Shels at high point of new era aiming to grip the bat lightly
A club with a trove of memories began this latest journey just under four years ago.
Damien Duff assumed control of the team promoted back to the Premier Division, took a scalpel to the squad and it's been incremental progress since.
FAI Cup runners-up in 2022, European qualifiers in 2023, top-flight title winners in 2024.
Joey O'Brien flanked Duff along the odyssey but now takes charge for arguably the high point of this current run.
Cynics were swift to declare the end of this era when the Irish legend walked out of his job on a sunny June morning eight weeks ago at the AUL complex.
O'Brien did what has always come naturally by carrying on regardless. Initially as caretaker, Duff's assistant was soon exalted with permanent manager status.
Tuesday night against Rijeka will be his 12th game at the helm.
Only the swashbuckling Qarabag inflicted defeat on a team he picked and his side confront a schedule capable of turbocharging their season.
Last week's 2-1 win in Croatia was a result few saw coming, offering a platform to secure a Europa League playoff spot at home without even having to win over 90 minutes.
O'Brien sticking to the line that the Reds remain underdogs despite their lead gains credence when the respective squad values are contrasted.
Croatian football, club and international, is streets ahead of Ireland.
The only comparison when they're cited as the exemplar for Ireland to replicate is population.
Defeat won't be considered a disaster for O'Brien either.
By overcoming Linfield in the opening round of the Champions League last month, three lives at reaching the league phase of European competition were granted.
This is the second.
Failure to maximise their midway advantage would only result in the final parachute being activated – a rematch with either Linfield or Vikingur Gøta for a spot in the Conference League. The Faroese side lead 2-1 heading into Thursday's second leg in Belfast.
Irrespective of how this second leg concludes, potentially after extra-time and penalties, Shels will have a playoff next week to determine their league phase route.
Prize-money of €3.8m is the crock of gold awaiting.
Beyond the European adventure, Shels are well-positioned heading into the final series of nine matches, just four points off second place. There's an FAI Cup last-16 clash at St Patrick's Athletic on Sunday week as well.
'It's not really thinking about what's at stake and what it can do for the club, financial-wise,' reasoned former Ireland defender O'Brien.
'If you start thinking like that, you start gripping the bat too tight.
'It's one of my favourite sayings - you start wondering 'oh, if this happens, we can do this'.
'I just don't think you can play like that. You must have an understanding of what's got you here. It's a big occasion but make sure you're ready to play well and don't have a regret of feeling that I was thinking of what could have been.
'I've told the players to realise these opportunities don't come around too often. You must put your best foot forward and make sure you have no regrets.'
Not many in the Shels squad have passed this watershed but centre-back Paddy Barrett has fond memories of reaching the group stage with Dundalk in 2016.
A second-leg 3-0 win over BATE Borisov was the glamorous side of a tricky tie.
'We got pumped in the first leg over there, the best 1-0 loss I was ever involved in,' he said, laughing at returning from Belarus relieved.
'There was tension but also confidence because we had a brilliant team.
'This is a big game too with a lot at stake. We know the quality of opposition Rijeka are having got a feel of them over them. Yet we just need to take our own game to them.
'We've worked on some things this week and will have a right crack off them.'
Whereas Shels will be missing Seán Boyd from sustaining a calf injury last Wednesday, Rijeka have Toni Fruk returning from suspension. Their €4m recruit from Fiorentina has been linked with a move to RB Leipzig but his club will want a tie-changing impact from their star man first to avoid an embarrassing Europa exit.
Europa League, third round, second leg Shelbourne v HNK Rijeka Tolka Park - Tuesday, 7.45pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork hurling fans' spending in Dublin plummeted following All-Ireland defeat
Disappointed Cork hurling fans' spending in Dublin plummeted following their county's All-Ireland final defeat compared to how much they splashed out following their semi-final win. According to its data, AIB's Cork customers spent €920,000 in Dublin on July 5, the day of the All-Ireland semi-final victory over Dublin. However, on July 20, the day Cork lost to Tipperary in the final, it fell by 13%. In contrast, Tipperary fans spent 27% more on the day their team claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup than they had on the day of their semi-final win over Kilkenny on July 6. During the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final on July 27, Donegal fans spent 12% more in Dublin compared to the Kerry fans, despite their team losing on the day. Overall, AIB's Spend Trend showed customer spending in July was up 9% compared to the same month in 2024. Online spend has been growing more strongly, up 14%, than in-store spend, up 4%, over the 12 months. The average in-store transaction was €28.80 compared to €96.90 for the average online transaction. AIB's head of consumer Adrian Moynihan said the data highlighted the 'resilience of consumer confidence'. 'While the hospitality sector experienced mixed results, with pub spending down but restaurant and hotel spending up, the data underscores the dynamic nature of consumer behaviour during the peak tourist season,' he added. Spending in pubs was down 9% compared to last year, whereas restaurant spend was up 10% and the amount of money spent in Irish hotels was up 3%. Groceries was one of few sectors where in-store spend held up strongly, with spending 6% higher overall, and 93% of those purchases made in stores rather than online. Spending on clothing rose just 1% in July compared to the same month a year ago. Entertainment spending was up 8% in July, while health spending rose by 7%. The data was compiled from 78 million card transactions carried out by AIB customers in store and online during July 2025.
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Joey O'Brien hails clinical Rijeka but rues missed chances as Shelbourne exit Europa League
Rijeka scoring quality goals and Shelbourne not making of the most chances that did come their way was how Joey O'Brien summed up his side's exit from the Europa League. On what was a raucous occasion at Tolka Park, the hosts, leading 2-1 from first leg, were eventually outdone late on as Ante Orec's goal on 90 minutes made it 3-1 for the visitors on the night and with it a passage through to the play-off round. For Shels, the play-off in the Conference League awaits against either Linfield, where they would renew acquaintances after meeting earlier in the Champions League, or Vikingur, with the Faroe Islanders 2-1 to the good ahead their second leg on Thursday evening. Despite trailing from the first leg, Rijeka were boosted by the return of their skilful No 10 Toni Fruk and so with it the expectancy that the tie was far from over. Fruk's brilliant strike gave the Croatian champions the lead on the night and an equally sublime finish from doubled their lead. Mipo Odubeko drew Shels level from the spot but Orec's turn and shot in the hosts' box settled things. Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue, the Shels boss felt his troops managed the first half well and were powerless to prevent that moment of magic from Fruk. "We knew we were going to give up possession, they have some top, top players but I thought after the first 15 to 20 minutes we were fine," were O'Brien's early thoughts on the game. "We restricted them to pot shots from far out and then there was a moment of magic from a very good player. That put us on the back foot but as I said to the boys it's about managing halves of football and sometimes you get that. It's about getting to half-time and we got to half-time 1-0 down." "We then tweaked it and I thought in the second half we were good," he added. "I thought we were the better side. They scored from another moment of magic and then Mipo gets us back into it from the penalty. And then small margins; we had a chance to get a goal (from a Milan Mbeng header) at the back stick. Then they went up the other end, got a bit of luck and got the goal. It's a hard on to take but it is what it is." "You can't do anything about those goals, they were quality. A goal from 35 or 40 yards, you would probably tell a player at any level to shoot. To be fair to our lads they stuck at it, got the penalty. I don't think we went gung-ho for it after that It was a hopeful ball into the box [for the winning goal] that bounced up and it was a nice finish. They got that little bit of luck to get that winner." O'Brien's overall assessment by and large reflected what happened over the course of 90-plus minutes, in that he praised the extra bit of quality from the visitors, while rueing some of the chances his side spurned when in on goal. "People did not see how a good a team Rijeka were. The player that came back in from suspension - Fruk and with Petrovic returning - they are quality players. We had a great atmosphere here and fans wanted us to tear after them but at this level, up against players who can pass it about, as soon as you give them space they will make you pay. That was never going to be the gameplan. "As I said in the first-half we knew they were going to start strong and have a lot of possession but apart from a moment of magic for the first goal we restricted them to pot shots. "We had a threat early on, Ali (Coote) had a chance. It is what it is, maybe he could have gone down, but it was a chance. We had chances throughout the game; Mipo had a chance, Kerr (McInroy) had a chance. We didn't take them and they took theirs." And now it's back to Windsor Park on Thursday to assess the likely opposition in the upcoming play-off. "I will definitely go to Windsor, that's part of the game, you have to do your homework, so I'll have a look," O'Brien outlined. "It's a huge opportunity. The lads are hurting in the dressing room but you have to turn that hurt into going after what we want and that is the group stages."
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Carabao Cup: Barry-Murphy's Cardiff into second round
Brian Barry-Murphy's bright start as Cardiff City manager continued after the Bluebirds beat Swindon 2-1 in the Carabao Cup. First-half goals from Cian Ashford and Rubin Colwill were enough for Cardiff to progress despite a second-half strike from Princewill Ehibhatiomhan. And it continued City's unbeaten start to the season after picking up four points in two League One fixtures under the Irish man's watch. "Really pleased, it means a lot to me to get through to the next round and to see who we could possibly take on," he said after the win. "This competition creates so many brilliant occasions but to get to those occasions you have to go through the rounds. "So to win tonight was very important for us and we treated the game really seriously and I thought there was respect in that performance so I'm happy." Republic of Ireland international Jason Knight was on the scoresheet for Bristol City as they overcame MK Dons 2-0, Yu Hirakawa getting the other goal. Ollie Palmer scored a stoppage-time brace before Wrexham completed a remarkable comeback by edging out Hull on penalties. Elliot Lee opened the scoring for Wrexham but they seemed sunk following goals from Oli McBurnie, Joel Ndala and Matt Crooks, only for Palmer to score twice at the end and send the contest to a shoot-out. After a gripping 3-3 draw, Ndala rattling the crossbar with his spot-kick proved crucial as Wrexham prevailed 5-3 in the shoot-out, sealed with Jack Marriott finding the net with his effort. Bromley provided the biggest giant-killing of the night as the Sky Bet League Two side overcame Championship Ipswich 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes. Deji Elerewe gave Bromley the lead and although Ben Johnson equalised for Ipswich, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, a nervy shoot-out went in favour of the minnows. Sam Long was the hero as he saved two Ipswich penalties – leaving Marcus Ifill to convert the winning spot-kick and give Bromley their first ever win in this competition. Ben Close, Damola Ajayi, Robbie Gotts and Tom Nixon were all on the scoresheet as League One newcomers Doncaster pulled off another upset with a comprehensive 4-0 victory at Middlesbrough. Blackburn and Portsmouth were also knocked out by League One opposition, with both teams beaten at home 2-1 by Bradford and Reading respectively, while Owen Oseni's brace helped Plymouth come from two goals down to oust QPR 3-2. Mateus Fernandes' goal helped Southampton edge out Northampton 1-0, Coventry beat Luton by the same scoreline courtesy of Ellis Simms and Derby defeated West Brom 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Josh Sargent and Marcelino Nunez were on target as Norwich won 2-1 at Watford, Stoke got the better of Walsall 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw and Millwall claimed a 1-0 victory at Newport. Miles Leaburn, Ibrahim Fullah and Luke Berry scored in Charlton 's comfortable 3-1 victory over Stevenage. Charlie Raglan's own goal gave Preston a 1-0 triumph at Barrow, Tyler Goodrham's strike was the difference in Oxford beating Colchester by the same score and Swansea beat 10-man Crawley 3-1.
