Champions League qualifier, second leg: Linfield 1 (Shields 45+3) Shelbourne 1 (Coote 25)
Shelbourne earned their place in the Champions League second round as Linfield pushed them to the last kick of an enthralling, non-televised spectacle at Windsor Park.
Joey O’Brien’s men performed like the champions of Ireland, with plenty of help from two Scotsmen Kerr McInroy and Ali Coote.
It was Coote’s goal that settled matters, although a Chris Shields penalty ensured the possibility of extra-time and penalties lingered until the final whistle.
The first-half lasted 55 minutes. Three goals were scored. Only two stood the test of VAR.
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Shelbourne’s Paddy Barrett was still arguing with English referee Andrew Madley as everyone disappeared for a well-earned rest.
Understandably so. The tie appeared to be over when McInroy wheeled away after leathering Shels’ second goal on the night to give them a 3-1 lead on aggregate.
The delirious celebrations of 1,300 Dubliners lasted as long as it took for Madley and his video assistants – Darren England and Nick Hopton – to spot Barrett holding Euan East’s shirt.
The misdemeanour allowed McInroy to sprint into space and shoot.
It is worth noting that Shields had a hand on Barrett as he took hold of East.
The wonder is whether the Linfield left-back would have tracked McInroy’s run away from goal, towards the penalty spot, where he profited from a short corner between Harry Wood and Tyreke Wilson.
Regardless, O’Brien’s training-ground special was rubbed off the scoreboard as the opening stanza ended with Shelbourne leading 2-1 on aggregate.
O’Brien’s men dominated proceedings for long stretches, with McInroy and Wood operating way above the standard, but that only tells half the story of a marathon opening period when Linfield should have scored at least one more goal.
The game started like a train and never wilted. Ben Hall came forward to almost level the tie in the opening seconds, only to head over the crossbar.
Conor Kearns would not last long in the Shelbourne goal, forced off and replaced by Lorcan Healy on the half-hour mark having possibly picked up the injury when scuffing a clearance straight to Matthew Fitzpatrick. The Linfield centre forward chipped the stranded goalkeeper but the ball went a yard wide of the post.
Shels captain Mark Coyle also pulled up, to be relieved by Sean Gannon, who arguably strengthened the visitors’ back five. Gannon rolled back the years when cleverly dispossessing Callumn Morrison before the winger could test the newly arrived Healy.
Coote seemed to send Shelbourne into the next round, against Qarabag of Azerbaijan, when he put them 2-0 ahead on aggregate in the 25th minute.
Wood drew an initial save from Chris Johns before Coote shimmied to shoot first time, only to take a delicate touch and finish into the bottom corner.
Tolka Park’s Riverside-on-tour sounded like they had entered nirvana. The feeling lasted 20 minutes as, come the start of an epic period of injury-time, Wilson’s hand denied Hall from making clean contact with another header.
Penalty. Yellow card for Wilson. VAR agreed, and Shields finished to the bottom corner as Healy dived the wrong way.
The next 10 or so minutes had both teams in a state of pandemonium. Linfield would pour forward. Shels would tear back at them with McInroy denied his goal as the contested toed and froed.
Healy replicated Kearns’ gaffe at the start of the second-half but Morrison replicated Fitzpatrick’s tame effort as the scrambling replacement goalkeeper got a leg to the shot.
Mipo Odubeko had been quiet until the 63rd minute when he pick-pocketed Matthew Orr, which prompted Hall to lunge and upend the Republic of Ireland under-21 international before he could race clear.
Madley had no choice but to produce the red card.
Odubeko had a chance to avoid any late drama but Johns batted his angled effort for a corner as six minutes of injury-time was announced.
Shels kept hold of the ball to move on.
LINFIELD: Johns; McGee (McCullough 76), Orr, Hall, East; Shileds, Mulgrew (Offord 76), Archer, Millar (Allen 83); Fitzpatrick, Morrison (McKee 68).
SHELBOURNE: Kearns (Healy 32); Caffrey, Coyle (Gannon 22), Barrett, Ledwidge, Wilson (Norris 83); Wood, McInroy, Lunney, Coote (Boyd 83); Odubeko.
Referee: Andrew Madley (England).
