Shelbourne 0-0 Dundalk
Ecstasy to agony for Robbie Benson as he followed up his big winner last week with two big misses at Tolka Park.
Benson's late goal against Shamrock Rovers put Dundalk right into a title race with the Hoops.
The plan was to keep the pressure on with a sixth win in succession last night.
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But dogged Shels hadn't read the script and, after a loss to Rovers just before the mid-season break and also to Bohs last Friday, Damien Duff's side picked up a battling point on home ground to stall Dundalk's momentum.
Benson in particular will be kicking himself after missing a great chance in both halves.
But he wasn't the only one to curse his luck as Steven Bradley, David McMillan and John Martin were all off-target close to goal for the visitors before Ryan O'Kane blazed wide with the last kick of the night.
From the start Shels posed a strong threat on the counter. Benson was booked in the sixth minute as he halted Jad Hakiki's charge into space.
Moments later Hakiki - a ball of energy in the opening period - caught Greg Sloggett in possession and, straining to repair the damage, the Lilywhites midfielder fouled his opponent just outside the box.
The free-kick was in a good spot for Shane Farrell to pick a side but while he lifted it over the defensive wall, he couldn't bring it down in time.
So Dundalk were slow to get going but enjoyed a period of relative dominance from the quarter hour mark.
Hibs loanee Bradley looked lively and had a shot deflected across the face of goal after he was superbly found with a cross-field pass by Lewis Macari.
Macari himself then fired over the top, as did Bradley, but Benson should have opened the scoring in the 32nd minute.
A clever flick by Daniel Kelly put the experienced midfielder away and, with just Brendan Clarke to beat, Benson tried to pass the ball into the left corner.
Instead, he shot the wrong side of the post. There was no offside flag raised to spare his blushes.
Dundalk came close again six minutes into the second half.
Again, it was Macari who was the provider, this time delivering a cross from deep that McMillan pounced on but the striker's first-time effort was mis-hit wide.
Shels responded, and Sean Boyd pulled the ball back for Brian McManus to have a go from distance. A slight deflection didn't distract Nathan Sheppard, who got down well to save.
The closest the Reds came was in the 69th minute, when Farrell's corner was met by Boyd's header that he directed toward the far corner. Sheppard was again alive to the danger.
But then Benson should have done better when Darragh Leahy picked him out with a pinpoint cross. The unmarked 30-year-old headed over from seven yards out.
Shels found a second win in the closing stages and sub Aodh Dervin was inches from getting to Boyd's header.
O'Kane's last-gasp shot at glory careered towards the disappointed away supporters who last saw their side failed to score on April 18.
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