Shelbourne parade down the title road

In the end it was probably just as well that they didn't ship the great St Patrick's Day show over to Boston. Even America's festive love of all things Irish might have been tested by a scrappy and disappointing contest.

Not that Dermot Keely cared too much afterwards. While conceding that it might have been prettier the Shelbourne boss was full of praise for his players and the character they showed to hammer out another win. "The three points we get here, though, are just the same as the three we'll get if we win in Sligo next week." Well, after the week that's been in it, yesterday's victory was probably just that little bit more enjoyable than most.

But another at the Showgrounds just might top it for the points earned at Richmond Park mean that if Bohemians fail to win in Galway this evening then the league could be wrapped up by Shelbourne in the west tomorrow week.

Pat Dolan, who conceded that his side simply hadn't been good enough, reckoned it was as good as over. "Bohemians are 11 points behind with 18 to play for, what's that a couple of draws or so and they're gone. Even if Shelbourne didn't get another point they could well win it so no, nothing can stop them now, they're champions and we congratulate them on the achievement."

Pat Fenlon was somewhat less certain about it but then the Shelbourne midfielder has been denied a league winner's medal three times on the last day of the season (in each case by Dundalk who he's probably happy are in the first division this time around). "We need another seven points at the moment," said the man who set up of his team's goals yesterday "and until we've got them or Bohemians have slipped further behind we have to stay focused."

Neither team managed to create much from play during a disjointed battle played on a pitch that Keely described afterwards as "atrocious".

Shelbourne took the lead after 40 minutes when Fenlon's free was handled by Willie Burke and Stephen Geoghegan sent Trevor Wood the wrong way with the spot kick. Two minutes into the second half, poor defending of a Fenlon ball from more than 40 yards out allowed Tony McCarthy to send a looping header over the stranded St Patrick's goalkeeper.

Welshman Steve Williams should have had no problems in the 77th minute when he was called upon to collect a relatively harmless low ball but somehow managed to allow it to slip under his body and Alan McNevin, a 61st minute replacement for Padraig Drew, seized the opportunity to make a game of it.

Williams redeemed himself moments later when saving well from Trevor Croly after which the home side's challenge for a draw sort of fizzled out.

Colin Hawkins, fit again after initially being told that his season was over last week, started up front but left briefly to play in a three-man central defence but neither he nor Marcus Hallows was ever given a serious chance to test the goalkeeper and Shelbourne's cause for celebration was made even greater late on when Richie Baker escaped his second caution of the game for a challenge from behind on Dessie Byrne.

ST PATRICK'S: Wood; Burke, McGuinness, Lynch, Byrne; Molloy, Osam, Russell, Drew; Hallows, Hawkins. Subs: Croly and Morgan for Burke and Russell (53 mins), McNevin for Drew (61 mins).

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Campbell, McCarthy, Hutchison; R Baker, Doolin, Fenlon, Keddy; D Baker, S Geoghegan.

Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).