David Sneyd reports from Tolka Park

Shelbourne 0

St Patrick’s Athletic 0

EVERY SO OFTEN during this tension-infused Dublin derby the Shelbourne fans would return to a single chant aimed towards those from St Patrick’s Athletic.

“Europe again, ole, ole.”

It was the only guarantee throughout a season-finale fixture that proved absorbing purely for what was at stake.

Shels, the deposed champions, at least had the comfort of knowing they’d be back on their travels in the summer of 2026.

They were denied second place due to this goalless draw but the consequences were far greater for St Pat’s.

This sorry stalemate, combined with Bohemians’ win in Drogheda, means it will be a long, long winter of discontent. Their season has ended with a drab whimper.

A season that began with Stephen Kenny expected to mount a title challenge has instead ended with the Inchicore club desolate and adrift in fifth place.

Even fourth would only have been enough provided Shamrock Rovers beat Cork City in the FAI Cup final.

Instead they need no favours from anyone.

Pat’s finish with the best defence in the league but, yet again, an inability to score has cost them dearly.

There was no parting gift from Mason Melia as he heads for Tottenham Hotspur and the concern for Kenny will be that the 18-year-old did so much to carry the attack.

He leaves the League of Ireland with 13 goals and for Kenny it’s back to the drawing board.

There is no such soul searching for Shels boss Joey O’Brien. He hasn’t got the time. They are back in action on Thursday when they host Drita at Tallaght Stadium in Uefa Conference League action.

They have a taste for Europe and will be back for more next year, the substantial sums on offer sure to help them strengthen further.

Pat’s owner Garrett Kelleher was here in the Tolka Park directors’ box and like the rest of the visiting contingent departed in silence.

There was purpose and confidence to the St Pat’s play in the early exchanges.

Twice they played their way into the Shels box with easy before a solid defending stopped them in their tracks.

Melia raced onto a Chris Forrester pass after Kerr McInroy misjudged a bouncing ball in the middle. The Saints’ striker attempted to chop inside on his left and when he then tried to twist away from Paddy Barrett a second time the sturdy centre back proved too strong.

A couple of moments later and Pat’s again worked a good opportunity with relative ease, this time Kian Leavy was fed the ball on the right, he cut inside on his favored left foot and his fierce shot looked to be goal-bound in the opposite corner only for Kameron Ledwidge to stick his head in the way and deflect it wide.

Referee Rob Harvey didn’t spot the connection and Shels quickly began to settle. That was due to a combination of increasing their own tempo as well as the visitors dropping off.

Perhaps that was in part due to Simon Power being forced off early with a head injury, although as time went on McInroy and Harry Wood grew more influential.

Evan Caffrey forced Joey Anang into a high save and two low crosses from Wood and James Norris on either side also made the St Pat’s goalkeeper maintain concenration.

He spilled one back into danger but Luke Turner, starting in place of the suspended Tom Grivosti, was there to clear the danger.

Melia worked space for another shot in a crowded box and Wessel Speel did well to track it through bodies.

Tension was taking hold heading into the second half and O’Brien made sure to substitute Norris for Daniel Kelly after the Liverpudlian was fortunate not to get sent off just before the break for a second yellow card.

That change also saw O’Brien switch formation, with skipper Mark Coyle dropping to make it a back three so Shels could attacker higher up the pitch with their wing backs.

Turner rose highest to meet a corner in the box four minutes after the re-start but his header was kept out on the line and Shels quickly got on the front foot again.

Around the hour mark both sides turned to their benches again with Aidan Keena introduced to support Melia in attack and Mipo Odubeko replacing John Martin with Jack Henry-Francis also introduced in midfield.

But it was Leavy providing a rare spark down the right after Anang’s quick kick out. Within seconds Pat’s went from one box to another and with Melia unmarked and screaming for a pull back his teammate instead chose to shoot.

All would have been forgiven if the strike found the net but it rose and travelled as far as Ballybough.

With Bohs 2-1 up in Drogheda, Pat’s needed a goal going into the final 10 minutes. Shels, though, nearly put the final nail in their coffin when Odubeko struck the crossbar with a rasper of a shot from 30 yards and Henry-Francis missed the target inside the box.

Kenny’s season was on the line and it could have had one final ignominy inflicted upon it had Wood’s injury-time strike not hit the post and gone wide.

It didn’t matter for Shels as St Pat’s were the ones counting the cost.

Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Milan Mbeng (James Roche 72), Paddy Barrett (Lewis Temple 60), Kameron Ledwidge, James Norris (Dan Kelly HT); Evan Caffrey (Jack Henry-Francis 60), Mark Coyle (captain) (Sean Gannon 87), Kerr McInroy, Ali Coote, Harry Wood; John Martin (Mipo Odubeko 60).

St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Axel Sjoberg, Joe Redmond (captain), Luke Turner, Jason McClelland (Jordon Garrick 84)); Kian Leavy (Brandon Kavanagh 73), Chris Forrester, Jamie Lennon (Darren Robinson 84), Barry Baggley (Aidan Keena 58), Simon Power (Jake Mulraney 16 – concussion); Mason Melia.

Referee: Rob Harvey.