Shelbourne held by 10-man Derry City in title showdown

Shelbourne fans displayed a banner bearing the Latin phrase 'Carpe Diem' in the hope of rousing their team ahead of this top of the table encounter.

And while Damien Duff’s side couldn't seize the day against a Derry City team that played with 10 men for almost an hour, it’s as you were at the summit after a far from inspiring scoreless draw at Tolka Park.

It marked the sixth successive stalemate between the sides. But though Duff has now not beaten Derry in their last 10 meetings, his side remain three points ahead of their chief rivals with a game in hand in stretching their unbeaten league run to five games.

Not having played in 15 days, while Shelbourne had two tough European games to contend with, Derry showed plenty of energy early on and should have been ahead from the game’s first clearcut opening on 15 minutes.

Will Patching’s diagonal free-kick was headed on in turn by Sam Todd, Ciaran Coll and skipper Patrick Hoban. Michael Duffy spun Shelbourne skipper Mark Coyle only to shoot straight at Conor Kearns who batted the ball away.

The winger might have done better again five minutes later, cleverly cutting past Sam Bone onto Cameron Dummigan’s ball over the top before shooting wide, if from a tight angle.

Shelbourne, with six changes from Thursday’s game with FC Zurich, remained on the back foot as they laboured to get a foothold in the game before Derry’s momentum was disrupted on 35 minutes when they were reduced to 10 men.

Centre-back Todd, booked early on for a foul on Liam Burt, needlessly pulled the Shels winger back inside the home half and duly received a second yellow card and was sent off.

It was the 42nd minute before Shelbourne finally got their first sight of goal; Coyle just unable to connect with Harry