UCD 0 Shelbourne 2: In advance of taking on a side that has held or beaten most of the league's top teams at home this season, Shelbourne must have been just a little anxious as they made the short journey to Belfield Park for last night's encounter.

The students had lost both of their earlier games with Pat Fenlon's side but good results against Cork and Sligo, not to mention draws both home and away to Derry City, had suggested they might play more than a walk-on part in the closing act of this year's championship drama. As it turned out, however, the home side were consigned to the wings as Shelbourne turned in a controlled and impressively composed performance that comfortably merited the three points.

The win here extended Shelbourne's unbeaten run to seven and helped to ensure that it is they who will occupy the driving seat in this title race on Tuesday night when they arrive in Derry to take on their only remaining challengers.

Goals from Jason Byrne and Richie Baker were enough for them to earn the points on this occasion and, though City are unlikely to concede quite so softly, there will be some satisfaction in the Shelbourne camp with the way they once again subdued a side so many others have found so troublesome.

The home side may have conceded eight goals in their previous two encounters with the league leaders but the confidence with which they started this final meeting of the season between the two sides reflected the fact that for them there was nothing at stake here but pride.

At the back they looked solid through the early exchanges and when building from there they successfully stretched their visitors in midfield where Joseph Ndo and Stuart Byrne took until the second half to assert themselves.

Up front, though, the hosts struggled to achieve any sort of penetration. The couple of crosses they managed from wide positions were easily dealt with by Steve Williams or his defenders. For all Conor Sammon's industry around the area the home side could do little more than momentarily unsettle Sean Dillon and Jamie Harris from time to time.

In fact it took more than half an hour before the students managed an attempt on goal of any real substance and 40 minutes before the visiting fans were given a real fright. On that occasion Keith Doyle's angled free from the left was knocked into the path of Alan McNally and his low driven shot towards the bottom left corner was blocked short of the line by Ollie Cahill.

By then, however, they were a goal behind with McNally having played a rather crucial part in Shelbourne getting their noses in front. The centre back's offence had been a terribly sloppy ball in what he clearly thought was the direction of his left back but Keith Doyle was 15 metres further back and Bobby Ryan gratefully accepted the opportunity to seize possession and race towards the area. McNally then almost cut out his low cross but his touch merely sent the ball looping into the path of Jason Byrne whose tap in from a couple of yards was probably the easiest of his 15 league goals so far this season.

The home side's problems deepened somewhat when Keith Doyle limped out of the game moments before half-time but matters appeared to have been evened up when Shelbourne reappeared for the restart with Richie Baker at right back in place of the injured Owen Heary.

If the UCD bench viewed the switch as a plus then they were forced into a quick rethink seven minutes later when the substitute scored. Ndo won possession five metres inside the home side's half and Ryan forced Conor Kenna into heading behind with a nicely floated ball for Glen Crowe. From the Ndo corner, Baker headed home after rising to improbable heights within the six yard box.

Few amongst the home support could have harboured serious hopes of a comeback after that and UCD, in truth, never threatened to stage one. Shelbourne should have extended their lead with a little under a quarter of an hour remaining when they were controversially awarded a free just a few metres out when Darren Quigley caught a looping and, the locals suggested, badly mishit high ball from Darragh Ryan.

Gary O'Neill got things rolling again while some his opponents were still arguing with the referee but amidst all the confusion Crowe managed to send the resulting shot wildly over the target.

It mattered little really for Shelbourne continued to look comfortable, grateful, no doubt, to conserve their energies for what promises to be a somewhat tougher assignment at the Brandywell on Tuesday night.

UCD: Quigley; Kenna, McDonnell, McNally, K Doyle (Ryan, 45 mins); C Byrne (P Byrne, 71 mins), Crowley, Dicker (Harte, 66 mins), D Doyle; Sammon, Finn.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary (Baker, half-time), Harris, Dillon, Rogers; Ryan, Ndo, S Byrne (Crawford, 75 mins), Cahill; J Byrne (O'Neill, 69 mins), Crowe.

Referee: R Winter (Dublin).