Courageous City’s advance stymied as Shels salvage point

Shelbourne 2 Cork City 2

They remain five points ahead of City, who stretched their unbeaten record to 11 games, but even with a game in hand, Shels will know the Leesiders are breathing down their necks.

This was an excellent game. Both sides came wanting to play football, and it showed. Those who bothered to make the trip to Tolka were rewarded with a match where the ball spent more time on the ground than in the air not always a common occurrence in the Eircom league.

And City travelled back last night, feeling they might have let this game slip. Jason Byrne went off before the interval, a victim of a hamstring injury, and with him went Shelbourne's most potent threat.

For most of the second half, they lacked a cutting edge up front because of Byrne's absence, despite some clever probing from his namesake Stuart in the middle of the field. The draw also spared referee Eddie Barr some savage abuse from the home support.

While this was a good game of football, it was blighted by some refereeing inconsistency that actually had an effect on the game in the 78th minute. Greg O'Halloran escaped after clattering into the back of Gerard Rowe. From the kick-out, Michael Nwankwo was awarded a soft free in the centre circle.

City worked the ball down the left, where Neale Fenn was on hand to sweep Danny Murphy's cross past Steve Williams. It was no more than the Cork display deserved, as they took the game to the home side, but Shels weren't happy.

Pat Fenlon, particularly, made his views known, which resulted in the champions' manager being sent from the dug-out. The Shels fans united in disgust. In the frenetic final 10 minutes, the Dublin side searched for an equaliser, assisted by the fresh legs of Morgan. When it eventually came, it calmed the restless natives slightly.

The first half was the more entertaining. Both sides were passing the ball well and creating chances. But both defences stood firm, Dan Murray immense in the centre of City's defence and being aided by Murphy.

They silenced Byrne and it was City who took the lead.

A long ball from defence was seized upon by Nwankwo.

The Nigerian shielded the ball from his marker, and cushioned it into O'Flynn's path. The striker was lethal with his finish, firing a beautiful curling shot that gave Williams no chance.

Shels pressed for the equaliser and within two minutes of the goal, they had legitimate claims for a penalty waved away. Byrne appeared to be upended in the box but Barr was having none of it.

Sixteen minutes later, he couldn't ignore a second claim. Stuart Byrne had sliced a ball into the path of Glen Fitzpatrick. The Shels striker took the ball wide, was followed by Alan Bennett, who was hasty in the tackle.

Jason Byrne stepped up and did what he does best.

Shels PA called him the main man and for the next seven minutes he proved to be just that. Stuart Byrne was fouled outside the box in the 41st minute. Jason stepped up again, but his deadly free-kick was denied by a superb save from Mick Devine.

Devine was one of the Cork heroes, denying Fitzpatrick, Stuart Byrne and Ollie Cahill on different occasions in the second half. When Fenn put City ahead again, it was thought Devine's heroics might have sealed three points.

Nobody counted on Morgan or the will to win that Shels displayed. Cork City and Bohs have rediscovered that winning feeling, but they are still playing catch-up.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Crawley, Harris, Rogers; Hoolahan, Cahill (Morgan 79), S Byrne, McCarthy; J Byrne(Rowe 44), Fitzpatrick

CORK CITY: Devine; Murphy, Bennett, Murray, O'Halloran; O'Brien, Fenn, Kwankwo(Kearney 86), Woods; O'Callaghan, O'Flynn(Doyle 67)

Ref: E Barr