Shelbourne keep their heads for Champions League triumph over Linfield

David Sneyd reports from Windsor Park

Champions League first-round qualifier, second leg

Linfield 1

Shelbourne 1

Shelbourne win 2-1 on aggregate

AFTER A PERIOD of celebration for some around 12 July in Northern Ireland this truly was a glorious Champions League night for Shelbourne in Belfast.

It was raucous and a little bit chaotic, but ultimately Linfield just fell short in a tie when the outcome was in the balance right until the very end.

Shels edged it, collecting the riches that come with it, but only just.

The 1,300 travelling fans revelled in chants of olé, olé, olé and the Shels players raised the Irish tri-colour in celebration as their season takes on a new lease of life.

Ali Coote’s fine first-half strike proved decisive in a second leg that was drawn 1-1 after Chris Shields equalised form the spot.

There was VAR drama that ruled out a second Shels goal on the night and a Linfield red card just after the hour but, at the end of it all, it was Joey O’Brien’s men who march on.

Their season is now one of nomadic promise around Europe.

The League of Ireland season is by no means a write-off – they’re only six points off second place – but when Damien Duff resigned last month, the fear from the outside might have been that that the campaign was only going one way, a slow spiral to follow the departure of a powerful omnipresence.

Rivals were no doubt hoping for the downfall to be painful for last season’s Premier Division champions.

Not so. Their revival since O’Brien assumed caretaker charge has continued since Duff’s former assistant was handed the top job permanently.

The 1-0 aggregate lead from the first leg in Dublin last week offered respite rather than a great deal of comfort coming to Windsor Park, and the opening exchanges here suggested this was to be an evening that would be endured rather than enjoyed.

Linfield should have been ahead inside 60 seconds when a free-kick routine to the back post worked an opening for Matthew Fitzpatrick to head over from only a couple of yards.

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The home fans – just shy of 6,000 of them for their biggest European attendance for 30 years – were backing their side and they were responding, although Fitzpatrick’s night in front of goal did not get any better when they striker spurned a glorious chance to level the tie on 13 minutes.

The manner in which the opportunity was gifted to him, and how it was wasted, provided an indication of the nerves for both sets of players. Goalkeeper Conor Kearns got caught in two minds with the ball at his feet and seemed to stop in mid stride to scuff the ball straight to Fitzpatrick 25 yards out.

It rolled invitingly to the man in blue but his finish was high and wide.

The Shels No.1 would limp off with a hamstring injury before the half was out and whether this was the moment the damage was done he was lucky it wasn’t worse, especially as captain Mark Coyle also had to be taken off through injury with Sean Gannon replacing him in the back line.

The visitors did begin to find their rhythm, though, as JJ Lunney and Kerr McInroy took more control in the centre. This confidence shone through in the build-up to their opener on 25 minutes when patient play saw a Harry Wood shot cleared off the line by Shields and the attempted clearance from Ethan Mcgee spin towards Coote on the edge of the box.

He took one touch to control and the next inside the D to fire low and hard into the net.

With a two-goal lead in the tie the remainder of the half seemed to be petering out until six minutes of added time went up for the numerous stoppages, including treatment for Kearns and Coyle who had to be withdrawn.

Then the drama of stoppage time infused the night with a kind of chaotic energy. Firstly, Tyreke Wilson was shown a yellow card for a handball in the box from a floated cross to the back post that.

Shields stepped up and beat substitute goalkeeper Lorcan Healy for a goal that levelled things up on the night and seemed the perfect tonic to go with the half-time oranges.

Instead, the night continued to bubble with tension. What seemed like a superbly executed corner routine between Wood, Wilson and McInroy resulted in the latter finishing first-time from 12 yards out in the fifth minute of extras.

The home fans were stunned, the away supporters jubilant, right up until the VAR Darren England alerted referee Andrew Madley to a slight tug at the back post from Barrett on Euan East.

A check of the pitchside screen just beneath the Shels fans confirmed their worst fears and the goal was ruled out.

Linfield fans celebrated as both sets of players gathered themselves in the dressing rooms.

Less than 30 seconds into the second half and it didn’t seem as though composure had been retained. Shels again almost gifted Linfield an equaliser when Healy scuffed a pass out from his box that went straight to Callumn Morrison.

It wasn’t as glaring a chance as the one wasted by Fitzpatrick but it was enough to imbue the home side with a belief their opponents were vulnerable.

But Linfield could never sustain enough pressure in the final third and as the half wore on the side who are still in pre-season looked like a group of players still getting up to speed.

That much became clear on 63 minutes when a loose pass from Matthew Orr was pounced on by Mipo Odubeko and last man back Ben Hall brought the striker down.

The red card was shown and for the remaining 30 minutes Shels had most of the ball without being able to create the decisive moment to kill the tie.

Odubeko had one effort on the left in injury time but, unlike the first half, there was no late drama.

It was 22 June when Duff addressed this squad of players and told them he was stepping aside.

It will be either 22 or 23 July when they welcome Qarabag to Tolka Park for the first leg of the second qualifying round.

Next week will continue a European journey that now guarantees Shels a place in the play-off round of the Uefa Conference League at a very minimum.

The champions’ path allows for those who reign supreme in their respective leagues a real chance at securing league phase football.

When the fizz of adrenaline eases off those whose job it is will do their sums and tally the prize money – €1.7 million guaranteed for the remainder of the qualifying rounds should they not even win another tie.

Of course, should Shels follow Shamrock Rovers’ lead from last season and reach the league phase of the Conference then just over €3m will come their way.

These are now the thoughts they can allow themselves to consider and enjoy after this All Ireland triumph.

Linfield: Chris Johns; Matthew Orr, Euan East, Ben Hall, Ethan Mcgee (Dane McCullough 76); Josh Archer, Jamie Mulgrew (captain) (Kieran Offord 76), Chris Shields; Kirk Miller (Charlie Allen 83), Matt Fitzpatrick, Callumn Morrison (Chris McKee 68).

Shelbourne: Conor Kearns (Lorcan Healy 31); Mark Coyle (captain) (Sean Gannon 22), Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge; Evan Caffrey, JJ Lunney, Kerr McInroy, Harry Wood, Tyreke Wilson (James Norris 84); Ali Coote (Sean Boyd 84); Mipo Odubeko.

Referee: Andrew Madley (Eng).