Shelbourne 1

Treaty United 0 

Dave Donnelly reports from Tolka Park

SHELBOURNE SEALED THEIR second First Division title in three years with three games to spare as Georgie Poynton’s second-half penalty saw them to a slender victory over Treaty United.

The Meathman kept his cool as nerves frayed around Tolka Park to beat Tadhg Ryan from 12 yards as Ian Morris’ side bounced back to the top flight at the first attempt.

Shels just had to match or better Galway United’s result in Cobh – the Tribesmen also won 1-0 – to ensure the trophy would come back to Drumcondra and, with it promotion.

Treaty keeper Ryan had a stormer as he did his best to keep his former club in the hunt with a string of top-class saves as Shels laid siege to the visitors’ goal in the first half.

The second half was a great deal more tense as Shels but they got the stroke of luck they needed when referee Alan Patchell judged Clyde O’Connell to have fouled Shane Farrell.

There looked to be minimal, if any, contact from the Limerick man but the Reds winger had the cuteness to initiate contact and hit the floor and it was enough to convince the ref.

And with the capacity home crowd biting their nails in the stands, it was fitting that Poynton, who stayed with the club on relegation last year, emphatically buried the peno.

While Treaty may have had justifiable complaints about the manner in which the goal was scored, it was no less than Shels deserved for a dominant performance.

Tommy Barrett’s Treaty, coming into the game, were the only side Shels hadn’t beaten in the league this season, having twice equalised in injury time to take a point.

The visitors began like a team far from overawed by the occasion, and they had the better of the opening exchanges without really troubling the Shelbourne goal.

Ian Morris’ side gradually worked their way into the game and forced Ryan into the first of a number of outstanding saves as he changed direction to palm an Ally Gilchrist header wide.

As news filtered through that Galway had taken the lead in Cobh, Farrell went close with an audacious volley from distance, while Poynton sent another long-ranger wide.

Michael O’Connor and Ryan Brennan also tried their luck as a sturdy Treaty backline proved a difficult nut to crack, but clearer opportunities began to emerge. Ryan was at his best once more to turn Kevin O’Connor’s strike away from his near post while, at the other end, Stephen Christopher headed over from a rare Treaty attack.

The closest Shels came in the first half was from a Kevin O’Connor corner as Ally Gilchrist met the ball with his head only to see it come back off the post.

Ryan pulled off another top-class save to deny Poynton as the former Dundalk man showed no small amount of skill to dance clear and smash goalward from a tight angle.

Barrett introduced the imposing Red Hanlon at the break for the ineffective Sean McSweeney, and Treaty immediately began to pose more of a threat and hold onto the ball in advanced areas. The striker found himself a yard of space before the hour to shoot from the edge of the box but his effort was well-blocked by Gilchrist.

A superb run from Conor Melody down the wing almost resulted in the former Galway man finding the net but Gilchrist was again alert to clear from the six-yard box.

A superb cross from Ludden was then met in the box by winger Matt Keane and goalkeeper Brendan Clarke, who had had little to do to that point, pulled off a superb save to keep the scores level.

Just as Treaty were enjoying their best spell of the game, disaster struck as Charlie Fleming needlessly surrendered the ball outside his own box and Farrell won the penalty.
There are few players in the league more trustworthy with a crucial penalty than Poynton, and the midfielder left Ryan motionless with an emphatically-struck kick.

Treaty threw everything they had at the Reds in the final minutes, but Shels held out and there was no stopping the pitch invasion that greeted the final whistle.

Shelbourne: Brendan Clarke; John Ross Wilson, Ally Gilchrist, Luke Byrne, Kameron Ledwidge (Brian McManus 66); George Poynton, Kevin O’Connor, Ryan Brennan; Shane Farrell, Yassine En-Neyah (Dayle Rooney 84), Michael O’Connor.

Treaty United: Tadhg Ryan; Charlie Fleming, Mark Walsh, Anthony O’Donnell, Marc Ludden; Clyde O’Connell (Dean George 85), Callum McNamara, Stephen Christopher; Matt Keane (Joel Coustrain 80), Conor Melody (William Armshaw 80), Sean McSweeney (Red Hanlon 46).

Referee: Alan Patchell.

Division 1 Results:

Cobh Ramblers 0-1 Galway United

Athlone Town 2-1 Cabinteely United

Wexford Youths 2-1 UCD

Bray Wanderers 0-0 Cork City

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