Shelbourne secured another three points after frustrating host team Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds with a narrow 1-0 victory, building on their key victory against defending champions Shamrock Rovers last week.
In their first three games of the season, Damien Duff’s team managed to leave the Bit O’Red with two points out of a possible nine thanks to a quick-thinking header from John O’Sullivan from a Sean Gannon piledrive.
A decent number of away supporters braved the warm weather to get to the Gateway City in time for the 7:45 p.m. kickoff, despite the unfavourable weather that dumped a layer of snow over the East of the country and forced the postponement of four League of Ireland games in addition to numerous bus cancellations.
And Damien Duff was watching closely, his eleven chosen players dressed in their eye-catching new away uniform of navy and yellow, as they were heard pounding the Drums of Drumcondra fervently in an attempt to stay warm and chanting enthusiastically in between beats.
With a four-four-two configuration, Sligo Rovers came out with a tremendous sense of urgency in the first few minutes, wanting to give their supporters a three-point victory and win the first two corners of the match.
With an air of swagger, Conor Kearns would demarcate his area within the six-yard box and stifle the second set piece.
Rovers had periods of possession dominance. Winger Simon Power was active on the right flank, and 23-year-old prodigy Niall Morahan created openings in the middle of the pitch by demonstrating excellent link-up play with the striker.
Throughout the first half, manager Duff had to deal with a series of dangerous balls. Paddy Barrett and Sean Gannon, in particular, were a force to be reckoned with, stifling the home team’s chances at one end before running to the other to try to support the Reds onslaught.
The inability of John Russell’s team to land the game-winning blow in the closing minutes angered the home team and gave their opponents more assurance.
To their credit, Shelbourne did not always have their back to the goal, resulting in several half-hearted opportunities.
The most notable of which included a shot from Will Jarvis following a majestic pass over the top from Gannon to the left flank and a darting run by Captain Mark Coyle who covered every blade of grass in the opening forty-five and beyond.
The floodlights at The Showgrounds flickered ominously as the minutes of the first half ticked by, a sign perhaps of the blow that was to come.
With a set piece straight from the training ground, Gannon pounced with a one touch strike, which deflected to the head of John O’Sullivan whose quick reflexes would result in first blood being drawn by the visitors.
Credit to Rovers, who, only momentarily stunned, upped the ante for the remainder of the first half, trickery inside the left of the 18 yard box by Reece Hutchinson opening up a chance for Wilson Waweru, who beat Kearns in what at first appeared to be rendered a fair challenge by officials, heading the ball over the white line.
The home fans’ cheers were short lived however, with referee Declan Toland made the unpopular call to disallow the goal, given the contact made by the striker on the Shel’s keeper.
In the second-half, Rovers continued to possess the ball in the centre and on the flanks, yet failed to land that crucial final touch when the ball sailed into the six yard box
Nando Pijnaker, who was punished for applying pressure to the Shels backline, pirouetted in midair out of annoyance.
Later, the gifted Kiwi would skim a shot to the right of the visiting goal without causing any damage by cupping the ball with his chest at the edge of the Shelbourne box.
Max Mata, a Shrewsbury Town loanee, also had a chance to level the score with a glanced header, but Kearns was unfazed by Reece Hutchinson’s deft volley.
When the versatile Evan Caffrey found Jarvis with an opportunity to shoot with the outside of his boot, it could have been all over for The Reds, but it was not to be their night.
Rovers had the best chance of levelling the score in the
