Douglas James-Taylor notched a debut goal for Drogheda United as a late Shelbourne implosion allowed the strugglers to stun the league leaders at Weavers Park.
Tyreke Wilson's first half goal had Shelbourne on course for extending their lead at the top of the Premier Division, with Derry City losing at Sligo Rovers. However, two dismissals in the space of three minutes late in the game saw those hopes extinguished.
Paddy Barrett and Wilson were the players who made early exits in the 79th and 82nd minute respectively, as on-loan Walsall striker James-Taylor struck a penalty awarded after Wilson received a second yellow card for hand ball in the area.
As the cards were waved with abandon by referee Paul McLaughlin, Duff saw red himself but not in a literal sense.
The Shels boss seethed on the touchline as he saw hopes of a victory ebb away.
To Drogheda’s great credit, they were pushing for an equaliser prior to the dismissals. Few watching the game would have discerned the difference between league leaders and relegation battlers.
Kevin Doherty’s team move two points behind rivals Dundalk now, with a league clash at Oriel Park to come in eight days time. That will be seismic.
Wilson, whose brother JR also saw red for Sligo Rovers against Derry tonight, had given the Reds the lead. Somehow, the 5ft 7" full back was afforded the time and space to score a header from Evan Caffrey’s corner delivery.
It was Elicha Ahui, himself making a second debut for the Drogs, who lost his man at the set-piece.
He had a up-and-down night playing in midfield, having been used only as a right back during his loan spell last year.
The goal aside, Shels were largely restricted to half-chances in the opening 45 minutes. Caffrey and Barrett had headers off-target. Drogheda, meanwhile, went very close themselves when Conor Kearns produced a diving save to deny Luke Heeney, after good work from James-Taylor.
The English forward would ultimately have a goalscoring impact on the game, but only after the two Shels defenders left the action early.
Barrett received a second yellow for tangling with Ryan Brennan – an ex-Red and seemingly perennial Duff foe – and only three minutes later, Wilson was booked for the second time. He was judged to have blocked Adam Foley’s cross with his arm.
That was when James-Taylor had his moment. He confidently dispatched his spot kick past Kearns, himself an accomplished penalty saver as witnessed only recently, to send the home fans wild.
In eight minutes of injury time, it was Europe-bound Shels were hanging on. Substitute Killian Cailloce almost won it but the hosts' couldn't force home the lead goal.
Drogheda United: Andrew Wogan; Andrew Quinn (Killian Cailloce, 81), Jack Keaney, David Webster, Conor Kane (Ryan Brennan, 69); Elicha Ahui, Luke Heeney; Adam Foley, Darragh Markey, Warren Davis; Douglas James-Taylor.
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson; JJ Lunney (Sam Bone, 85), Evan Caffrey (Shane Griffin, 75) Mark Coyle; Matty Smith (Harry Wood, 68), Will Jarvis (Ali Coote, 75); John Martin (Sean Boyd, 68).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
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