JORDAN FLORES condemned Shelbourne to their first defeat of the season with a quick-fire first-half double.
The Bohemians captain scored twice – the first a penalty – inside three minutes to put the visitors in charge.
Will Jarvis pulled one back with another spot-kick just after the hour mark.
But Bohs – whose running down of the clock had Shels boss Damien Duff asking the match officials if they were playing basketball – held on for a first league win in seven attempts against their northside rivals.
Bohs started on the front foot and had a chance inside 23 seconds when James Akintunde sent a glancing header from a Flores cross just off-target.
Akintunde continued to provide an outlet, with Bohs inclined to hit it long to him, but Shels bossed much of the first opening 30 minutes.
They played with an assurance which was lacking in their opponents, although they did defend doggedly to ensure that they did not fall behind.
Liam Burt fed Seán Boyd but he had a heavy touch with his appeals for a penalty after he fell over Aboubacar Keita waved away.
The ball spun loose to John Martin whose shot was parried by keeper Kacper Chorazka with JJ Lunney’s follow-up effort blocked by Luke Matheson.
Then, Paddy Kirk did well to prevent a Will Jarvis ball from reaching Burt. Coyle pounced on the loose ball but Keita threw his body in front of the shot.
Bohs began to get a foothold in the game and had their own appeal for a penalty turned down when James Clarke went down when challenged by Paddy Barrett.
The ball spun loose to Declan McDaid but Tyreke Wilson got in the way of his goal-bound effort.
The case for a spot-kick in the 36th minute was far more clearcut. Jevon Mills hit the ball long, Akintunde held off Gavin Molloey but was then felled by the Shels keeper.
In front of the travelling support, Flores kept his cool from 12 yards, squeezing the ball inside the post.
He was celebrating again within three minutes when nobody followed him as he made a dart to the far post to nod home Dayle Rooney’s corner.
Having appeared as though they were in control of the game, Shels had suddenly lost their composure with Kearns hitting a goal kick out of play.
A boo from the main stand when the half-time whistle blew prompted boss Damien Duff to do a double-take.
His surprise was understandable given an impressive six wins and three draws in their opening nine games had seen them build up a six-point lead at the top of the table before last night.
But he now had his work cut out to prevent his side from losing for the first time this season.
They looked as though they might have got one back within nine minutes of the restart.
Coyle drove forward before passing to Sean Gannon on the right. His cross was dummied by Jarvis to leave for Burt but Keita, at full stretch, blocked his effort.
Shels did halve the deficit in the 62nd minute after some ping-pong around the Bohs box.
Chorazka could only parry John Martin’s shot, Keita sliced a clearance with the outside of his foot which fell to Wilson who went to ground when tackled by Rooney who insisted he had got the ball first.
But McLaughlin pointed to the spot with Jarvis drilling the ball low and hard into the back of the net.
They could have another penalty straight away when, after Chorazka saved Martin’s first shot, Burt’s follow-up effort struck the arm of Mills but Shels had to be content with a corner and struggled to create many more chances.
SHELBOURNE: 1 BOHEMIANS: 2
Jarvis 62 (pen) Flores 37 (pen), 40
SUN STAR MAN: Jordan Flores (Bohemians)
SHELBOURNE: Kearns 6; Gannon 6, Barrett 6 (Farrell 76, 4), Molloy 7, Wilson 7; Burt 6, Coyle 7 (O’Sullivan 67, 5), Lunney 6 (Hakiki 90, 3), Jarvis 6; Martin 7 (Williams 76, 4), Boyd 6.
BOHEMIANS: Chorazka 7; Matheson 7, Keita 8, Mills 7, Kirk 7; Flores 8, McDonnell 7 (B McManus 77, 4); Rooney 7, Clarke 7, McDaid 6 (Connolly 69, 5); Akintunde 7 (Grant 83, 4).
REFEREE: P McLaughlin (Dublin) 6