Republic of Ireland round-up: Shelbourne clear

Owen Heary's late strike moved Shelbourne FC two points clear of Shamrock Rovers FC at the top of the Irish Premier League, as the they snatched a 3-2 win against University College Dublin FC on Sunday.

Geoghegan on target
Shelbourne went in front when Stephen Geoghegan scored after 16 minutes but Clive Delaney equalised for UCD three minutes before the break. UCD gained the advantage after 73 minutes through Sean Finn, but the lead was short-lived with a Kevin Doherty header levelling the scores again at 2-2. Shelbourne collected all three points after Heary capitalised on poor defending to drive the ball into the unguarded net, three minutes from time.

Rovers held
Shamrock Rovers FC, who started the day level on points with Shelbourne, lost ground on the leaders after being held to a goalless draw by Saint Patrick's Athletic FC. Monaghan United FC shocked title-chasing Cork City FC by holding the Leesiders to a 2-2 draw. The result leaves Cork in fifth place, five points behind Shelbourne, while for Monaghan, it was only their ninth point of a disastrous season in the top-flight.