League Report: Shelbourne 0 - 0 Cabinteely

Shelbourne failed to capitalise on UCD dropping points against Athlone Town as they were unable to break down Cabo in a scoreless draw at Tolka Park.

Cabinteely were reduced to ten men in the 54^th minute when Conor Foley received a second yellow card, but despite dominating possession for much of the game the Reds just could not breach the Cabo defence, meaning the Southsiders took points off Shels for the first time this season at the fourth attempt.

With UCD drawing 2-2 away to Athlone Town, a win would have put Shels within two points of the Students with four First Division games remaining, but it wasn't to be, with 16 year old Cabo 'keeper Cathal Gillen making a big save to deny Dylan McGlade in stoppage time to ensure the game remained scoreless.

Reds boss Kevin Doherty named an unchanged side from the one which beat UCD 2-1 in Tolka last week, but Eddie Gormley made three changes to the team which went down 3-2 to Finn Harps in Stradbrook. Suspended pair Victor Ekanem and John McKeown were recalled, while Conor Foley was promoted to the starting XI.

Shels came into this game knowing a win was necessary in order to keep their faint promotion hopes alive and controlled much of the first-half affairs without really creating much in the way of clearcut chances.

It was the Reds who had the first shot in anger after three minutes, Gareth Coughlan hitting the side-netting having charged through following some good work by James English on the left-flank to switch the play to him.

Though Cabo tried to counter when possible, it was Shels again who almost broke the deadlock, this time through Dylan McGlade in the 20^th minute. The former Middlesbrough winger picked up the ball on the right-flank, checked inside and evaded two challenges before hitting the outside of the post with a looping, dipping effort from 20 yards.

Ryan Robinson had a chance to score nine minutes later but the Reds defender mistimed his right-foot volley from a Coughlan cross and it bounced into the arms of a grateful Gillen – the Cabo 'keeper was making only his second league start of the season for the Dun Laoghaire side.

The visitors almost opened the scoring against the run of play through a 30^th minute corner from McKeown which almost caught out Greg Murray in the Shels goal – Murray palmed the ball at the back post off of one of his own defenders to concede a second corner, which this time was cleared by the Reds defence.

Both Hughes and Adam O'Connor combined well within minutes of the restart, with the striker teeing up the defender for a strike from the edge of the box which flew just over the crossbar.

The visiting side's chances of winning the game suffered a blow in the second half when Conor Foley was booked twice inside two minutes to receive his marching orders. First the midfielder was booked for not retreating from a Shels free-kick, then he was cautioned for pulling back Sean Heaney as the Reds defender tried to break clear inside his own half.

Shels dominated play almost exclusively following the sending off but still struggled to properly carve Cabo open. Robinson flashed a bullet header wide of the post from a Coughlan corner. Substitute Mark Sandford then curled an effort wide from 20 yards before Walsh also let fly from distance only to see it go off target.

McGlade always looked capable of getting into the Cabo box, but when he did so in the 80^th minute he found Ed McDonagh, who was solid all night, blocking his way to goal. And when the winger did get a clear shot away in stoppage time, Gillen reacted superbly to tip away the driven effort from the edge of the box.

Shelbourne: Greg Murray; Adam O'Connor (Mark Sandford, 67), Ryan Robinson (Darragh Gannon, 87), Sean Heaney, Alan Kehoe; Dylan McGlade, Craig Walsh, Daire Doyle, Gareth Coughlan; James English, Philly Hughes.

Subs not used: Jack Brady (gk), Evan Osam, Colm Crowe, Jake Donnelly, Carl Walshe.

Bookings: None.

Cabinteely: Cathal Gillen; Karl Byrne, Victor Ekanem, Ed McDonagh, Josh Quinlivan (Kevin Knight, HT); Stephen Dunne, Richard Purdy, Conor Foley, John McKeown, Michael Brown (Stephen Hanley, 89); Peter Durrad (Sodiq Oguntola, 71).

Subs not used: Sean Hyland (gk), Aaron Brilly, Darren Clarke, Sean Burke.

Bookings: Durrad (33), Foley (53, 54), Byrne (63), Ekanem (89).

Sent Off: Foley (54).

Referee: Andrew Mullally.

Attendance: 556.

Extratime Man of the Match: Ed McDonagh (Cabinteely).