Linfield v Shelbourne: All square in all-Ireland Champions League clash with Dubliners ahead on aggregate
League of Ireland champions Shelbourne have a lead to defend in the second leg of their Champions League first round tie against Irish League winners Linfield.
Kick-off in Belfast is 7.45pm and you can follow all the action as it happens in our liveblog below.
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RTÉ News
16 hours ago
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Athlone Town lose ground at the top as Galway secure draw
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But the hosts were dealt a massive blow moments later when one of the league's top performers Gibson was unable to shake off an injury from an early collision and was replaced by Izzy Ryan The visitors, for all their hard work out of possession, failed to trouble the American Megan Placchko, bar a couple of long-range efforts as a war of attrition developed. With the game firmly in the balance, chants of "C'mon the Town" greeted the start of the second half knowing that a second might be needed to get over the line. Ryan got some good space just right of the area but opted for a clipped ball towards Brady that was well marshalled by Dossen on this occasion. The visitors began to grow in confidence as the game edged towards the hour mark. Both Rolake Olusola and Amanda Smith had efforts before a couple of quick-fire corners further piled on the pressure. Emma Doherty's dancing feet on the edge of the area then fashioned a yard of space and forced Plaschko into a full stretch fingertip save to keep her side's narrow lead intact. Having weathered the storm, the home side slowly swung the pendulum back in their favour. The lively Brady was again razor sharp in the box, twisting and turning under pressure before eventually being snuffed out. With a quarter of an hour remaining the chance the visitors had been desperately hoping for finally arrived when Doherty broke the offside trap and raced clear, but unfortunately for the former Sligo Rovers star her low shot was well smothered. However with just over five minutes remaining the visitors managed to equalise with a tremendous goal of the season contender. Substitute Meaney stunned the home support as she took advantage of some sloppy play out from the back, intercepting the ball and hitting an unstoppable 25-yard strike into the far top corner to get her side on level terms. 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Irish Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
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Brendan Rodgers hoping to add more attacking power to Celtic squad
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers insisted there was still "a lot of work" remaining in his summer recruitment drive after securing Japanese striker Shin Yamada. The 25 year old was presented to fans ahead of a 4-0 friendly triumph over Newcastle, though Rodgers remains keen to add further attacking firepower. The Scottish champions have already brought in Kieran Tierney, Hayato Inamura, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Ross Doohan this summer, but Rodgers admitted: "I've still got a lot of work to do. 'But the guys that are training and working with us are doing so well. They're all developing their fitness and participating in the games for us. 'But I would expect us by the end of the window to have brought in players in certain areas of the pitch that we will need to go through a really long season. 'I think it's bringing goals to the squad. Especially when you score four goals, it seems like you're okay, but we lost an important player in Kyogo in January, he brought us a lot of goals. We lost Nicolas Kuhn. He brought us a lot of goals. Matt O'Riley even last summer. 'So even though we scored a lot of goals last season, we still want more. And our ambition is to have more. So I think all across the front areas, we have to be active in order to give us that depth that we need.' Yamada has arrived from Kawasaki Frontale, where he scored 32 goals in 121 appearances, on a four-year contract. The 25-year-old recently won his first international cap and joins compatriots Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Inamura at Celtic Park. Rodgers said: 'His profile suits how we play. He's one of the quickest players from the Japanese league. He's deemed quicker than Daizen and Kyogo in terms of statistics. 'And that's how we play. We have speed on the top line. He'll give us that depth as well.' Celtic have Champions League play-offs to navigate in the second half of August but Rodgers is prepared to be patient for further signings. 'Any coach would love to have them in on the first day of pre-season,' he said. 'But we all know how the market works. We get a busy little period and then there's another period and then it ramps up at the end. 'But as long as they're here by the end of August and obviously in some areas we would like them sooner, but by the end of August, we'll be able to see the squad that we have and take it from there.' Celtic swept Newcastle aside thanks to an Arne Engels penalty, Johnny Kenny's easy finish after a mistake from goalkeeper Nick Pope, a goal from Yang Hyun-jun on the counter-attack, and Liam Scales' header. Rodgers, whose side beat Sporting Lisbon 2-0 in midweek, said: 'It was an excellent exercise. We had a really tough 10 days over in Portugal and played a really good game on Wednesday night. 'So, just a continuation. The guys are looking strong, getting better. And, obviously, our tactical idea against a top team, you're looking to play with that authority and creativity. And it was really good.'
