Shels stretch lead at summit to eight points after Derry stalemate

SHELBOURNE 0 DERRY CITY 0 

A first blip in seven games for Shelbourne was hardly a setback as Damien Duff’s side extended their lead at the summit to eight points.

Six straight victories since their opening night draw in Waterford soared the Reds to the top and, despite this bore draw against a Derry City struggling for cohesion, a return of 20 points from eight games will please Damien Duff.

Friday’s home defeat to Galway United should’ve triggered an Easter resurrection for the Candystripes but they were deficient as an attacking entity and coughed up the best chance to their hosts.

That arrived on 28 minutes when Shels countered from Derry corner. Nippy winger Liam Burt led the charge by carrying the ball over the halfway line as the visitors were outnumbered. His pass to the left seemed timed to perfection but Evan Caffrey sliced the effort wide and there was a dubious flag raised to spare his blushes.

For Derry, Michael Duffy’s shot which Paddy Barrett stuck out a leg to block midway through the half supplied the closest chance for their loyal visiting section behind the goal.

Ronan Boyce, later substituted with concussion following an aerial clash with Shels sub Sean Boyd, also blazed over but was impaired by unleashing with his weaker left foot.

Chances were non-existent in the second half, bar Will Patching’s free-kick deflected wide, with the entertainment instead generated by a flurry of touchline spats between the benches.

Duff’s exchanges with Derry sidekick Paul Hegarty salvaged value for the 3,932 paying punters on a Bank Holiday fixture that promised much without delivering.

SHELBOURNE: C Kearns; S Gannon, P Barrett, G Molloy, T Wilson; JJ Lunney, J O’Sullivan, E Caffrey (S Farrell 62); L Burt (K