Shelbourne 2 Cork City 0

Shelbourne marched into sole leadership of the Premier division as Cork self-destructed at Tolka Park.

Derek Mountfield's side traded at parity until five minutes before the break, when 'keeper Michael Devine was sent off for handling the ball outside his area.

The first task his deputy, Alan O'Shea, had was to pick the ball out of his net, after James Keddy's shot from the resultant free kick deflected off the wall.

Cork should have been ahead by then - only an amazing triple save by Owen Heary and 'keeper Steve Williams from  Fergal O'Donoghue, twice, and Steve Gaughan saving Shels after 25 minutes.

But once Cork went a goal down and were reduced to ten men, it was just a question of by how much Shelbourne would win.

To make matters worse, Cork used all three subs in the first half - first O'Donoghue and then his replacement, Colin O'Brien, having to leave the field as well as Devine being sent-off.

Shels doubled their advantage within 12 minutes of the restart, Richie Foran brilliantly playing in Richie Baker, who took the ball around O'Shea to score into an empty goal.

The surprise was that Shelbourne didn't score more - but ragged Cork somehow held out to the end without things getting any worse.

Shelbourne: Williams, Heary, McCarthy, John, Scully, Doolin, S Geoghegan, R Baker, Fenlon, Keddy, Foran

Sub: D Baker for S Geoghegan 45

Goals: Keddy 40, R Baker 57

Booked: R Baker, Foran

Cork City: Devine, Horgan, O'Donoghue, Daly, Coughlan, O'Halloran, Cahill, Gaughan, Herrick, Morley, Mulligan

Subs: O'Brien for O'Donoghue 35, O'Shea for Mulligan 40, Caulfield for O'Brien 45

Booked: Daly, O'Donoghue, O'Haloran, Herrick

Sent off: Devine 40