National League Premier Division / Shelbourne 3 Derry City 1: Dermot Keely got a goal start on his return to Tolka Park, but that was as good as his welcome went as Shelbourne responded to score three times to avenge their only league defeat and stay top of the table.
Apart from Jamie Harris hitting the post when he should have scored after six minutes Derry created the better first-half openings late in the half.
Owen Heary had to head clear off his line when Steve Williams was left stranded after he had to come out of his area to head away. But his clearance fell to Derry captain Eamonn Doherty who set up Gary Beckett to chip the ball over the Shelbourne 'keeper who was glad of his captain's presence on the line.
Then, eight minutes before the interval, Michael Holt blazed wide when he should have put Derry in front.
Doherty showed Holt where the goal was on 50 minutes when punishing David Crawley's mistake to score with a rising right-foot shot from 25 yards.
That lead lasted scarcely a minute though as Shelbourne equalised. Harris headed the ball into the path of the overlapping Jim Crawford whose sublime cross was headed home by Jason Byrne for his eighth goal in as many games.
The lead then came a minute later and in almost identical circumstances. This time Wes Hoolahan got free on the left to cross to the back post where Harris rose to head home.
The hardworking Crawford then added Shelbourne's third goal on 62 minutes. Alan Gough spilled Hoolahan's shot at goal and Crawford scooped home the loose ball.
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Doherty, Rogers, Crawley; Hoolahan, Crawford, Morgan, Cahill (R Baker, 91 mins); J Byrne, Harris.
DERRY CITY: Gough; McLoughlin, Clery (Hedderman, 73 mins.), Hutton, McCallion (Coyle, 71 mins); McGlynn, Doherty, Martyn, Hargan; Beckett, Holt.
Referee: J McDermott (Dublin)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)