Byrne puts Shels in command once more

Shelbourne...1 Cork City...0: Shelbourne overcame the effects of fatigue from their Champions League heroics and the absence of their suspended strikers, Jason Byrne and Glen Fitzpatrick, to emphasise their dominance of the domestic competition at Turner's Cross on Saturday.

A goal, superbly created and taken with aplomb, from midfielder Stuart Byrne on the hour helped illustrate the superiority of Pat Fenlon's side over one of their closest rivals. The win edged Shelbourne two points clear of Drogheda at the top of the table and left Cork fighting for the minor placings, a whopping 11 points adrift.

Shelbourne's achievement in recording their second win of the season at the Cork venue should not be underestimated. The exhausting effects of their intensive work against Deportivo la Coruna in midweek were evident but they compensated for a lack of energy with excellent organisation and teamwork.

They played though as if content to settle for a scoreless game and as a consequence Cork had much more of the ball. Shelbourne, though, maximised the return from their cautious approach, hurting Cork whenever they attacked in numbers.

The decisive goal, coming in the 60th minute, illustrated the point effectively. Wes Hoolahan, a subdued figure in central midfield in the first half, worked his magic wide on the right to leave three Cork players trailing in his wake.

He played a square ball to the impressive Joseph N'do and his delicate transfer across the edge of the penalty area was angled precisely into Stuart Byrne's path. The midfielder crowned a glorious piece of football by striking the ball, with controlled power, wide of goalkeeper Michael Devine.

The goal effectively put paid to Cork's challenge. After its arrival they lost conviction, even though Colin O'Brien in central midfield ensured they won a lot of possession. However, in the absence of leading their goalscorer, John O'Flynn, they were seriously short of penetration up front.

Only twice did they come close to scoring. Kevin Doyle left Dave Rogers for dead in a run down the right wing in the ninth minute but then dragged his shot across goal and wide. And after Steve Williams had done well to parry a shot from Alan Bennett in the 52nd minute, N'do was on the goal-line to turn away Neale Fenn's shot from the rebound.

N'do played wide on the right wing in his first start and he showed his international class there and in central midfield in the second half. The Cameroon international should be a big help to Shelbourne in their efforts to retain their title.

Cork City manager Pat Dolan maintained afterwards that they still harboured ambitions of winning the title. But the 11-point gap undermined this proposition and, even more tellingly, Cork played poorly and with little passion in a match they had to win if they were to keep their hopes alive.

CORK CITY (4-4-2); Devine; Lordan (Behan 85), Bennett, Murray, Murphy; Woods (Gamble 69), O'Brien, O'Callaghan, Kearney (Nwankwo 69); Doyle, Fenn.

SHELBOURNE (4-5-1): Williams; Heary, Harris, Rogers, Crawley; N'do (McCarthy 85), S Byrne, Crawford, Hoolahan, Cahill; Moore (Cawley 89).

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).