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Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Shels keep League of Ireland flag flying as ten-man Linfield rue missed chances in all-island battle
On the back of this 1-1 Windsor Park draw, with both goals in the first half, first from Scot Ali Coote for Shels and Dubliner Chris Shields for the Belfast outfit, the Reds march confidently on as their nous and superior fitness saw them finish out the second half against a ten-man Linfield. But as the Blues parachute into the Conference League, there will be huge regret in their camp, the Shels game added to the list of 'European ties that got away'. David Healy's outfit failed to make the most of a present offered up to them in each half, a dreadful slip by Reds keeper Conor Kearns and then his replacement Lorcan Healy, two chances that should have led to goals but which Linfield wasted with their lack of precision. Put those away, and Linfield would at least have made this more of a tie but having squandered those moments, the experience of Joey O'Brien's hard-working side was going to carry them through. Because the Blues could have been 3-0 up on the night before 15 minutes had gone. It took the crossbar to keep out a dangerous-looking cross from Ethan McGee, then Kirk Millar set up Matthew Fitzpatrick but he headed wide. Whatever about those moments, Linfield should definitely have found the net on 13 minutes. Kearns had time to deal with a back pass from Harry Wood but he lost concentration, and possession, and gifted the ball to Fitzpatrick but his attempt was rushed as he failed to hit the target. Shels suffered a blow on 22 minutes when captain Mark Coyle was unable to shake off the knock he'd picked up and was forced off, but still the away side came out of their shell and after chances from Tyreke Wilson and Ali Coote, they took the lead on 25 minutes. Chris Shields had saved Linfield - or so it seemed - when he blocked a shot from Wood but as the ball bounced up in the air, the clearance from McGee was unconvincing, it fell for Coote and the Scot fired home through a forest of blue shirts. Another door opened for Linfield after the half-hour mark when Shels had a second enforced substitution, Kearns joining captain Coyle in losing his fitness battle and he was replaced by Healy. It was an error by the away side that saw Linfield draw level in first half injury-time. Ethan McGee, such a threat to the Reds, whipped in a cross and defender Tyreke Wilson inexplicably put his hand up in the box, connected with the ball and he gave referee Andrew Madley the easy decision of a penalty, which Shields converted. Yet there was still more drama in the half when an immediate response from Kerr McInroy was disallowed on the back of a VAR call. The second half was only seconds old when another Shels slip gifted Linfield an opportunity, a poor touch by Healy who presented the ball to Callumn Morrison but the Scottish forward panicked, making a poor effort which the Shels substitute easily saved. ADVERTISEMENT The home side's night took another dark turn when a poor pass – this game was full of those – from Matthew Orr gave possession to Mipo Odubeko, Ben Hall went for the man not the ball to halt Odubeko and earned himself a red card. With 20 minutes on the clock Shels had those key advantages, but despite having long spells of possession against a fatiguing Linfield outfit, had to make do with their goals tally, Odubeko began to get more and more freedom as the clock counted down and could even have wrapped it up in the final minute, but Chris Johns pulled off a save to deny him. Job done, Shels' players gleefully took the tricolour thrown from the bositerous away section, trolling the home support which had in the main left, that flag now going on in the Champions League while Linfield lick their wounds. LINFIELD - Johns; Orr, Hall, East, McGee (McCollough 77); Shields, Mulgrew (Offord 77), Archer; Millar (Allen 82), Fitzpatrick, C Morrison (McKee 68). SHELBOURNE - Kearns (Healy 32); Coyle (Gannon 22), Ledwidge, Barrett; Caffrey, McInroy, Lunney, Coote (Boyd 83), Wilson (Norris 83); Wood; Odubeko.
Sunday World
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Sunday World
Stephen Looney: Shelbourne's narrow advantage could be wiped out quickly
The League of Ireland champions are to be respected but not feared, but the Blues will need to find goals from somewhere at Windsor Park on Wednesday Josh Archer, who is a prospect for Linfield, under pressure from Ali Coote of Shelbourne during Wednesday's first leg at Tolka Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile First blood to Shelbourne in the clash of Ireland's champions as all eyes now turn to Windsor Park on Wednesday night. Mipo Odubeko scrambled the ball past Chris Johns at Tolka Park last Wednesday to give the League of Ireland champions a slender lead ahead of their trip to Belfast. The Dubliners will hope to see the job through at the National Stadium but the Irish League champions will have other ideas. The Blues are perhaps fortunate to come away from Drumcondra trailing the Champions League tie by just a single goal, for Shels were the better team. However, it was not the mismatch that was Shamrock Rovers v Larne last year and that will give Linfield heart. What must be factored into the equation is the fact that Shelbourne are midway through their domestic campaign while Linfield are still in pre-season. When the draw was first made Linfield legend Glenn Ferguson opined to this correspondent that he felt there was very little between the teams and there was every chance of his former team going through. While in agreement with Spike, I voiced my concern about the match-fitness of David Healy's team, which has not played a competitive game since the end of last season, bar the Charity Shield defeat to Dungannon Swifts. And so it proved in the first leg, the key question is whether Linfield can improve enough in the space of a week to make up ground on Joey O'Brien's team. There was a lack of composure from the South Belfast behemoth, particularly in the first half. Josh Archer, a fine young prospect in the middle of the park, was booked for a rash, needless tackle after just 17 minutes. The Lisburn man is only 21 and the caution could be put down to the exuberance of youth, a misguided attempt to show his commitment to the cause. But two minutes later, Linfield skipper and playing legend Jamie Mulgrew was also booked for a rash challenge that was equally needless. Mulgrew is 39, has been playing for Linfield for 20 years and is the heartbeat of the team, a throwback to the glory days of Ferguson, Peter Thompson, Winkie Murphy, Noel Bailie et al. Archer's booking was forgivable and he will learn, but for his senior midfield partner to follow suit just two minutes later harks at nerves, or a lack of composure. Josh Archer, who is a prospect for Linfield, under pressure from Ali Coote of Shelbourne during Wednesday's first leg at Tolka Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile That said, these were Linfield's only bookings and the players regrouped admirably in the face of waspish forays forward from the hosts, orchestrated by the gifted Harry Wood. It was a rearguard action that proved successful, for Healy would have happily taken a 1-0 defeat back to Windsor before a ball was kicked in the tie. Chris Johns returned to goals after a period on the sidelines, having lost his place to David Walsh last season. How Matthew Orr is still at Linfield is a mystery as the 18-year-old – last year's Young Player of the Year – is an outstanding talent but Healy insists there has been no official interest. The teenager from Bangor slotted in nicely alongside Ben Hall and Euan East, and all three were called into action repeatedly throughout the tie at Tolka. That they largely held out against Shelbourne will have pleased Healy, but he will be concerned about his team's offensive capabilities. Fair enough, the players were feeding off scraps for most of the time but there seemed to be a disconnect most times the visitors tried to mount attacks. Joel Cooper is a huge loss, that is the obvious and perhaps easy point to make but it is still a fact. The attacking forward was pivotal to Linfield's title success, scored 20 goals and won the Player of the Year award hands down before he was lured to the Coleraine Showgrounds. Healy is on the lookout to bring another winger in this summer, but his hands are tied at present, he must progress in Europe to be given the green light to plunder the market. Linfield spent big in January of this year, signing Kieran Offord from St Mirren and Callumn Morrison from Falkirk at a combined cost of £200,000. Spanish midfielder Alex Gorrin also signed last season and Healy professed himself happy with the business done, confident that the new players would shine this season after bedding in last term. Morrison was the top scorer in Scottish League One last season and was a player Healy had coveted for a while. There is no doubting the 25-year-old's pedigree but he flitted in and out of the tie in Dublin, and he was not on his own. He was asked to play a wider role to accommodate Matthew Fitzpatrick (who looked strong on the night) and could be forgiven for being rusty. Offord was a roaring success in his loan spell with Crusaders last season before joining the Blues in January, via his parent club who called him back to sell him to Linfield. He has yet to fully establish himself and the same could be said of Chris McKee, who joined the club in July 2022. If Linfield want to progress they need goals, from somewhere. Overall, Linfield's lack of competitive action was evident and handed the initiative to Shelbourne. A 1-0 deficit is easily surmountable IF Linfield can get up to speed for the return leg on Wednesday night. Shelbourne are to be respected, but not feared. They seem to have lost a little something since winning the title in dramatic fashion last year under Damien Duff. There is everything to play for and, in this game of fine margins, it should prove to be a nailbiting evening for both teams.
Sunday World
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Sunday World
Stephen Looney: If David Healy gets Linfield up to speed, they can easily overturn Shelbourne's narrow advantage
The League of Ireland champions are to be respected but not feared, but the Blues will need to find goals from somewhere at Windsor Park on Wednesday Josh Archer, who is a prospect for Linfield, under pressure from Ali Coote of Shelbourne during Wednesday's first leg at Tolka Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile First blood to Shelbourne in the clash of Ireland's champions as all eyes now turn to Windsor Park on Wednesday night. Mipo Odubeko scrambled the ball past Chris Johns at Tolka Park last Wednesday to give the League of Ireland champions a slender lead ahead of their trip to Belfast. The Dubliners will hope to see the job through at the National Stadium but the Irish League champions will have other ideas. The Blues are perhaps fortunate to come away from Drumcondra trailing the Champions League tie by just a single goal, for Shels were the better team. However, it was not the mismatch that was Shamrock Rovers v Larne last year and that will give Linfield heart. What must be factored into the equation is the fact that Shelbourne are midway through their domestic campaign while Linfield are still in pre-season. When the draw was first made Linfield legend Glenn Ferguson opined to this correspondent that he felt there was very little between the teams and there was every chance of his former team going through. While in agreement with Spike, I voiced my concern about the match-fitness of David Healy's team, which has not played a competitive game since the end of last season, bar the Charity Shield defeat to Dungannon Swifts. And so it proved in the first leg, the key question is whether Linfield can improve enough in the space of a week to make up ground on Joey O'Brien's team. There was a lack of composure from the South Belfast behemoth, particularly in the first half. Josh Archer, a fine young prospect in the middle of the park, was booked for a rash, needless tackle after just 17 minutes. The Lisburn man is only 21 and the caution could be put down to the exuberance of youth, a misguided attempt to show his commitment to the cause. But two minutes later, Linfield skipper and playing legend Jamie Mulgrew was also booked for a rash challenge that was equally needless. Mulgrew is 39, has been playing for Linfield for 20 years and is the heartbeat of the team, a throwback to the glory days of Ferguson, Peter Thompson, Winkie Murphy, Noel Bailie et al. Archer's booking was forgivable and he will learn, but for his senior midfield partner to follow suit just two minutes later harks at nerves, or a lack of composure. Josh Archer, who is a prospect for Linfield, under pressure from Ali Coote of Shelbourne during Wednesday's first leg at Tolka Park. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile That said, these were Linfield's only bookings and the players regrouped admirably in the face of waspish forays forward from the hosts, orchestrated by the gifted Harry Wood. It was a rearguard action that proved successful, for Healy would have happily taken a 1-0 defeat back to Windsor before a ball was kicked in the tie. Chris Johns returned to goals after a period on the sidelines, having lost his place to David Walsh last season. How Matthew Orr is still at Linfield is a mystery as the 18-year-old – last year's Young Player of the Year – is an outstanding talent but Healy insists there has been no official interest. The teenager from Bangor slotted in nicely alongside Ben Hall and Euan East, and all three were called into action repeatedly throughout the tie at Tolka. That they largely held out against Shelbourne will have pleased Healy, but he will be concerned about his team's offensive capabilities. Fair enough, the players were feeding off scraps for most of the time but there seemed to be a disconnect most times the visitors tried to mount attacks. Joel Cooper is a huge loss, that is the obvious and perhaps easy point to make but it is still a fact. The attacking forward was pivotal to Linfield's title success, scored 20 goals and won the Player of the Year award hands down before he was lured to the Coleraine Showgrounds. Healy is on the lookout to bring another winger in this summer, but his hands are tied at present, he must progress in Europe to be given the green light to plunder the market. Linfield spent big in January of this year, signing Kieran Offord from St Mirren and Callumn Morrison from Falkirk at a combined cost of £200,000. Spanish midfielder Alex Gorrin also signed last season and Healy professed himself happy with the business done, confident that the new players would shine this season after bedding in last term. Morrison was the top scorer in Scottish League One last season and was a player Healy had coveted for a while. There is no doubting the 25-year-old's pedigree but he flitted in and out of the tie in Dublin, and he was not on his own. He was asked to play a wider role to accommodate Matthew Fitzpatrick (who looked strong on the night) and could be forgiven for being rusty. Offord was a roaring success in his loan spell with Crusaders last season before joining the Blues in January, via his parent club who called him back to sell him to Linfield. He has yet to fully establish himself and the same could be said of Chris McKee, who joined the club in July 2022. If Linfield want to progress they need goals, from somewhere. Overall, Linfield's lack of competitive action was evident and handed the initiative to Shelbourne. A 1-0 deficit is easily surmountable IF Linfield can get up to speed for the return leg on Wednesday night. Shelbourne are to be respected, but not feared. They seem to have lost a little something since winning the title in dramatic fashion last year under Damien Duff. There is everything to play for and, in this game of fine margins, it should prove to be a nailbiting evening for both teams.
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Deflected strike provides Shelbourne with badly needed win against similarly underwhelming St Pat's
ST PAT'S suffered their first home defeat in 12 months as Shelbourne drew level with them on points. Ali Coote's deflected 10th minute shot was enough to claim the points with the home side better after the break but lacking the guile to find an equaliser. Advertisement 2 Shelbourne's players were delighted to get back to winning ways 2 But for Stephen Kenny it was another frustrating evening It ended a run of 22 matches - 17 in the league - without a home loss since Dundalk won here on June 3 last year. Neither side came into this game in particularly good form, both collecting five points from their previous four matches. It could be argued that both had raised expectations to unreasonable levels last season, Shels by winning the league and St Pat's by ending the campaign with nine straight wins. But, whether fair or not, there has been an air of disgruntlement around both teams, but more so with St Pat's. Advertisement Read More On Irish Football With two managers looking for a reaction, Damien Duff looked the more likely to obtain it early on. Jake Mulraney and Aidan Keena had been brought into the starting XI in place of Zach Elbouzedi and Mason Melia after Friday's disappointing draw against Drogheda. Neither did a whole lot in to justify their inclusion with Keena not getting a sniff of goal, bar when he was unable to get a clean connection on a deflected cross. There were flashes from Mulraney but no end product. Early on, a threatening run came to nothing as he tumbled out of play with his complaints that he had been fouled by Evan Caffrey falling on deaf ears. Advertisement Most read in Football Live Blog Exclusive Breaking Later, he covered serious ground before laying it off to Simon Power but looked to have run out of steam as he did not keep moving in search of a return pass. If their attacking left a lot to be desired then their defending for the opening goal in the 10th minute left a lot to be desired, even if there was a wicked deflection. Chelsea launch Club World Cup campaign with 2-0 victory over LAFC in Atlanta Mark Coyle surged forward before running into traffic. Harry Wood then laid it off to Caffrey on the right. With no defender in close proximity, Caffrey had the time to take a touch to tee himself up to pick out the unmarked Tyreke Wilson at the far post with a pinpoint cross. Advertisement The temptation might have been for WIlson to have a go himself. Instead, he had the presence of mind to cut it back to Ali Coote who unleashed a shot which changed direction after hitting Tom Grivosti to leave Joseph Anang with no chance. KENNY REACTION Presumably, that played some part in Stephen Kenny's decision to whip off both of his full-backs, Anto Breslin and Ryan McLaughlin, along with Mulraney at half-time. McLaughlin had been involved in St Pat's only chance in the first half with a good run down the right. Advertisement The deflection on Power's cross made it awkward for Keena. Jay McClelland had a go but his effort was charged down for a corner. Shels might have gone 2-0 up had Boyd tried to take a touch rather than meet Caffrey's cross first time with his scuffed volley going wide. The introduction of Melia gave the Shels defence more to contend with, evidenced by the teenager being fouled twice within seven minutes of coming on but referee Paul Norton was unmoved when Keena went to ground in the box when Paddy Barrett held him at bay. The ex-Sligo Rovers striker did manage to get a shot away a few minutes later but Conor Kearns was able to, comfortably enough, gather at the second attempt. Advertisement Later, Kearns got to a Power cross before Keena did and, when Elbouzedi looked set to pounce on the loose ball, Caffrey got his toe there first and the danger was cleared. Jamie Lennon went close from 20 yards with Kearns again proving his worth to deny Barry Baggley late on whilst almost making an easy save when opposite number Joseph Anang got his head on an injury-time corner. SUN STAR MAN: Evan Caffrey (Shelbourne) ST PAT'S: Anang 6; McLaughlin 5 (Sjoberg 46, 6), Redmond 6, Grivosti 6, Breslin 5 (Baggley 46, 6); Lennon 6, McClelland 5; Power 6, Leavy 6 (Elbouzedi 71, 7), Mulraney 5 (Melia 46, 6); Keena 5 (Carty 85, 4). Advertisement SHELBOURNE: Kearns 8; Bone 6, Barrett 7, Ledwidge 7; Caffrey 8 (Gannon 75, 6), Coyle 7, Lunney 6 (Kelly 70, 6), Wilson 7 (Norris 75, 5); Wood 6, Coote 6 (Chapman 60, 5); Boyd 7 (Martin 70, 6). REFEREE: P Norton (Dublin) 6
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Shelbourne end St Pats' unbeaten home record thanks to Ali Coote goal
League of Ireland Premier Division: St Patrick's Athletic 0 Shelbourne 1 (Coote 10) Ali Coote's early goal ended St Patrick's Athletic year-long unbeaten home record in the league to reignite Shelbourne 's tenuous title retention hopes as they beat the Inchicore side for the second time this season. The result, only the champions' third win in 12 games, moves Damien Duff's side level on points with fourth-placed St Patrick's, though still 12 points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers who came from behind to beat Drogheda United 2-1. St Pats' worrying form thus continues as they've now failed to win any of their last three games at Richmond Park and have one victory in five. READ MORE With five changes from Friday's home defeat to Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne enjoyed plenty of early possession and were deservedly ahead from a sweeping attack on 10 minutes. Skipper Mark Coyle, Harry Wood and Evan Caffrey were involved before Tyreke Wilson put the latter's cross back into the home area. With St Patrick's at sixes and sevens, Coote's shot took a deflection off Tom Grivosti to wrong-foot goalkeeper Joseph Anang and find the net for his third goal of the season. Shelbourne maintained their positive start as St Patrick's laboured to get a foothold in the game. It was the 23rd minute before Saints threatened for the first time to give their restless fans some cheer. A surge forward from right-back by Ryan McLaughlin set it up with Aidan Keena helping Simon Power's cross on to Jay McClelland. Sam Bone showed good defensive instinct to get his body in the way to deflect the shot out for the game's first corner. With St Patrick's finally in the game, Conor Kearns was worked for the first time when having to react acrobatically to turn an inswinging ball from Jake Mulraney round a post before Kian Leavy forced a third corner in quick succession with a deflected shot from distance. But there was a let-off for St Patrick's on 34 minutes when Shelbourne striker Sean Boyd, starting for the first time in two months, sliced tamely wide dead in front of goal after incisive approach play by Evan Caffrey who had worked a one-two with Wood on the right. Clearly unhappy with his team's first half showing, Stephen Kenny made three changes from the resumption with Axel Sjoberg, Barry Baggley and Mason Melia replacing McLaughlin, Anto Breslin and Mulraney. It duly injected more energy and purpose to the home side as they chased the game. Shelbourne had three corners to defend in the opening minutes of the half while Kearns was then forced into a diving save from a Keena drive. The visitors' rearguard remained steadfast, however, as St Patrick's upped the tempo. Substitute Zach Elbouzedi had a close range effort bravely blocked while Jamie Lennon shaved the crossbar from 20 yards. In the key moment of the second half five minutes from time, Kearns made the save of the game to deny Baggley following Elbouzedi's surging run from deep as St Patrick's 17-game unbeaten home run in the league came to an end. Aaron Greene scored a 74th-minute winner as Shamrock Rovers beat Drogheda at United Park to make it seven wins in eight games to stretch their lead at the top of the table to nine points. It closed a bad day for Drogheda who, earlier in the afternoon, had it confirmed that they had lost their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on being denied participation in this season's Conference League qualifiers due to being in breach of UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, also losing out on a minimum of €525,000 in prize money. Drogheda started well with George Cooper putting them ahead after just four minutes before Rovers levelled three minutes before half-time from Graham Burke's seventh goal of the season. St Patrick's Athletic: Anang; McLaughlin (Sjoberg, h-t), Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin (Baggley, h-t); Lennon, McClelland; Power, Leavy (Elbouzedi, 71), Mulraney (Melia, h-t); Keena (Carty, 85). Shelbourne: Kearns; Bone, Barrett, Ledwidge; Caffrey (Gannon, 74), Lunney (Kelly, 70), Coyle, Wood, Wilson (Norris, 74); Coote (Chapman, 60); Boyd (Martin, 70). Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin). Attendance: 4,421.
