Shelbourne 2, Derry City 0: A floodlight failure delayed the kick-off by 25 minutes but it didn't dull Shelbourne's sparkle - in the first half at least - as they regained second place in the table, seven points behind leaders Bohemians.
An inventive start brought no reward for Pat Fenlon's side, which suffered a lull before hitting Derry (suffering a third successive defeat) with a double goal burst five minutes before the break.
The lead was no more than scorer Mark Roberts deserved. The Scottish striker, who had earlier brought the save of the half from the busy Alan Gough, initially got a little flick to Ollie Cahill's cross from the left.
Unfortunate Derry defender Ruairi Boyle slipped to allow Stephen Geoghegan gain possession and he set up Roberts who drilled the ball past Alan Gough.
As if stunned, Derry conceded a soft second goal four minutes later. Cahill and Geoghegan were again involved in the build-up. The ball broke for Stuart Byrne whose miscued low drive from 25 yards took a strong deflection off a helpless Peter Hutton to wrong foot Gough and trickle over the line.
Derry made a fight of it in the second half. However, another deflection almost killed them off when Stuart Byrne again cracked in a shot from a free-kick; the ball striking the wall to hit Gough's right hand post.
Sean Hargan, pushed into attack from left back, had Derry's only half chance when his speculative overhead kick from Sean Friars's cross was well wide.
Richie Baker should then have eased Shelbourne's nerves at the other end on 71 minutes but, played in superbly by Wes Hoolohan, lobbed well over Gough's crossbar.
Stuart Byrne continued to try his luck from long range and another drive from over 20 yards from the midfielder was a foot over the top as Shelbourne's late surge was to bring them no joy.
Derry's night ended in misery for right-back Boyle who was sent off two minutes from time for a bad challenge on Hoolohan.
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Doherty, Prenderville (McCarthy, 53 mins), Crawley; R Baker, Hoolohan, S Byrne, Cahil (D Byrne, 70); Roberts (Nesovic 85), Geoghegan.
DERRY CITY: Gough; McLaughlin, Hutton, Boyle; Doherty, McCready (McGlynn, 64), T McCallion, Hargan; Martyn, Hughes (Deery, 57), Friars (Mullan, 86).
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
Paul Buttner
Shelbourne ... 2
Derry City ... 0
