Bottom side Dundalk showed continued improvement after bossing the game against Shelbourne at Oriel Park only to be held to a scoreless draw by the top of the table side.
Having made a winning start seven days earlier, new boss Noel King saw his side produce another fine display that was only lacking a goal to secure what would have been a deserved three points.
However, with just six scored all season up until this point it eluded them.
Nevertheless it is five unbeaten at home for the Co Louth side, who also haven't conceded at Oriel Park in that time. They now face a crunch bottom of the table clash against Drogheda Utd on Monday where a win would lift them off the foot of the table.
With Shamrock Rovers and Derry City also drawing their respective games away to both Bohemians and Galway, Shelbourne remain at the top of the table but this was not a display that Damien Duff will be pleased with as his side were second best throughout.
Since beating Dundalk 2-1 in Tolka Park at the end of March they have now played six and won just one, with it taking them until the 88th minute to register a shot in this game.
Their wait for a first win at Oriel Park since 2012 continues, with this result the sixth draw in the last 10 league meetings between the sides.
Buoyed by their first win of the season against Bohemians a week earlier, the home side started on top with the first chance falling their way after less than three minutes when Archie Davies pulled back to Koen Oostenbrink in the box but the Dutchman got his angles all wrong and blazed high and wide.
The hosts would go close again two minutes later when another ball in from the right was touched on by Robbie Benson, with Jamie Gullan controlling before turning to get a shot away which Conor Kearns was equal to.
Scott High then fired over before John Mountney, starting his 200th game for the club, headed just wide following a brillint cross from the left by Daryl Horgan on 17 minutes.
The Lilywhites would have two further chances in quick succession on 32 minutes. Gullan went close again when he collected a header clear by Gavin Molloy before letting loose with his left foot but unfortunately for him it was straight at Kearns.
Moments later High picked out Horgan in the box but the former Republic of Ireland international couldn’t find the power with his header to really trouble Kearns.
Shels’ only effort of the half would arrive 10 minutes before the break when John Martin tried to catch George Shelvey out with a long range effort after nicking the ball off Zak Bradshaw but the Kilkenny man’s effort was closer to the corner flag than the goal in the end.
Dundalk’s pressure continued on the restart with Gullan having an effort blocked down by Mark Coyle at close range before Benson fired over from just outside the box and Horgan forced a save from Kearns on 65 minutes after beating Tyreke Wilson.
Six minutes later Benson sent a long range effort inches wide of the post after being teed up by Mountney.
Oostenbrink then tried his luck from the edge of the box soon after with his left foot but the effort was comfortably dealt with by Kearns.
Shels’ first effort of the half came on 75 minutes when Tyreke Wilson blazed a free kick over and they would go close to stealing the win with their first attempt on target two minutes from time when substitute Sean Boyd forced George Shelvey into a full stretch save.
Dundalk: George Shelvey; Archie Davies, Zak Johnson, Andy Boyle, Zak Bradshaw; Koen Oostenbrink (Hayden Muller 84), Scott High (Ryan O’Kane 92); John Mountney (Sam Durrant 77), Robbie Benson, Daryl Horgan; Jamie Gullan (Eoin Kenny 92).
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Tyreke Wilson, Paddy Barrett, Gavin Molloy, Kameron Ledwidge; Jonathan Lunney (Dean Williams 83), Mark Coyle; Liam Burt (Evan Caffrey 75), Matty Smith (Shane Farrell 61), Will Jarvis; John Martin (Sean Boyd 61).
Referee: Eoghan O’Shea (Tipperary).
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