The weather suggested that we were in for a bout of mud wrestling at Dalymount Park last night, but the fact that referee Hugh Byrne saw fit to dish out six yellows and one red card during a tense and often frantic encounter was symptomatic of an old-fashioned scrap.

Over the course of what developed into an entertaining tussle between two sides who know each other well at this stage, though, there was enough football of real quality to suggest that this was, as billed, a showdown between the league's two most serious title contenders. Of course, the fact that Shelbourne took all three points has decided nothing, but having gone four points clear of Longford and six ahead of last night's opposition, they are assuming the sort of position that they would have hoped for as they strive to defend their title. Shelbourne have looked uncharacteristically fragile in recent weeks and after word reached him of the hammering they took out in Bray, Bohemians manager Roddy Collins could be forgiven for deciding that attack was the best form of defence in this, his side's second game of the season with their rivals.

But early on his decision to play with three up front looked reckless. While Gary O'Neill waited for his chance to make a contribution to the Bohemians attack, the home side was promptly made to look short of bodies at the other end. Dessie Baker almost set up an opening goal in the first minute before brother Richie laid one on for Richie Foran.

Both the build-up, a quick interchange of passes up the right, and the low driven shot in to the bottom corner were excellent. Bohemians found themselves playing catch-up, which is not what you want to be doing against any of Dermot Keely's sides. Had the game been more than two minutes old when the goal arrived, Bohemians might have been less thrown by it. As it was, doubt quickly crept into their game and before a quarter of the contest was up, Collins decided to haul off the spare striker and throw on Davey Williamson out wide in midfield.

The chances were few and far between with Bohemians' best of the opening period coming from a long, angled Simon Webb free-kick that Tony McCarthy, under pressure, headed goalwards. Fortunately his goalkeeper reacted well to push the ball wide.

Immediately after the second half started Glen Crowe almost capitalised on another error, this time by newly arrived substitute James Keddy, but his attempt on goal just failed to clear Williams, who was very quick to throw himself towards the striker's feet.

From then on both goalkeepers began to find themselves in the thick of it as the game began to open up. Bohemians' Wayne Russell made a couple of memorable saves, including one outstanding reaction save from a Richie Baker header and another from a Dessie Baker lob. At that point it appeared that Keely's side was more likely to double its lead than lose it, but then there were times too, particularly in the closing 20 minutes, when there was more than a hint of improvisation about the Shelbourne defending around their own area. Another night that would have been all the invitation that Crowe and Trevor Molloy would have needed.

But the Bohemians strikers could not find a way of salvaging something from the game. Late in injury time that fact proved a little too frustrating for Stephen Caffrey who was dismissed for use of the elbow on Richie Baker.

BOHEMIANS: Russell; O'Connor, Maher, Hill, Webb; O'Keeffe (Markey, 60 mins), Hunt, Caffrey; O'Neill (Williamson, 21 mins), Crowe, Molloy.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; R Baker, Crawford, Fenlon, Hutchison (Keddy, half-time); Foran, D Baker.

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).