shelbourne clearly grew in confidence as the game went on and they duly punished Rovers in the 41st minute when a Richie Byrne clearing header fell to Owen Heary and his first-time ball put Geoghegan through to shoot past the advancing Barry Ryan from a tight angle.
But Shelbourne's hopes were thrown into chaos one minute before half-time when Byrne was sent off. Byrne fouled his namesake Richie Byrne, and after the Rovers man got up and angrily confronted the Shelbourne striker, Jason Byrne nodded his head in the direction of Richie Byrne, leaving the referee with no option but to send off the Shelbourne man.
A few minutes later, Fenlon, who protested vociferously over the sending off, was asked to leave the dugout.
As was to be expected, the second half was completely dominated by Shamrock Rovers as Shelbourne sat back and defended in depth. The tactic seemed to work as Rovers, once again, failed to create any clear-cut opportunities.
A Stephen Grant effort from 35 yards that clipped the crossbar was the closest they came to salvaging a point. Shelbourne's answer to Rovers' territorial advantage was to introduce Ger McCarthy for the tiring Geoghegan, and the pacy striker kept the Rovers defence occupied almost single handedly.
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, T McCarthy, Doherty, Crawley; Baker, Morgan, Cahill, Hoolahan; J Byrne, Geoghegan. Subs: G McCarthy for Geoghegan (59 mins), S Byrne for Morgan (79 mins), Rowe for Baker (85 mins). Booked: Crawley, Morgan Sent off: J Byrne.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Ryan; Gough, Palmer, McGuinness, Byrne; Robinson, Reynolds, Keddy, S Grant; Fitzpatrick, T Grant. Subs: Colwell for Byrne (75 mins), Tracey for Reynolds, Kelly for Keddy (both 85 mins). Booked: Fitzpatrick.
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
