Shelbourne 1
UCD 0
Paul Buttner reports from Tolka Park
LEADING BY example as captain on the night, Shane Griffin’s first goal of the season maintained Shelbourne’s ever-improving form as they had too much for UCD at Tolka Park.
Unbeaten now in seven games, Damien Duff’s side edge back up to fourth place in the table, overnight at least.
Bottom side College had frustrated Shelbourne in a 0-0 draw at the UCD Bowl a month ago, the last team to hold Reds scoreless.
Though Shelbourne started brightly, forcing two early corners, it was their goalkeeper Conor Kearns who was first to be called into action with saves from Ciaran Behan and Danu Kinsella-Bishop following sloppiness from the home side.
But having failed to capitalise on Shelbourne’s mistakes, UCD were clinically punished for giving the ball away themselves in the 39th minute.
Behan’s loose pass was pounced on by Evan Caffrey who played Griffin in first time. The defender, skipper due to Luke Byrne rotated to the bench, took a touch with his left foot before shooting to the net off the crossbar with his right.
UCD might have been level three minutes before the interval but for a bad miss by Kinsella-Bishop who scuffed wide.
With more impetus to their game on the resumption, a fine tip-over save by Moore from Jack Moylan’s header prevented Shelbourne from doubling their lead 10 minutes in.
The frame of their goal then rescued UCD on 74 minutes.
Matty Smith got past Adam Wells on the right to whip over a superb cross for Jack Moylan whose downward header came back off the post.
Smith brought a save from Moore before UCD’s late surge might have brought an equaliser but for the brilliance of Kearns.
The Shels keeper first positioned himself well to parry away substitute Colin Bolton’s powerful drive before then somehow touching Alex Nolan’s close-range effort over the top deep in stoppage time.
Shelbourne: Kearns; Quinn, Barrett, Griffin; JR Wilson, Caffrey, Lunney, T Wilson (Ledwidge, 67); Moylan (McManus, 82), Smith, Hakiki (Robinson, 72).
UCD: Moore; Osam, Keaney, Wells, Dempsey (O’Regan, 63); Gallagher (Bolton, 71), Higgins (O’Connor, 55); Behan, Norris, Nolan; Kinsella-Bishop (Doyle, 63).
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).