Football: EIRCOM LEAGUE Shels are not lacking punch

SHELBOURNE boss Pat Fenlon has told his feuding players that he wants them to carry on showing their fighting spirit.

The eircom League leaders had just gone 2-1 to northside neighbours Bohemians at Tolka Park with seven minutes to go when winger Richie Baker seemed to punch midfielder and team-mate Thomas Morgan in the post-mortem over why they conceded a second goal.

Fenlon played down the incident, but what he won't tolerate is his side conceding any more goals from set-pieces.

Both Bohs' goals came from corners and only an injury-time strike from Ger McCarthy - an 86th-minute sub - earned him his first goal for the club and Shels a share of the spoils.

Fenlon admitted: "Maybe the pitch isn't exactly the best place to air your differences. It's a bit public, but at least it showed me they care. Dermot Keely had to be pulled off me more than once or twice when he was manager of this club. But that happens - that's football.

"As long as it doesn't carry on after the event, fester and cause any lingering resentments then that's fine by me.

"It was just a show of frustration, but I'd rather have that than players who accept getting beaten or conceding soft goals. Some of the others exchanged a few words afterwards but as it was just verbal I let them sort it out among themselves."

McCarthy was delighted to get off the mark for Shelbourne.

"When you're 2-1 down with time almost up you start to fear the worst, so to score the goal in those circumstances made it even more pleasing from my point of view."

Jim Crawford put Shels ahead on 30 minutes but strikes from Derek Coughlan (52) and Kevin Hunt (83) seemed to have sealed victory for the Gypsies before McCarthy arrived.

Bohs' boss Stephen Kenny praised his side's never-say-die spirit.

He said: "Persistence is an important quality, you can't underestimate it. While we weren't as free-flowing as we can be we kept going until we scored and then we scored again. It was vital we didn't lose."

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