Shelbourne 0
Derry City 0
THESE ARE THE nerves and the nights that you expect in a title race.
Especially when both sets of players are looking to win their first together.
For the sixth game in a row Shelbourne and Derry played out a draw.
This was one was goalless, but it did have the excitement of a red card for Sam Todd and the tension that followed as the visitors played more than 60 minutes with 10 men.
Derry did so with composure and organisation as Shels stuttered when the onus was on them to find a way through.
Damien Duff’s side remain three points clear of the Candystripes - with a game in hand – but this will feel like a missed opportunity.
There was a mini-standoff when the Shels boss embraced opposite number Ruaidhrí Higgins at full time but, like the previous 90 minutes, not much to it.
Derry were the more assured in the opening half an hour and that was largely down to how their midfield was operating.
Cameron Dummigan was excellent alongside Will Patching as well as the energetic Adam O’Reilly. The trio were the perfect complement but the best chance of the half still came after a game of head tennis in the Shels box.
First Todd kept a Patching ball alive, Ciarán Coll then sent a looping header towards the penalty spot which Pat Hoban flicked on before Sam Bone could make a connection.
Michael Duffy anticipated it would come his way while Shels skipper Mark Coyle was not quite alert.
The Derry winger’s close-range volley with his right foot was straight at Conor Kearns, however, and the shot was well saved.
Shels were laboured and while Duff made six changes to the starting XI that went out of the Europa Conference League to FC Zurich on Thursday the energy that he demanded just wasn’t there.
Captain Mark Coyle, for example, would be hooked for Evan Caffrey at half-time.
With centre back Paddy Barrett and left ful Tyreke Wilson sitting in the stands serving a suspension some of those changes were enforced, but on 35 minutes Shels were handed the initiative when Todd was sent off.
The first yellow was for a late lunge down the left flank on Liam Burt and the second was for a foul on the same player, this time being caught cold by a dummy turn in the middle of the park.
Derry fumed – Mark Connolly was yellow carded for his complaints – but the decision seemed correct.
There was still time on the stroke of the interval for both sides to come close.
Duffy shot straight at Kearns from outside the box after intercepting the goalkeeper’s attempted pass out, and from the resulting counter attack JJ Lunney – Shels’ best performer – arrived at the back post to control a cross and tee up Harry Wood, only for the shot to be blocked.
Duff took off his captain at the break and Ruaidhrí Higgins also had to rejig things due to Todd’s dismissal. Rather than turn to his bench he simply slotted the versatile Dummigan in at right back with Coll moving to left-side centre back.
It wasn’t until 69 minutes when sharp winger Daniel Kelly was brought on that Higgins sent on fresh legs with a view to offering something on the counter.
Duff was relentless on the touchline, cajoling his players with a simple message on loop.
“One, two touch. Move it, move it, don’t overcomplicate it.”
Derry were comfortable in their defensive shape, the possession and control they had for parts before the sending off was no longer there but Shels were unable to penetrate.
A Wood shot from distance and a drilled ball across the face of goal from another sub, Ali Coote, were the biggest moments of danger.
Shels did indeed move the ball from side to side but they couldn’t find one forward that could make the difference.
These sides move on with everything still in the balance.
Shelbourne: Kearns; Gannon, Bone, Griffin, Ledwidge; Wood (Tulloch 73), Burt (Coote 73), Lunney, Coyle (captain) (Evan Caffrey HT), Jarvis; Martin (Smith 57).
Derry City: Maher; Coll, Connolly, Todd, Doherty; McMullan (Kelly 69), Patching, Dummigan, O’Reilly, Duffy (Mullen 78); Hoban (captain) (Diallo 90).
Referee: D MacGraith
