Shelbourne spurned an opportunity to take a giant step towards their first league title since 2006, as they were beaten by Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
A win for Damien Duff's side would have sent the Tolka outfit five points clear with a game extra to play.
But the Bit O'Red had different plans as goals from Will Fitzgerald and Wilson Waweru either side of an Evan Caffrey strike gave Rovers their 11th league win of the season, sending them level on points with third-placed Waterford.
Looking for their fifth home win on the spin, Rovers were forced into one change with Jack Henry-Francis handed his first start since his summer move on loan from Arsenal. The Londoner replacing Conor Malley who picked up a knock late on in the defeat to St Pat's last Sunday.
The hosts were also without manager John Russell who watched the game from a small press box in the Treacy Avenue stand.
The Galway man was serving the first of his three-match ban following a red card handed to him by referee Rob Hennessy in injury time in that game against the Saints, after Russell reacted to Hennessy's decision to award that dubious spot kick to Pat's which led to the winner.
The visitors began life without top-scorer Will Jarvis who returned to parent club Hull City this week, following a shock recall to the Tigers.
Duff made three changes to his outfit which played out that less than inspiring scoreless draw with Derry City on Monday last. Jarvis, Shane Griffin and John Martin stepping out in place of Caffrey, Ali Coote and Paddy Barrett.
The league leaders started this one on the front foot with an early Harry Wood set piece deflected wide by the Rovers wall, while Caffrey hacked at an effort from the edge of the area six minutes in.
Shels' goalkeeper Conor Kearns showed some rustiness early on when he was sloppy in coming to deal with a JR Wilson set-piece on 18 minutes, the ball falling to Henry-Francis who fired Rovers' first warning shot of the night narrowly over.
Coote shot straight at Ed McGinty from 20 yards out, directly from a Wood corner.
Sligo were maybe fortunate when McGinty tangled with Coote inside his area. Referee David Dunne felt nothing was doing, however.
Rovers then made the most of poor judgement in the Shels' rearguard on 24 minutes. Sam Bone's pass across the face of his own goal was easily cut out by Fitzgerald who steadied himself before finding the bottom corner of Kearns' goal.
Paddy Barrett's innocuous header from a Wood free-kick was easily held by McGinty before the break, while Henry-Francis again threatened early in the second period, the Irish underage international sweeping an effort on the half volley over the bar from 19 yards.
Kearns threw his hat on Waweru's shot from 20 yards which lacked any conviction on 53 minutes just before the Drumcondra men levelled proceedings.
There was more than a hint of offside when Caffrey ran free of the last Sligo man to pick up Wood's through ball.
Referee Dunne and his assistant Shane O'Brien on that side saw nothing wrong with the timing of the run, however, as Caffrey kept his cool to slot past the oncoming McGinty.
Parity lasted just ten minutes.
Kearns and a handful of his defenders somehow managed to keep out substitute Luke Pearce's initial drive at goal, but could do little about the quick reactions of Waweru who fired into the net on the follow up from five yards out for his eighth goal of the year.
Duff reacted to this set-back by introducing Martin, Rayhaan Tulloch and Matty Smith from his reserves all at once as the Dubliners pressed hard.
But the closest Shels came to a second was two minutes from time when Liam Burt hammered well over from the angle during a tense finish.
Sligo Rovers: Ed McGinty; JR Wilson, Nando Pijnaker, Ollie Denham, Reece Hutchinson; Jack Henry-Francis (Luke Pearce 63), Niall Morahan, Ellis Chapman; Will Fitzgerald, Stephen Mallon (Owen Elding 72); Wilson Waweru (Kailin Barlow 81).
Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Sam Bone (John Martin 73), Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge (Tyrieke Wilson 63); Mark Coyle, JJ Lunney; Harry Wood (Mark Isong 87), Ali Coote (Rayhaan Tulloch 73), Evan Caffrey (Matty Smith 73); Liam Burt.
Referee: David Dunne.
Attendance: 3,056.
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