This was a start to the new campaign that neither side will wish to remember for too long. The pair might have very different ambitions for the months ahead but on the strength of their respective showings at Tolka Park yesterday, the home side's hopes of taking the title are about as remote as the visitors' chances of resisting the drop to the First Division.

Shelbourne did have the points to show for their efforts at the final whistle but should have done better after completely dominating the opening quarter of an hour.

Without the injured Tony Sheridan, they gave Stephen Geoghegan a start but last year's top scorer at the club still looked a week or two away from his best as those about him beavered industriously in search of an early goal.

Pat Fenlon, Mark Rutherford and Desie Baker might all have found the net before City had settled but when the summer signing from Shamrock Rovers then did manage to do so in the 10th minute, referee John Stacey ruled his effort out after having spotted the use of a hand to control the ball.

Perhaps already recalling the seemingly endless frustration of Thursday night, the Dubliners then began to become far less structured in their approach work and suddenly Kilkenny, whose work-rate could certainly not be questioned, found themselves with the freedom to make their mark. However, with Richie Hale alone up front, the Premier Division's new boys rarely threatened.

It was the Shelbourne defence that finally broke the deadlock with just under 10 minutes to go to the break. Pat Scully turned Baker's corner from the left back across the face of the goal for Tony McCarthy and, hardly helped by the number of bodies crowding his area, Ashley Stephenson was helpless on his line.

Within three minutes it was all square again, Brendan Rea's long through ball setting up Davy Walsh's powerfully struck halfvolley which after being magnificently stopped by Alan Gough dropped kindly for Hale to sidefoot home from a dozen yards.

City might then have quickly taken the lead when Paul Cashin fired low against the post from the right but rather than continue to push forward in search of a second they opted instead to fall back again which, inevitably, handed the initiative back to their opponents.

For this they paid the price just after the hour when Pascal Vaudequin neatly beat his man and floated in a cross which Scully directed goalwards only for Craig Maher to clear off the line. In the circumstances little more could have been asked of the full back but his header flew across the face of the goal towards Stephen Geoghegan who merrily tapped home his first goal of the new league season.