Shelbourne look the business

More than once in recent years Shelbourne have proven to be that bit too fragile when mental strength became as important as footballing ability during the final few weeks of the season. Against a Rovers side that have been having problems of their own of late, however, they once again showed they have acquired a quiet determination that looks increasingly likely to see them through as champions.

"The maths haven't changed," acknowledged Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely. "If St Patrick's win their three games in hand then they win the title and I'll be the first one to congratulate them."

Offered the choice, though, Keely knows well that most men in his position would take Shelbourne's seven-point advantage in preference to the extra games which their title rivals must play.

All the more so if Pat Dolan fails to persuade Merrion Square to extend the season beyond next Sunday week, and, asked about the prospect of the final day being put back to allow the Inchicore club a more manageable run-in, the Shelbourne boss replied only that it would happen "over my dead body".

Whether it happens, St Patrick's almost certainly need the league leaders to drop some points over their last two games - at home to UCD and then away to Bohemians. But there was little in this, a tough and resilient display by the home side, to suggest that Dolan and Co can expect any favours from their good friends over at Tolka Park.

Shelbourne, as it happened, needed a good helping of luck to get off the mark, with Gareth Cronin's 15th-minute own goal, a first-time back pass played while under no pressure at all, justifying the word "bizarre" being used by both managers to describe it afterwards.

Owen Heary's goal just before the break was something else altogether. The left back initially linked up well with his midfield to produce a fine passing move that involved Peter Hutton, but it was the deft side-step that followed, as well as the nicely struck shot into the bottom left corner, that made the goal memorable.

It was at the other end of the pitch, however, that Shelbourne were really made to prove their worth. Rovers, as they did in Dundalk last week, dominated for long spells, and for periods Damien Richardson's side exerted so much pressure around their opposition's box that all but Shelbourne's two strikers were forced to get behind the ball.

The players rose to the challenge, however, and Richie Baker emerged as one of the team's heroes as he made a string of important tackles over the course of the afternoon.

At the final whistle, Tony O'Dowd's long kick, which had bounced twice before hitting the angle of post after eight minutes, remained the closest Rovers came to scoring.

But there was no shortage of effort on the part of players like Derek Tracey, Tony Grant and Billy Woods, all of whom threatened at various times to haul their team back into the game.

As the rain continued to belt down and the pitch threatened to deteriorate into something resembling no man's land in Flanders, the contest became an increasingly straightforward battle between the two groups of players to impose themselves physically, and on this count, too, Rovers did quite well.

Again, though, they lacked punch up front while having a tendency to get caught napping at the back. For all their hard work, they might well have lost by another goal, for Tony McCarthy had only to stick his foot out in the 57th minute when Baker's corner from the left eluded everybody and reached the centre back just beyond the far post.

Shelbourne could afford to pass up the chance, for over the half an hour or so that remained they only occasionally came anywhere close to conceding a goal. Terry Palmer headed just over, while Jason Colwell and Pat Deans both forced saves out of Steve Williams.

The points were secure, though, and the pressure is now back on St Patrick's, who must probably win against both Derry and Rovers this week if they are to force their rivals to go into another dreaded last round of games with the title still up for grabs.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Prenderville, Doherty (Gannon, 48 mins), McCarthy, Heary; R Baker, Hutton, Crawford, Fenlon (Gritton, 79 mins); Geoghegan, B Byrne.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd; Kavanagh (Kenny, 75 mins), Palmer, Deans, Cronin (Byrne, half-time); Robinson, Colwell, Tracey, Woods; Francis, T Grant (Cousins, 82 mins).

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).