Sean Boyd rescues point for Shelbourne against Dundalk

Damien Duff's side make point at Tolka Park in Premier Division clash

Shelbourne’s Sean Boyd celebrates after the game. Picture: Inpho/Ciaran Culligan

Premier Division

Shelbourne 1 Dundalk 1 

This was the type of comeback Damien Duff will demand to be repeated from his Shelbourne side if they’re to become a staple of the Premier Division.

In contrast to last week’s 1-0 defeat at home to Derry, the Reds didn’t allow the concession of an opener around the same time in the contest to suffocate them and they battled gamely to eke out a point.

That the equaliser, four minutes from full-time, came through a penalty underlines the goalscoring problems of a side who’d drawn blanks in three of their first games since promotion.

Still, rookie boss Duff will accept the break in any currency five games into his senior managerial career.

Patrick Hoban’s 100th league goal for Dundalk with 21 minutes left could have led to a predictable outcome but Sean Boyd – a striker well versed in resilience – earned and converted the spot-kick to claim a point.

More of the same was the plea from Dundalk Stephen O’Donnell to his recently-crowned player of the month Steven Bradley following his explosive start to life in the League of Ireland.

The winger, on loan from Hibernian, notched four goals in three games but as is customary for talent of his age, the 19-year-old suffered a blip at Tolka Park.

That change of pace was more attributable to the exertions of Kameron Ledwidge, the left-wing back in Duff’s crew. He stuck diligently to his man-marking task, seldom ceding space for the Glaswegian to wreak havoc and it worked, for Bradley was substituted at the break.

On the opposite side of the pitch for Shels was another teenage winger looking to make a mark. Jordan McEneff has, since joining on loan, shown glimpses of the ability which enticed Arsenal to sign him but this was another frustrating night, cutting inside into congestion far too often rather than diversify his approach.

Shorn of his playmaker Jack Moylan through injury, Duff flung Shane Farrell into attack to support Sean Boyd. The flame-haired livewire was first to threaten, slipping inside to win a corner off Andy Boyle that led to all sorts of problems for Nathan Sheppard.

Dundalk’s new goalkeeper was relieved to hear a whistle for a foul on Mark Connolly by Boyd when he was left back-peddling to flap at the delivery.

His Welsh Under-21 colleague Lewis Webb in the Shels goal was soon tested. Hoban’s shot on the turn was dealt with, as was another from Sam Bone’s which he parried away to safety.

Shels were forced to probe through the channels and it was a centre-back and wing-back who combined for the best chance of the half.

Captain Luke Byrne’s surging run down the left was crowned by an inviting, curling cross to the far post. JR Wilson arrived unmarked, yet blazed his first-time effort over the crossbar.

Kelly’s introduction for the Lilywhites at the break didn’t provide the spark given he lasted only 18 minutes before he suffered what seemed to be an injury recurrence.

It was the arrivals of Joe Adams and Dan Williams, two of their UK imports, that began to swing the momentum the way of the visitors.

It was a game crying out for a moment of quality and that was central to the breakthrough on 69 minutes. A free wide of the left enabled Keith Ward, on the first start of his third spell at Dundalk, to whip in a cross with the necessary pace and height for Hoban to rise high and glance his header into the bottom corner.

There was still time for Shels to react and Boyd sliced wide before substitute Dan Carr headed tamely at Webb despite being presented a great chance from Ledwidge’s centre.

Ledwidge was involved in setting up the leveller, hitting a diagonal pass which Boyd nipped in ahead of the advancing Webb to win. Referee Derek Tomney, after consulting with his assistant Michelle O’Neill, decided the offence was committed just inside the box and Boyd found the bottom left corner despite Webb diving the right way.

SHELBOURNE: L Webb; A O’Driscoll, L Byrne, C Kane; JR Wilson, A Dervin, B McManus, K Ledwidge; J McEneff, S Farrell (D Carr 69); S Boyd.

DUNDALK: N Sheppard; S Bone (D Williams 63), A Boyle, M Connolly, M Hanratty; G Sloggett, R Benson; S Bradley (D Kelly 46, J Adams 62), K Ward (P Doyle 76), J Martin (L Macari 83); P Hoban.

Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin)