Shelbourne dispelled any doubts that they lack the nerve to win the title as they beat Drogheda United 2-0 at Tolka Park last night to take a commanding four-point lead at the top of the table.
With just three games remaining, two of which are at Tolka Park, Shelbourne know that the title is theirs to win or lose, but on the evidence of last night, they are not going to panic unnecessarily.
With 17 minutes left in last night's game they were struggling. The game was scoreless and Shelbourne appeared to have run out of ideas. Drogheda had just missed the chance of the game as Declan O'Brien had fired wide after a Barry Molloy effort had deflected off the post.
But Jason Byrne headed home a Wes Hoolahan cross in the 74th minute to make it 1-0 and with five minutes left Stuart Byrne made the game safe with a cool finish from Ger McCarthy's cut back.
Elsewhere, it was a night to forget all round for Bohemians who started without their leading scorer, fell behind to an early goal and then lost their captain, Kevin Hunt, who was sent off shortly before half-time.
That they salvaged a point (1-1) from a match that seemed destined not to throw them anything is testament to the champions' character. But their title hopes now look slim as they slip four points behind Shelbourne with three games to play.
Both sides rang the changes with Glen Crowe the chief absentee for Bohemians. His calf stain restricted him to a seat on the bench, so Robbie Doyle started up front with Paul Keegan for the first time this season.
If anyone over at Tolka Park thought Longford wouldn't be up for this game, given their season is effectively over, they would have revised that opinion as Alan Matthews' cup holders went up the field and scored from the first corner of the night on five minutes.
Despite other considerations to follow, Stephen Kenny would have asked questions of his defenders at the break as nobody tracked the run of Graham Gartland as he arrived to power a header to the net from Alan Kirby's crisp delivery.