Ugandan Charles Mbabazi Livingstone endeared himself further to the St Patrick's Athletic faithful with a dramatic late winner, as Pat Dolan's side recovered dramatically from an early two-goal deficit to earn a big win in the live televised advertisement the domestic game has been craving.
The much-awaited clash of the main protagonists in the season's big talking point - the deduction of nine points from St Patrick's for fielding an ineligible player - provided drama of the highest order.
Shelbourne played much of the sweet football, but St Patrick's were never going to lose this one and, as if to stoke their ire further, they afforded their visitors a two-goal start before storming back to win roared on by the majority in a 4,000 crowd.
Shelbourne, booed onto the field by the St Patrick's fans, responded in the best way possible by taking the game to their hosts.
A remarkable double save prevented them from taking the lead in the second minute. A poor defensive clearance from Richie Baker's cross fell to Davy Byrne whose powerful drive Shay Kelly did well to parry. Dessie Baker, following up, looked set to score, but St Patrick's captain Trevor Croly somehow got across to block the shot.
Seconds later, St Patrick's defence wilted. Mbabazi failed to close down Jonathan Minnock out on the left and the Shelbourne full-back's cross was headed home by the unmarked Stephen Geoghegan at the near post, for his fifth goal of the season.
Such was Shelbourne's confident start, it was no surprise when they added a second goal on 16 minutes. Davy Byrne instigated a move that brought a sweeping link of passes out left. Byrne then arrived in the box to score from Dessie Baker's cross.
Having been run ragged, St Patrick's needed a break and some inspiration to get back into the game, and both came 10 minutes later. A dubious free-kick was awarded after Paul Osam backed into Jim Gannon 25 yards out, and Martin Russell did the rest, curling a pin-point left-footer over the wall and catching Steve Williams, yet to make a save, slightly off his line.
Gannon then spurned an excellent opportunity to restore Shelbourne's two-goal lead. Minnock's ball into the St Patrick's area fell kindly for the midfielder, whose fierce shot was expertly held by Kelly, even if it was aimed straight at him.
Their goal had given St Patrick's a lift and, sure enough, another set-piece brought them level three minutes before the break. Shelbourne initially cleared Russell's free-kick into their area, but Croly looped a header over the out-rushing players to put central defender Colm Foley in with a shooting chance.
Foley miscued his shot embarrassingly, but, as fate would have it, the ball ran for Paul Marney - the player central to the as yet unresolved dispute over St Patrick's points deduction - who stole in at the back post to shoot past Williams.
The sides swapped chances early in the second half before the game settled down. Osam glanced a header wide from Russell's corner while Richie Baker skipped scraped the butt of Kelly's left-hand post with a low, angled shot.
The chances dried up and a draw looked likely, but St Patrick's applied a late twist to the plot.
With seven minutes remaining, Paul Donnelly's deep cross from the left picked out Mbabazi at the back post. The little striker controlled the ball superbly, and held his footing well before shooting past Williams.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: S. Kelly; Croly, Foley, Maguire, Donnelly; Osam, Marney, Russell; Mbabazi, L. Kelly, Doyle. Subs: McCarthy for Doyle (54 mins.), Holt for L. Kerlly (72 mins.), Harris for Mbabazi (90 mins).
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, McCarthy, Hutton, Minnock; Gannon, Crawford, D. Byrne; D. Baker, Geoghegan, R. Baker. Subs: B. Byrne for R. Baker (70 mins.).
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin)
