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Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Shelbourne rue missed chances as Qarabag hit three in Champions League first-leg clash
The Azerbaijani champions' European experience came to the fore as Shels struggled to live with their visitors for long spells of the first half, with an early Leandro Andrade strike putting Qarabag in the driving seat. Joey O'Brien's side were much improved after the break, however, and twice went close to a leveller through Harry Wood and Paddy Barrett, but Shels were made to pay for those missed chances as late strikes from Olexiy Kashchuk and Nariman Akhundzade saw Shels fall to defeat in this first leg, as the club's 11-match home unbeaten run in Europe came to an end. The Premier Division champions now face a steep task in next week's return leg, with Qarabag targeting a 12th successive group stage/league phase qualification, although the Reds still have cracks at the Europa and Conference League should Gurban Gurbanov's side finish this job in the Champions League second round next Wednesday. In a breathless opening 15 minutes, a loose pass from Seán Gannon allowed Kady a sight of goal but the Brazilian's shot was poor and rolled wide. But it was Shelbourne who were inches from taking a lead after just seven minutes. Ali Coote put an overhit cross from Harry Wood back into the danger zone as Tyreke Wilson saw a bullet header blocked. The ball dropped kindly to Gannon but the defender skewed his shot onto the post before Akhundzade cleared the ball off the line in the nick of time. More warning signs came moments later when Akhundzade went close after Zoubir outpaced Paddy Barrett to set up the chance, but with their next attack, Qarabag made no mistake. A well-worked move on the left flank saw Zoubir slot Tural Bayramov through on 13 minutes. The Azerbaijani international squared to Andrade who found the net to silence the sold-out home crowd. After losing Tyreke Wilson to injury, Shels needed the crossbar to save them when Akhundzade went close just before the half-hour mark. But the hosts finished the half strongly, Mipo Odubeko almost capitalising on a moment of hesitation from Qarabag 'keeper Fabijan Buntic, before Harry Wood rolled his shot just wide from a good position. Qarabag came flying out of the blocks on the restart as Lorcan Healy, starting his first European game, had to be at full stretch to claw Emmanuel Addai's header to safety, but then a re-energised Shels began to ask questions of their opponents' back line. A chance came their way on 54 minutes courtesy of a fabulous Kerr McInroy cross which put the ball on a plate for Wood, but the Leeds native got his shot all wrong, putting his head in his hands in disbelief that he didn't level the tie. As Shels searched for the leveller, it was a centre-half who went closest as an attempted cross by Barrett smacked off the crossbar, but for all their good work, two goals in four minutes late on silenced Tolka. On 81 minutes, a simple through ball cut through the Reds' defence as Zoubir hit the post, only for the ball to fall kindly for Kashchuk to tap in. Things went from bad to worse moments later when Ledwidge's header back to Healy looped over the goalkeeper and allowed Akhundzade to strike into an empty net. For the Reds, all roads lead to Baku for the second leg but they'll have regrets about this night and what could have been. SHELBOURNE: Healy; Gannon (Coyle 46), Ledwidge, Barrett; Caffrey (O'Sullivan 66), McInroy, Lunney, Coote (Martin 66), Wilson (Norris 19); Wood; Odubeko (Boyd 77). QARABAG: Buntic; Bolt (Huseynov 76), Mustafazade, Silva, Bayramov; Bichalho, Addai, Kady; Andrade (Kashchuk 77), Akhundzade (Gurbanli 87), Zoubir (Jafarguliyev 87)
Irish Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mipo Odubeko hands Shelbourne advantage in €2m all-island Champions League clash
Mipo Odubeko has put Shelbourne in pole position to claim a €2million place in the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The former West Ham and Manchester United prospect linked up with super-sub Sean Boyd to score the only goal of the game, earning the Dublin side a deserved advantage over Linfield. They dominated from start to finish and goalkeeper Conor Kearns was largely a spectator as both the heat and Shelbourne's superior fitness took their toll on the Belfast side. The game was fast and furious which, of course, gave Shels the edge, given the miles in their legs compared to their rusty northern rivals. The Dublin side moved the ball quickly and were light on their feet; their individual movements fluid yet not at the expense of their shape. Ali Coote and Harry Wood buzzed around the final third, finding pockets of space in a busy Linfield back-line as they played behind Odubeko, who struggled to make his mark until Boyd's arrival. In midfield, Kerr McInroy and JJ Lunney - two left-footers, as Linfield boss David Healy noted on Tuesday - bossed the game as they zig-zagged across each other. Kameron Ledwidge, playing as part of the back-three, wasn't afraid to push on and he rarely seemed too far away from wing-back James Norris whenever Shels attacked. It's 20 years since Shelbourne's last Champions League campaign and in some ways on Wednesday night it felt like time stood still. Tolka Park looked just as it did when Glentoran and Steaua Bucharest visited in 2005; the same corrugated iron roof covering the main stand, providing rich acoustics for the songs and chants from both sets of fans. There were some familiar faces too. Pat Fenlon, Shels manager two decades ago, was spotted walking across the pitch before kick-off. Stuart Byrne, who played that day, was on media duty, while Jim Crawford took his seat right in front of the press box. Now the Ireland Under-21 boss, he started the Steaua home game on the bench. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A row below him was John Delemare, who had a couple of spells with the Reds. If he wasn't in the same seat as 20 years ago, he wasn't far off it. They all watched on as the Linfield players visibly wilted as half-time approached, the sweat turning their jerseys an even darker shade of blue. Shels were first to most second balls as Linfield retreated deeper and deeper in the late evening heat. The hosts' dominance was underlined by the nine corners won to zero for their visitors - the first coming in the fourth minute when Harry Wood's shot cannoned off the back of Euan East's head. That incident left the Linfield defender dazed and in need of attention, and he looked worse for wear a few minutes later when he slipped as Paddy Barrett's cross sailed into the area. Evan Caffrey, whose header moments earlier came back off the near post, was unmarked, six yards from goal, but he couldn't steer the ball past Chris Johns in the Blues goal. It was a fine save, but all Johns could do was make himself as big as possible and hope for the best. If anyone was wondering how a Portuguese referee would cope with the rough-n-tumble of a cross-border derby, two crunching Linfield tackles inside two minutes put that one to rest. First was Josh Archer, who was lured into the challenge by Kerr McInroy's heavy touch, but his lunge was a little too meaty for Luis Godinho. Jamie Mulgrew was next in the book when he wrapped both legs around Coote, leaving the Shels attacker writhing in pain. Godinho was back in the spotlight again in the 22nd minute when he awarded Shels a penalty. Ben Hall, the ref ruled, had stopped JJ Lunney's goalbound drive with his arm. That bit was indisputable. But what got the call overturned after a VAR check was the fact that Hall's arm was tucked right into his body. Cue jeers and cheers from the home and away ends respectively. For all their dominance, Shels carved out only a handful of chances later in the first-half. There was a Mark Coyle header from McInroy's corner that he should have steered under, rather than high over, the bar, and a Wood drive from 20 yards that Johns saved low to his right. Shels boss Joey O'Brien wasted little time before freshening up his side with a triple substitution, with Sean Boyd one of those to come on. And what an inspired switch it was. Boyd, two minutes after his introduction, teed up Shelbourne's opener. He shrugged off the challenge of Hall, who bounced off the Shels striker and hit the turf with a thud. As a second challenge came in, Boyd fed the ball forward to Odubeko, who moved it onto his left-foot and let fly from the edge of the area, drilling his shot low across Johns and inside the right-hand post. Boyd should have made it two in the 69th minute, when he met Woods' right-wing cross unmarked, but he sent his header wide of the far post. He then played a one-two with Wood and teed up fellow sub Tyreke Wilson for a low shot that was saved at the near post. Linfield locked their defence down after that, meaning Shelbourne take to Belfast a slender advantage that doesn't reflect their dominance, and it keeps the tie bubbling ahead of next week. SHELBOURNE Conor Kearns 6; Mark Coyle 6, Paddy Barrett 6, Kameron Ledwidge 7; Evan Caffrey 6, JJ Lunney 7, Kerr McInroy 7, James Norris 7; Harry Wood 8, Ali Coote 7, Mipo Odubeko 6. SUBS: Sean Boyd (for Coote 56) 7, Daniel Kelly (for Caffrey 56) 6, Tyreke Wilson (for Norris 56) 6, Ellis Chapman (for Wood 77), John Martin (for Odubeko 88) LINFIELD Chris Johns 7; Matthew Orr 6, Euan East 7, Ben Hall 6, Dane McCullough 6; Joshua Archer 6, Jamie Mulgrew 6, Ethan McGee 6; Kirk Millar 5; Matthew Fitzpatrick 5, Callum Morrison 5. SUBS: Christopher McKee (for Mulgrew 72), Kieran Offord (for Morrison 72) REFEREE: Luís Godinho (Portugal)
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
The post-Damien Duff era begins and Bohemians heat up the title race – what we learned from Monday's League of Ireland fixtures
Same old problems for Duff-less Shelbourne Harry Wood scored of the defining goal of the Damien Duff era, clinching the league title for Shelbourne in Derry on the final day of last season when a rebound fell to him four yards from goal. Duff described the moment as the pinnacle of his career. In fact, he said it wiped the floor with everything he had achieved as a player. Over four years at Shels, his passion for the club and the League of Ireland was regularly revealed in these sorts of quotes – colourful, intense and headline-worthy. On Monday night, Wood was the scorer of the first two goals of the champions' post-Duff era, which got under way with a 2-2 draw in Waterford. Both arrived from the same sort of distance as his instinctive finish at the Brandywell, which now feels some distance away. Wood celebrated the second by grabbing one of the RSC multi-balls behind Waterford's goal and launching it, half-frustratedly, high into the evening sky. It summed up the sort of confused emotions surrounding the fixture. READ MORE If Duff was watching, he will have picked up on familiar problems that have plagued his once defensively rigid side this season. Individual errors from Kameron Ledwidge and Conor Kearns were to blame for goals from Grant Horton and Pádraig Amond, who is up to an impressive eight overall for the campaign. A title challenge feels out of reach, but Shelbourne will have to regroup if they hope to be in the mix for European spots. The club's first Champions League qualifier in 20 years – an all-island tie against Linfield – is just around the corner too, leaving much for interim manager Joey O'Brien to work towards. Shelbourne interim head coach Joey O'Brien needs to figure out how to shore up Shelbourne's defence. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho James Clarke the key as Bohs blitz Shamrock Rovers Alan Reynolds's most interesting rotation in Bohemians' starting line-up this season has been up top, where minutes tend to be shared by channel-running, primary-colour striker Colm Whelan and the league's patented false nine, James Clarke. It was the latter that got the nod for this Dublin derby, and he repaid his manager by being the best player on the pitch. Alongside his foil Dayle Rooney, Clarke knit everything together for Bohs – effervescent in all pockets of the final third, and noticeably hungry to affect the scoreboard beyond his usual flicks and busy work. The evidence was there in his early assist for Rooney and a deserved, decisive goal, bundled over the line from close range in a manner befitting a more traditional centre forward. Bohemians' Ross Tierney celebrates after his team's 2-0 win over Shamrock Rovers. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho It is now three wins from three for the Gypsies against their table-topping arch-rivals, but this was the first time Shamrock Rovers looked as though they could not live with Bohs. In possession, Clarke led the fluid give-and-go patterns in attack – more and more recognisable at Dalymount as this season progresses. Without the ball, the home side were aggressive and ambitious, squeezing the Hoops early on at every opportunity and, with a two-goal lead in the second half, staying focused and compact as their opponents emptied an esteemed, frightening bench. Bohs are nine points behind the league leaders, but with two games in hand. A title challenge is possible. St Pat's struggles continue Despite turning in an improved performance, St Pat's fell to a third consecutive defeat as a moment of quality from Derry City earned three points in Inchicore. Just before half-time, an incisive move through the thirds ended in Ronan and Liam Boyce combining. The full-back teed up his namesake with a lovely flat cross – Liam now has five for the season after a difficult start in Derry. Luck was not with Stephen Kenny as St Pat's slumped to defeat against Derry City. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho On this occasion, Stephen Kenny can count himself unfortunate. Though many Pat's efforts were hopeful, big chances did fall to a stretching Mason Melia and to Simon Power, who spent slightly too long winding up his strike and ultimately narrowed his angle. Derry will have no issue with nicking a win. Tiernan Lynch's side are nicely positioned for European contention now – three points clear of fifth-place Shelbourne with two games in hand. Sligo Rovers seal massive victory in action-packed Connacht Derby The defining moment of Sligo Rovers' Monday night contest with Galway United came on 52 minutes, when both Moses Dyer and John Mahon were sent off for their parts in a scuffle after the latter's poor challenge on the former right in front of the dugouts. Generally, a referee produces two yellow cards in these instances, but with the scores at 1-1, referee Neil Doyle dismissed the pair. Neutrals may thank him, given the explosive 40 minutes that followed. Chances came easily at both ends – Galway, loading the box to attack high crosses, had the ball cleared off the line several times and saw new signing Malcolm Shaw's header bounce off the crossbar with one of the game's final actions. Sligo's winner was, in itself, a microcosm of the scattered madness. It came courtesy of former Galway man Francely Lomboto, who hit Evan Watts's post twice in a matter of seconds, before producing an audacious back-heel that slid under the goalkeeper. One in three of the points Sligo have accumulated this season have come against their biggest rivals. Crucially, the gap between themselves and bottom-place Cork has widened to four points. Djenairo Daniels's late header earned a point for Cork City against Drogheda United. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Djenairo Daniels keeps Cork City afloat for now Cork City looked to be heading for a third defeat in a row on Monday, but Djenairo Daniels's powerful 96th-minute header kept them within four points of ninth-place Sligo, and an all-important relegation playoff should they bridge that gap. Drogheda were hoping to continue their push for Europe, and they led for the majority of the game at Turner's Cross after Shane Farrell's precise early free kick. Though Cork controlled plenty of the ball, they rarely posed a significant threat to the away side. The Leesiders are desperate for positives. Ten games without a win, they have failed to keep a clean sheet all season. Daniels has been a very bright spark, with five goals in 11 games since joining the club in April. His contract is set to expire in July though, and that form will leave no shortage of suitors. Two new signings have been announced to bolster Cork's leaky defence, with Rory Feely and Fiacre Kelleher arriving at the start of next month. Their impact will need to be enormous if Ger Nash is to rescue the season.
Irish Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Life begins after Damien Duff for Shelbourne with thrilling draw
Harry Wood scored a brace as life after Damien Duff began with a share of the spoils for Shelbourne after a titanic battle with Waterford FC in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division at the RSC. The man who gave Duff his finest moment at Shels with the winner that won them the league title against Derry last season popped up with an equalising goal seconds after Padraig Amond had put the hosts in front early in the second-half. A whirlwind 36 hours for the Tolka Park club saw Joey O'Brien take over as interim manager and he was on the edge of the touchline like his predecessor, dishing out the orders as a dramatic start to both halves was the tale of this encounter, but he could have been celebrating seven minutes into added time. O'Brien proclaimed in his post-match interview that it was a 'mad 24 hours' and that the players were 'shocked' by Duff's departure early on Sunday morning, but that his players were 'paid professionals', and it was Daniel Kelly who nearly won him his first game in the hotseat only to rattle the bar. Life after their former manager was only three minutes old when they struck the front. Tyreke Wilson found space for himself down the left before putting in a ball that saw Mipo Adubeko get the slightest of touches that took the ball into the path of Harry Wood at the back post, and he squeezed the ball past keeper Stephen McMullan. The madness continued on the field of play five minutes later as Shels gifted their hosts an equalising goal. McMullan's long clearance was touched back to Kameron Ledwidge, who was on his knees when leaving a header back to Conor Kearns short as Grant Horton nipped in between defender and keeper to finish to an empty net. It took strong hands from Blues netminder Stephen McMullan to deny the visitors from regaining the lead on 20 minutes. Ali Coote cut through the centre like a knife through butter before slipping the ball out left to Mipo Adubeko, but his stinging right-footed drive from the top of the area was kept out. When Adubeko outmuscled Darragh Leahy on the right-side five minutes later, he released Harry Wood into a one-on-one run with Jesse Dempsey, and after the winger got the better of the battle, he couldn't beat McMullan, who saved at the expense of a corner at his near post. A wind-assisted Stephen McMullan goal-kick on 41 minutes nearly bounced nicely for Padraig Amond on 41 minutes, but keeper Kearns came out to collect just in front of the striker got to the ball before the centre forward before Amond was pulled back by Sean Gannon three minutes later, An incredible start to the first-half was bettered by a kamikaze start to the second. Within three minutes, the champions were the cause of their own downfall again as they fell behind. Paddy Barrett's clearance off Conan Noonan saw his shot parried by Conor Kearns, but Padraig Amond was on hand to finish the rebound from close-range. Sixty seconds later, and Joey O'Brien was celebrating an equaliser. Mark Coyle raced through the heart of the Waterford middle unchallenged before spraying the ball out for Ali Coote, who put in a teasing delivery, and Harry Wood was on hand to touch home. There was time for more drama in the seventh added minute of five as the impressive Wood burst from midfield to slip the ball out wide right for Daniel Kelly, who let fly with a thunderous strike, but his effort came crashing back off the crossbar with McMullan beaten to the sound of the final whistle. Waterford FC: McMullan; Horton (McCormack 84), McDonald (White 84), Leahy, Burke, Dempsey (Boyle 62); Lonergan, Olayinka, Glenfield (McMenamy 72), Noonan; Amond. Shelbourne FC: Kearns; Gannon, Barrett, Wilson (Norris 62), Ledwidge; Lunney, Wood, Coyle (Chapman 74), Coote (Boyd 74); Adubeko (Martin 86), Caffrey (Kelly 62). Referee: Declan Toland (Athlone)
The 42
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Shelbourne and Drogheda share spoils in stalemate
Shelbourne 0 Drogheda United 0 Darryl Geraghty reports from Tolka Park SHELBOURNE AND DROGHEDA United were forced to settle for a point each in the race to the summit with both defences coming out on top in a full-blooded clash at Tolka Park. The champions, who welcomed back Damien Duff to the dugout, were desperate to bounce back from Friday's costly defeat to rivals Bohemians, in which they lost their skipper Mark Coyle and Ali Coote to dismissals at Dalymount, but showed no signs of rust early on. A flowing move down the right side eventually saw Harry Wood cross to the back post to James Norris. The on-loan Liverpool fullback cushioned a header to Ellis Chapman, who's first time strike was bravely blocked by Elicha Ahui. The Drogs had been unbeaten against the hosts this season with a win and a draw and defended resolutely. They began to grow in confidence and almost took the lead themselves when Conor Kearns misjudged an Elicha Ahui cross, and luckily for the Shels stopper it trickled just wide. Shelbourne's Ellis Chapman battles with Andrew Quinn. Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO Both sides went into the clash desperately seeking a win – with matching records of one win in their last seven games – and there was nothing to separate the sides as the half developed. Advertisement The home side were dealt a blow when Conor Kearns seemed to pick up a knock after his error, receiving treatment on his calf as the impressive Lorcan Healy entered the fray to make his league debut. But despite the loss it was the home side who finished the half the stronger with Harry Wood having three chances in quick succession – the first of which saw the Englishman show great movement to get on the end of Tyreke Wilson's deep cross, and his flick towards goal went agonisingly close. The start of the second half followed the same pattern as the first ended as Shels looked to pin back the FAI Cup winners, just lacking a cutting edge in the final third. Kevin Doherty's side sent a quick reminder of the threat they possessed when Douglas James-Taylor got a free run to get on the end of Owen Lambe's outswinging corner but failed to hit the target. Another long ball from Dennison caused all sorts of confusion for Shels' defence with the towering Andrew Quinn winning a header before the ball was eventually scrambled away. The tension was palpable as the game entered the final stages, with one goal looking like it would be enough for either side. With time running out, James-Taylor was brilliantly denied by Healy having shown excellent feet to twist and turn inside the area. There was still time for substitute Thomas Oluwa to show his power and pace getting in behind to round the onrushing Healy, who forced him wide before saving low and on the rebound, the busy Markey failed to get his shot through a sea of bodies in the box as it remained 0-0. Shelbourne: Conor Kearns (Lorcan Healy, 29'); Sean Gannnon, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson; Evan Caffrey, Ellis Chapman, JJ Lunney (John Martin 7, 65'), Kerr McInroy, James Norris (Ryan O'Kane, 72'); Harry Wood (John O'Sullivan, 72'), Mipo Odubeko. Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Owen Lambe, Elicha Ahui, Conor Keely, Andrew Quinn, Conor Kane; Ryan Brennan, Luke Heeney, Shane Farrell (Darragh Markey, 74′); Warren Davis (Thomas Oluwa, 72'), Douglas James-Taylor. Referee: Rob Hennessy
