Shelbourne back on top

Their third win of the campaign over strugglers Kilkenny City sent Shelbourne back to the top of the Premier Division table last night and kept the pressure on rivals St Patrick's Athletic ahead of this evening's televised clash with Derry at Richmond Park.

Second half goals from Pat Fenlon, Liam Kelly and Dessie Baker gave the home side a comfortable victory which had always looked likely to come in the end. City worked hard and held their own for long stretches but, as so many times before this season, by the closing stages they simply looked out of their depth and after Fenlon had benefited from a deflection off Brendan Rea to open the scoring in the 53rd minute it was only really a question of how many the visitors would concede.

After a win and two draws from their last two outings Kilkenny came to Drumcondra with just a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and there was more confidence in their first half display with their defence holding solid and Ray Carolan looking to be the best player on the pitch.

Pushing forward, however, they possessed little to threaten the Shelbourne defence, Aidan Cooney's speed caused the occasional problem while Trevor Vaughan got into some good positions, but neither drew anything approaching a decent save from Alan Gough.

Early in the second period City briefly got on top but still they managed to produce little of consequence by way of scoring opportunities. Had they held on longer perhaps their hosts would have become frustrated and started to take chances but, with Baker's adoption of a more attacking role, there was little sign of concern in the Dubliners' camp by the time the first goal came.

Damien Richardson had, he said afterwards, told the players to believe in themselves in the second half and the rest would follow. That, as it turned out, was exactly what happened, A quarter an hour after his side had taken the lead Kelly doubled it with a firm drive from a dozen yards after good work by Tony Sheridan and a good night for Richardson's side was rounded off with 12 minutes remaining, Baker sidefooting home from the penalty spot after Eric Smith had grappled Kelly to the ground.

SHELBOURNE: Gough; Costello, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; Baker, Sheridan, Fenlon, Campbell, Rutherford; Kelly. Subs: Fitzgerald for Baker (81 mins), Muir and Smith for Kelly and Rutherford (88 mins).

KILKENNY CITY: Connolly; Kelly, Rea, Smith, Reid, Carolan; D Walsh, Cashin, P Walsh, Cooney; Vaughan. Subs: Power for D Walsh (67 mins), Hale for Smith (76 mins).

Referee: G Perry (Dublin).