THREE SECOND-HALF minutes tell the story of this game and what is ultimately turning into a roadshow of regret for Shelbourne in the Uefa Conference League.
They may have been able to keep Troy Parrott quiet but there was an all-too familiar tune to a third league phase defeat as AZ Alkmaar were lucky in one box and then lethal in the other.
This time the loss for Shels came against a superior side but the nature of the sequence of events that led to them conceding the only goal of the game – headed in at the back post by Mees de Wit – will fill them with as much anguish as those earlier sucker punches against Shkendija in North Macedonia and Drita at Tallaght Stadium.
Here in the AFAS Stadion on the outskirts of Alkmaar, substitute John Martin would have seen his name in lights when superb pace and then poise from Mipo Odubeko down the left flank put the ball on a plate for him.
As he strode into the centre of the penalty area, Martin had a choice to make: shoot first time or take a touch. He opted for the latter but got the studs of his right boot stuck on the ball, it then squired against his left and AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro was able to smother the ball.
It was a huge let off, the entire Shels bench were on their feet in anticipation of what could have been their first goal of the campaign and given their resolve levels a huge boost with 67 minutes on the clock.
AZ Alkmaar's Mees de Wit (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Within 180 seconds that missed opportunity felt even more significant. AZ worked a short corner from the right side, went across the centre to the left where Peer Koopmeiners arrowed a ball back to where it came from for de Wit to power home a solid header.
AZ then made absolutely certain of the victory when one of their own substitutes, Isak Jensen, beat Wessel Speel to his right side with a pin-point shot from around 25 yards.
The 1,000-plus Shels fans who travelled still sang songs for their heroes and their club, embracing and enjoying the journey that Joey O’Brien has taken them on this year, and there was an historic moment too as Sean Gannon came off the bench to make his 64th European appearance, a new record for a League of Ireland player.
With one point from four games, though, and Crystal Palace up next before a final day trip to Celje, it will take a minor miracle for Shels to somehow make the knockout phase play-offs.
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AZ had just shy of 70% possession at the end of the first half and captain Sven Mijnans was the orchestrator from the centre of the pitch.
Their skipper glided around the pitch and was graceful with his use of the ball. He was nice and pretty but, crucially for Shels, not quite incisive enough to help his side find a way through during those 45 minutes in which they dominated.
Paddy Barrett made three important clearances and blocks before the break, the most important of which came with a quarter of an hour on the clock. Dave Kwakman clipped a clever ball over the top for the captain’s run into the box on the left hand side.
He had a quick look to see Parrott sprinting towards the centre of the six-yard box. His first time ball would have put a tap in on a plate for the Dubliner but Barrett recovered in time to clear danger.
Troy Parrott (right) with Mark Coyle. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
It was a pivotal moment at an early stage in the game. Other than that moment the only time Speel was forced to make a save came on 31 minutes when Parrott’s run down the left channel saw him get a yard clear of Mark Coyle.
He took the ball in his stride but the angle was tight and the Shels keeper had his bearings to make sure he wasn’t caught out.
At the other end, it was a mistake by Owusu-Oduro in the AZ goal that gifted Odubeko a half chance in the area.
The goalkeeper came to collect a Kerr McInroy corner but fumbled, Odubeko did well to adjust his feet quickly to get a shot away but the AZ No.1 recovered just as smarty to smother the effort.
That opportunity came on the stroke of half-time and Shels had been relishing the task at hand, typified by Milan Mbeng following Barrett’s lead with one last-ditch tackle on Kwakman in the box after some sharp, one-touch interplay between Parrott and Mijnans 10 minutes before the break.
When left back de Wit then went down in the area after appearing to have been clipped by Mbeng seconds later it required a VAR check to rule out any infringement.
Shels were unchanged for the re-start and the same kind of pockets of space that Mijnans and Weslley Patati had found in central areas were no longer as readily available.
JJ Lunney, Jack Henry Francis and McInroy were doing a sterling job providing as much protection as they could for the back five, and the sound of boos and whistles around the AFAS Stadion approaching the hour mark would have been music to their ears.
Parrott so nearly gave the home faithful something to cheer when Mijnans did split the Shels defence with a neat, dinked ball. The AZ striker shot with his left but Speel spread himself and kept it out with his chest.
For the final 30 minutes the question now was would Shels have the ability to break the habit of this Conference League campaign and not be the architects of their own misfortune.
Reinforcements were sent on as Lunney and Harry Wood were replaced by Evan Caffrey and Martin, respectively.
He so nearly had his moment before AZ punished the missed chance to devastating effect moments later through de Wit.
Jensen’s strike added the gloss on another bittersweet night for a club that has had to fight for its very existence.
That is why the huge travelling support still clapped and sang for the players as they showed their respect after the full-time whistle. This European campaign might not last beyond Christmas but with European qualification already secured for 2026 Shels’ revival is in rude health.
Even if this defeat will feel like another sickener.
AZ Alkmaar:Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro; Elijah Dijkstra (Mateo Chavez 66), Wouter Goes, Alexandre Penetra, Mees de Wit; Peer Koopmeiners, Sven Mijnans (captain), Dave Kwakman (Kees Smit HT); Weskkey Patati (Matej Sin 77), Troy Parrott, Wassim Bouziane (Isak Jensen 66).
Shelbourne:Wessel Speel; Milan Mbeng (Sean Gannon 77), Mark Coyle (captain), Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, Dan Kelly; Kerr McInroy, JJ Lunney (Evan Caffrey 61), Jack Henry Francis (Ellis Chapman 77); Harry Wood (John Martin 61); Mipo Odubeko (Sean Boyd 85).
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Shelbourne keep Troy Parrott quiet but suffer Conference League defeat to AZ Alkmaar
Uefa Conference League
AZ Alkmaar 2
Shelbourne 0
THREE SECOND-HALF minutes tell the story of this game and what is ultimately turning into a roadshow of regret for Shelbourne in the Uefa Conference League.
They may have been able to keep Troy Parrott quiet but there was an all-too familiar tune to a third league phase defeat as AZ Alkmaar were lucky in one box and then lethal in the other.
This time the loss for Shels came against a superior side but the nature of the sequence of events that led to them conceding the only goal of the game – headed in at the back post by Mees de Wit – will fill them with as much anguish as those earlier sucker punches against Shkendija in North Macedonia and Drita at Tallaght Stadium.
Here in the AFAS Stadion on the outskirts of Alkmaar, substitute John Martin would have seen his name in lights when superb pace and then poise from Mipo Odubeko down the left flank put the ball on a plate for him.
As he strode into the centre of the penalty area, Martin had a choice to make: shoot first time or take a touch. He opted for the latter but got the studs of his right boot stuck on the ball, it then squired against his left and AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro was able to smother the ball.
It was a huge let off, the entire Shels bench were on their feet in anticipation of what could have been their first goal of the campaign and given their resolve levels a huge boost with 67 minutes on the clock.
Within 180 seconds that missed opportunity felt even more significant. AZ worked a short corner from the right side, went across the centre to the left where Peer Koopmeiners arrowed a ball back to where it came from for de Wit to power home a solid header.
AZ then made absolutely certain of the victory when one of their own substitutes, Isak Jensen, beat Wessel Speel to his right side with a pin-point shot from around 25 yards.
The 1,000-plus Shels fans who travelled still sang songs for their heroes and their club, embracing and enjoying the journey that Joey O’Brien has taken them on this year, and there was an historic moment too as Sean Gannon came off the bench to make his 64th European appearance, a new record for a League of Ireland player.
With one point from four games, though, and Crystal Palace up next before a final day trip to Celje, it will take a minor miracle for Shels to somehow make the knockout phase play-offs.
AZ had just shy of 70% possession at the end of the first half and captain Sven Mijnans was the orchestrator from the centre of the pitch.
Their skipper glided around the pitch and was graceful with his use of the ball. He was nice and pretty but, crucially for Shels, not quite incisive enough to help his side find a way through during those 45 minutes in which they dominated.
Paddy Barrett made three important clearances and blocks before the break, the most important of which came with a quarter of an hour on the clock. Dave Kwakman clipped a clever ball over the top for the captain’s run into the box on the left hand side.
He had a quick look to see Parrott sprinting towards the centre of the six-yard box. His first time ball would have put a tap in on a plate for the Dubliner but Barrett recovered in time to clear danger.
It was a pivotal moment at an early stage in the game. Other than that moment the only time Speel was forced to make a save came on 31 minutes when Parrott’s run down the left channel saw him get a yard clear of Mark Coyle.
He took the ball in his stride but the angle was tight and the Shels keeper had his bearings to make sure he wasn’t caught out.
At the other end, it was a mistake by Owusu-Oduro in the AZ goal that gifted Odubeko a half chance in the area.
The goalkeeper came to collect a Kerr McInroy corner but fumbled, Odubeko did well to adjust his feet quickly to get a shot away but the AZ No.1 recovered just as smarty to smother the effort.
That opportunity came on the stroke of half-time and Shels had been relishing the task at hand, typified by Milan Mbeng following Barrett’s lead with one last-ditch tackle on Kwakman in the box after some sharp, one-touch interplay between Parrott and Mijnans 10 minutes before the break.
When left back de Wit then went down in the area after appearing to have been clipped by Mbeng seconds later it required a VAR check to rule out any infringement.
Shels were unchanged for the re-start and the same kind of pockets of space that Mijnans and Weslley Patati had found in central areas were no longer as readily available.
JJ Lunney, Jack Henry Francis and McInroy were doing a sterling job providing as much protection as they could for the back five, and the sound of boos and whistles around the AFAS Stadion approaching the hour mark would have been music to their ears.
Parrott so nearly gave the home faithful something to cheer when Mijnans did split the Shels defence with a neat, dinked ball. The AZ striker shot with his left but Speel spread himself and kept it out with his chest.
For the final 30 minutes the question now was would Shels have the ability to break the habit of this Conference League campaign and not be the architects of their own misfortune.
Reinforcements were sent on as Lunney and Harry Wood were replaced by Evan Caffrey and Martin, respectively.
He so nearly had his moment before AZ punished the missed chance to devastating effect moments later through de Wit.
Jensen’s strike added the gloss on another bittersweet night for a club that has had to fight for its very existence.
That is why the huge travelling support still clapped and sang for the players as they showed their respect after the full-time whistle. This European campaign might not last beyond Christmas but with European qualification already secured for 2026 Shels’ revival is in rude health.
Even if this defeat will feel like another sickener.
AZ Alkmaar: Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro; Elijah Dijkstra (Mateo Chavez 66), Wouter Goes, Alexandre Penetra, Mees de Wit; Peer Koopmeiners, Sven Mijnans (captain), Dave Kwakman (Kees Smit HT); Weskkey Patati (Matej Sin 77), Troy Parrott, Wassim Bouziane (Isak Jensen 66).
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Milan Mbeng (Sean Gannon 77), Mark Coyle (captain), Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge, Dan Kelly; Kerr McInroy, JJ Lunney (Evan Caffrey 61), Jack Henry Francis (Ellis Chapman 77); Harry Wood (John Martin 61); Mipo Odubeko (Sean Boyd 85).
Referee: Michal Ocenas (Slovakia).
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