Harps hold Shels - February 17,
2001
Shelbourne 0 Finn Harps 0
It was a tale of missed chances for leaders Shelbourne at Tolka as the reigning champions squandered part of their eleven-point cushion.
The Reds found Harps 'keeper Gareth Downey in excellent form, behind a rock-steady defensive centre of Shane Bradley and Niall Fitzhenry - and then compounded the situation by missing whatever chances did come their way.
Nobody was more culpable than Tony Sheridan who, in the absence of Richie Foran, was surprisingly preferred to Stephen Grant up front and given his first start since his return from Cardiff.
He repaid the manager by somehow hitting a post from not more than two feet!
His strike partner, Dessie Baker, hardly fared much better when presented with the chance of chipping Gareth Downey, who for once found himself stranded in no-man's-land. Baker did the right thing but failed to hit the target.
When Baker did find the range with a powerful 15-yarder, Downey was equal to it and the 'keeper also made a good save from a firm Paul Doolin header.
But Harps didn't manage to trouble Steve Williams even once and overall there was precious little to excite the 1,500-odd punters.
Shelbourne: Williams, Heary, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan, R Baker, Doolin, Fenlon, Hutchison, D Baker, Sheridan
Subs: Crawford for Hutchison 52, Grant for Sheridan 74, Byrne for Doolin 78
Finn Harps: Downey, Scanlon, Fitzhenry, Bradley, R Kenny, J Kenny, Mohan, Harkin, McGrenaghan, McHugh, Marrow
Subs: Speak for Marrow 83, Lloyd for J Kenny 90
Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford)