As it happened: Linfield v Shelbourne, Champions League

Linfield 1-1 Shelbourne (Shelbourne win 2-1 on aggregate)

23 hrs ago 7:19PM

Hello, and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.

It’s a huge game for both sides – around €2 million and a guaranteed place in the play-off round of the Uefa Conference League at a minimum is up for grabs.

Shelbourne earned a deserved 1-0 victory in the first leg at Tolka Park last week, but will they rue missing a couple of chances to take a more sizeable winning margin into this encounter?

Linfield will know they need to be better and are unlikely to be as cautious playing in front of a home crowd.

But Shels dominated possession and territory last week, and the NIFL Premiership side can’t afford to be too gung-ho early on, as their opponents have the quality to hurt them on the counter-attack.

Kick-off is at 7.45pm.

23 hrs ago 7:23PM

Reporting via The 42‘s David Sneyd, who is at Windsor Park: “1,300 Shels fans due. Sold-out allocation and 7,000 in total according to Linfield, which is their biggest European attendance for 30 years.”

23 hrs ago 7:36PM

Confirmation of the two starting XIs…

22 hrs ago 7:42PM

22 hrs ago 7:45PM

We’re underway…

22 hrs ago 7:48PM

1 min: Straight away, Linfield win a free kick in a promising position just outside the box.

Millar’s deep free kick is kept alive and steered across the area by McGee, but Hall’s close-range header goes over.

22 hrs ago 7:53PM

6 mins: Millar lofts in another free kick.

Hall wins another header, but it’s a more difficult chance than the last one, and his effort goes a few inches wide.

As I type, Coote picks up the game’s first booking for a late challenge on Orr.

22 hrs ago 7:59PM

12 mins: Huge chance for Linfield!

Goalkeeper Kearns scuffs an attempted pass.

It goes straight to Fitzpatrick, but his finish towards the empty net goes narrowly wide.

22 hrs ago 8:03PM

15 mins: Lunney plays a great long ball.

It finds the run of Wilson, but the wing-back’s tame header is comfortably saved.

He could easily have taken a touch and gone through on goal, so that’s an opportunity missed for Shels.

22 hrs ago 8:04PM

19 mins: Wood’s free kick out wide in a decent area goes straight into the arms of Johns.

Shels have improved since that Kearns mishap.

22 hrs ago 8:05PM

22 hrs ago 8:07PM

21 mins: Lunney plays another incisive through ball.

But the onrushing Wilson goes down too easily as he takes the ball, and the referee ignores half-hearted appeals for a penalty.

22 hrs ago 8:08PM

22 mins: Shels make an early change.

Coyle appeared to be moving in some discomfort, and he is replaced by Gannon.

22 hrs ago 8:09PM

23 mins: Coote creates space on the edge of the area.

But the midfielder’s effort is well off target.

22 hrs ago 8:10PM

LINFIELD 0-1 SHELBOURNE (COOTE 25)

22 hrs ago 8:12PM

Linfield only half clear a cross into the box after an initial shot by Wood is saved.

It falls to Coote, and his drilled low shot from the edge of the area leaves the goalkeeper with no chance.

22 hrs ago 8:14PM

Another Shels chance.

Caffrey’s cross finds Wilson. And the wing-back’s effort deflects just over.

22 hrs ago 8:17PM

31 mins: Another injury for Shels.

Kearns is down receiving treatment, and he will have to go off.

25-year-old former UCD goalkeeper Lorcan Healy replaces him.

22 hrs ago 8:18PM

22 hrs ago 8:22PM

Here’s a look at tonight’s opening goal…

22 hrs ago 8:23PM

38 mins: Moment of danger for Shels.

Morrison is played through on goal, but Gannon shows good pace to get to the ball first and avert the danger.

22 hrs ago 8:29PM

43 mins: Not much has happened in the last few minutes.

Shels are looking relatively comfortable, and it’s difficult to see a way back into this tie for Linfield.

22 hrs ago 8:30PM

There will be six minutes of first half stoppage time…

22 hrs ago 8:31PM

PENALTY TO LINFIELD!

22 hrs ago 8:33PM

McGee plays in a dangerous cross and it’s adjudged to have come off Wilson’s arm.

22 hrs ago 8:33PM

LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE (SHIELDS 48)

22 hrs ago 8:34PM

Out of nothing, Linfield are back in this tie.

Former Dundalk player, Chris Shields, on his 55th appearance in Europe, steps up and sends the goalkeeper the wrong way.

22 hrs ago 8:36PM

SHELBOURNE 2-1 LINFIELD (MCINROY 51)

21 hrs ago 8:37PM

Shels are back in front on the night.

Wood takes a corner short. It comes back to him and he finds McInroy with a low cross.

The midfielder’s shot finds the corner of the net via a slight deflection.

21 hrs ago 8:38PM

LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE – GOAL DISALLOWED!

21 hrs ago 8:39PM

The goal has been ruled out!

McInroy has been penalised for pulling his opponent’s shirt in the build-up.

21 hrs ago 8:40PM

HALF-TIME: LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE

21 hrs ago 8:50PM

So, an entertaining first half concludes.

It was more chaotic than Shels had hoped for.

The Premier Division side had a few nervy moments, notably the glaring miss from Fitzpatrick after the Kearns scuffed pass.

The visitors have also lost two key players — Kearns and Coyle — to injury.

Still, Joey O’Brien’s men controlled the game for large spells and looked to have one foot in the next round after Coote fired them ahead.

But another individual error led to Chris Shields’ penalty, which got Linfield back in the tie in stoppage time.

McInroy’s goal being ruled out after a VAR intervention on the brink of half-time will be another source of frustration for the Dublin side.

With another 45 minutes to go, the hosts will still feel they have a decent chance of progression after some encouraging moments in the first half.

21 hrs ago 8:54PM

Here’s a look at Linfield’s equaliser on the night…

21 hrs ago 8:55PM

And here’s the Shels disallowed goal…

21 hrs ago 8:55PM

The second half has begun…

21 hrs ago 8:58PM

46 mins: Another chance for Linfield, similar to the first half.

A misplaced pass from Healy falls to Morrison, but his finish is straight at the goalkeeper.

It’s rare to see that type of mistake once, let alone twice in a game.

It suggests a level of nervousness in the Shels camp, given what’s at stake.

21 hrs ago 8:59PM

21 hrs ago 9:02PM

50 mins: Odubeko finds Wood in space with a good square pass.

But the winger’s attempt takes two deflections and goes out of play for a goal kick, as the Shels man gets the final touch.

21 hrs ago 9:05PM

21 hrs ago 9:11PM

60 mins: Shields has to make an important defensive header clear after a Shelbourne counter.

Caffrey showed excellent pace initially to find space for a cross down the right.

21 hrs ago 9:12PM

62 mins: Coote receives the ball on the edge of the area but blazes well over the bar.

He can be forgiven for that poor finish owing to his superb first-half opener.

21 hrs ago 9:14PM

RED CARD FOR LINFIELD!

21 hrs ago 9:15PM

Orr’s attempted pass is closed down by Odubeko.

As the striker attempts to run through on goal, Ben Hall chops him down and gets sent off as a result.

21 hrs ago 9:17PM

Shels are really in the driving seat now.

It would be a major surprise if they fail to progress with a one-goal aggregate lead against 10 men.

21 hrs ago 9:21PM

So close!

Caffrey plays a lovely one-two with Wood before the former places his low finish inches to the wrong side of the post.

21 hrs ago 9:24PM

Here’s a look at the Linfield red card, which was partly down to the pace and persistence of Odubeko…

21 hrs ago 9:25PM

21 hrs ago 9:27PM

77 mins: Linfield make a double change.

McGee and Mulgrew are off.

Offord and McCullough come on.

21 hrs ago 9:30PM

79 mins: Shelbourne are seeing the game out well.

They are keeping hold of the ball and making Linfield really have to work to regain possession.

21 hrs ago 9:33PM

83 mins: More Shels subs. Boyd and Norris are on. Wilson and Coote go off.

Linfield also make a change. Millar is replaced by Allen.

21 hrs ago 9:36PM

85 mins: Offord produces a decent strike on the edge of the area, but Healy is equal to it.

Shels look almost certain to progress, but they need to be careful they don’t become complacent and let their concentration drop.

20 hrs ago 9:39PM

88 mins: Linfield look very tired.

Shels are exploiting the extra space well and keeping hold of possession.

20 hrs ago 9:40PM

There will six minutes of stoppage time…

20 hrs ago 9:41PM

90 mins: Boyd sends Odubeko through.

The former West Ham youngster’s low finish from a tight angle is saved by Johns.

20 hrs ago 9:43PM

93 mins: Shels still look comfortable.

They have the ball in the Linfield corner of the pitch.

20 hrs ago 9:45PM

94 mins: Wood squares it to Caffrey.

The Shels star carries it away from a couple of defenders before shooting wide.

20 hrs ago 9:47PM

FULL-TIME: LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE – SHELS ADVANCE 2-1 ON AGGREGATE

20 hrs ago 9:55PM

So that’s that.

Shels survived a few nervy moments and will be relieved to advance.

But they ultimately looked the better team over the two legs, with Mipo Odubeko pivotal to arguably the tie’s two key moments — the goal at Tolka and his work that led to the second-half red card at Windsor to stall the hosts’ momentum.

Given that they’ve experienced a disappointing domestic season so far, this is a much-needed morale boost for the reigning Premier Division champions.

The financial injection this result ensures — guaranteeing the club €2 million at a minimum — will also likely be significant to their long-term prospects.

20 hrs ago 9:56PM

20 hrs ago 9:57PM

Right, that’s all from me for now.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

We’ll have more reaction on the site shortly.

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