As it happened: Linfield v Shelbourne, Champions League
Linfield faced Shelbourne, with the Premier Division outfit holding the first-leg advantage.
7.04pm, 16 Jul 2025
15
Linfield 1-1 Shelbourne (Shelbourne win 2-1 on aggregate)
16 Jul
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.
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.”
FULL-TIME: LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE – SHELS ADVANCE 2-1 ON AGGREGATE
16 Jul
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.
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As it happened: Linfield v Shelbourne, Champions League
Linfield 1-1 Shelbourne (Shelbourne win 2-1 on aggregate)
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.
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.”
Confirmation of the two starting XIs…
We’re underway…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 mins: Shels make an early change.
Coyle appeared to be moving in some discomfort, and he is replaced by Gannon.
23 mins: Coote creates space on the edge of the area.
But the midfielder’s effort is well off target.
LINFIELD 0-1 SHELBOURNE (COOTE 25)
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.
Another Shels chance.
Caffrey’s cross finds Wilson. And the wing-back’s effort deflects just over.
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.
Here’s a look at tonight’s opening goal…
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.
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.
There will be six minutes of first half stoppage time…
PENALTY TO LINFIELD!
McGee plays in a dangerous cross and it’s adjudged to have come off Wilson’s arm.
LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE (SHIELDS 48)
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.
SHELBOURNE 2-1 LINFIELD (MCINROY 51)
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.
LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE – GOAL DISALLOWED!
The goal has been ruled out!
McInroy has been penalised for pulling his opponent’s shirt in the build-up.
HALF-TIME: LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE
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.
Here’s a look at Linfield’s equaliser on the night…
And here’s the Shels disallowed goal…
The second half has begun…
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.
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.
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.
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.
RED CARD FOR LINFIELD!
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.
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.
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.
Here’s a look at the Linfield red card, which was partly down to the pace and persistence of Odubeko…
77 mins: Linfield make a double change.
McGee and Mulgrew are off.
Offord and McCullough come on.
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.
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.
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.
88 mins: Linfield look very tired.
Shels are exploiting the extra space well and keeping hold of possession.
There will six minutes of stoppage time…
90 mins: Boyd sends Odubeko through.
The former West Ham youngster’s low finish from a tight angle is saved by Johns.
93 mins: Shels still look comfortable.
They have the ball in the Linfield corner of the pitch.
94 mins: Wood squares it to Caffrey.
The Shels star carries it away from a couple of defenders before shooting wide.
FULL-TIME: LINFIELD 1-1 SHELBOURNE – SHELS ADVANCE 2-1 ON AGGREGATE
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.
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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