Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers shared the spoils at a sold out Tolka Park and the hosts remain top of the early Premier Division table.
On a night where both defences came out on top, there was an element of scruffiness to both goals as Harry Wood's third minute opener was cancelled out by an equally fortunate Aaron McEneff equaliser in the sixteenth minute.
Although it’s only the third week of the season, the early indications from this game show that there will be very little to separate the two sides again between now and November.
Shelbourne flew out of the traps as they did at home to Derry and wasted no time in breaking the deadlock.
A clever corner saw Kameron Ledwidge’s volley from the edge of the box deflect into Wood’s path and he chested and volleyed home from close range to continue his habit of scoring important goals.
It proved to be a double whammy for Shamrock Rovers who added Lee Grace to their heavy list of injuries before the game resumed.
Rovers ended their European oddysey with four teenagers on the pitch last week and they were already halfway to that total when Cory O’Sullivan was introduced.
Shelbourne were not without their fitness issues either and the injury plagued Sam Bone was replaced by Liverpool loanee James Norris after twelve minutes and the youngster put in an impressive shift on the night.
Rovers responded well and were level through their own slice of good fortune. Shels keeper Conor Kearns came and spilled a looping Josh Honohan cross and McEneff turned it home from eight yards.
The first half remained even between the fire and brimstone of Shelbourne and Rovers’ controlled possession, although some of Tolka Park thought Sean Boyd had restored the hosts advantage when his near post header found the side netting.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with both sides enjoying their own spells without being able to create a clear cut opportunity.
Box office signing Mipo Odubeko had been kept quiet by the Shamrock Rovers back three in the first half but the shot-happy striker finally got a sighter when he fired a thunderous volley over the bar in the 50th minute.
Once again, it seemed Rovers had weathered another early storm and grew into the second period with Burke forcing Kearns into a save from a narrow angle.
Led by the silky Burke, Stephen Bradley’s charges enjoyed a purple patch and the midfielder jinked in and out of a couple of challenges, carried the ball thirty yards, before his curling goalbound effort was headed away by Paddy Barrett.
Rory Gaffney came on to a rapturous cheer from the thousand strong away support for his first appearance sine last April.
Shelbourne’s best chance to win the game came with five minutes remaining as Norris charged on a loose ball with a stinging shot from 16 yards that went straight at Ed McGinty.
There was almost bedlam in the stands as Evan Caffrey’s daisy cutting cross was skewed narrowly wide by a very relieved Dan Cleary in the dying moments.
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Patrick Barrett, Sam Bone (James Norris 12), Sean Gannon, Kameron Ledwidge; Evan Caffrey, Mark Coyle (Alistair Coote 77), Kerr McInroy (Jonathan Lunney 68), Harry Wood (Ellis Chapman 68); Sean Boyd (John Martin 77), Ademipo Odubeko
Shamrock Rovers: Edward McGinty; Daniel Cleary, Lee Grace (Cory O'Sullivan 5), Daniel Grant, Joshua Honohan, Pico; Graham Burke (Aaron Greene 70), Matthew Healy, Aaron McEneff, Dylan Watts (Gary O'Neill 80); Michael Noonan (Rory Gaffney 80)
