Incredibly, that contingent includes Stephen Kenny's Saints, with five wins in a row leaving them seven points off the pace. Kenny feels it's too little too late for that equation but their presence has added another layer to the European picture in a campaign packed with twists and turns.
Just two minutes of normal time remained. Seconds earlier, Shels were sniffing the unlikeliest of victories, three points that might just have put one hand in the trophy.
After four defeats in a row against their rivals, this was a sweet night for St Pat's and particularly for Kenny given that an injury-time loss to Shelbourne in May punctured some of the optimism around his arrival.
It's not just the outcome that will scar Damien Duff's side. The manner of it will sting, with the energy created by a two-goal comeback deflated in dramatic fashion by Saints sub Al-Amin Kazeem reacting quickest when Mason Melia swivelled in the box to strike the post.
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