Dundalk FC suffer a 1-0 defeat to Shelbourne at Tolka Park

Faint hopes of a return to European football next season were made even slimmer for Dundalk FC on Friday night after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Shelbourne at Tolka Park.

The result keeps Dundalk in the bottom of half of the SSE Airtricity League standings with just three games left, and they will fall six points behind the top four should Bohemians defeat relegated UCD in their game in hand next Thursday night in Belfield.

Dundalk won two on the bounce coming into this fixture, but found themselves behind after just four minutes in Tolka; Jack Moylan turned Darren Brownlie as he broke down the right, squaring to the far post for Jarvis, who had all the time in the world before rounding Nathan Shepperd and planting a finish into the top corner from close range.

And, that goal from Jarvis proved decisive, as the hosts moved up to fourth in the table.

Shels almost doubled their lead soon after that opener, with Moylan, from Evan Caffrey’s ball, racing in ahead of Greg Sloggett before being foiled by Shepperd’s outstretched leg.

Dundalk’s first effort of the night came on 13 minutes after Paul Doyle found himself in space, but the midfielder’s long-range effort was fired wide of Conor Kearns’ near post.

At the opposite end, Shels continued their first-half domination, with a Caffrey cross being headed up and over by Harry Wood, who really ought to have found the target.

Moylan was proving to be a serious thorn in Dundalk’s side, and the Lincoln City-bound forward had two quickfire chances in the 22nd minute as Shels closed in on another goal.

The first of those saw him get in ahead of Brownlie before dragging wide, while seconds later, he again got away from Brownlie, and Sloggett, before firing over from close range.

After that, a Jarvis low corner from the right found Caffrey, but his scuffed attempt from inside the area could only trickle safely into the arms of Dundalk goalkeeper Shepperd.

Doyle’s shot from outside the box, which curled just wide, concluded an opening 45 minutes in which The Lilywhites played second fiddle to their Dublin counterparts.

Patrick Hoban sent a header into orbit from an Archie Davies cross early in the second half – the best Dundalk, or indeed either side, could muster before Ryan O’Kane’s left-field cross was hooked wide by fellow substitute Cameron Elliott in the 78th minute.

Shels almost sealed it five minutes from time, as Hull City loanee Wood weaved his way into the box before turning wide, but even with nine minutes of stoppage-time played, Stephen O’Donnell’s side failed to register a single shot on goal throughout the night.

Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Tyreke Wilson, Gavin Molloy, Paddy Barrett, Shane Griffin; JJ Lunney, Mark Coyle; Harry Wood; Evan Caffrey (Shane Farrell 69), Jack Moylan, Will Jarvis (Brian McManus 78) (Kameron Ledwidge 84)

Subs not used: Harry Fisk (gk), Euclides Cabral, Luke Byrne, Gbemi Arubi

Dundalk FC: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Greg Sloggett, Darren Brownlie, Robbie Benson (Cameron Elliott 71); Johannes Yli-Kokko (John Martin 62), Paul Doyle (Connor Malley 53); Daniel Kelly (Ryan O’Kane 71), Daryl Horgan, Sam Durrant (Hayden Muller 53); Patrick Hoban

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie (gk), Darragh Leahy, Andy Boyle, Keith Ward

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea (Tipperary)