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Qarabag lessons can aid Shelbourne's European league phase ambitions, says star
Qarabag lessons can aid Shelbourne's European league phase ambitions, says star

Irish Daily Mirror

time6 days ago

  • Sport
  • Irish Daily Mirror

Qarabag lessons can aid Shelbourne's European league phase ambitions, says star

Shelbourne captain Mark Coyle reckons the harsh lessons learned on Wednesday night against Qarabag can help the club's league phase qualification ambitions. The Reds are all but out of Champions League contention after the concession of two late goals in the first-leg at Tolka Park saw them slump to a 3-0 defeat. For much of the second-half, the League of Ireland champions were on the front-foot and were chasing a goal to cancel out Leandro Andrade's 12th minute opener. However, they were hit by two sucker punches inside the final nine minutes, as the Azeri side capitalised on a couple of lapses. With two more opportunities to come to make league phase football, in the Europa League and Conference League, Coyle believes the Reds will be stronger for their exposure to the European regulars. 'There's a lot of learnings, and we have to improve, we know where we have to improve, but there's also a lot of positives from tonight and we have to look at them as well,' he said. 'I definitely think (confidence) is a part of it, yeah. It's not showing too much respect, really going at it from the first minute, especially here at home when you have that crowd behind you, the roar there at the start. 'I suppose they are a well-versed team in Europe, and you can see that in some of the things they did in slowing the game down. 'There are also learnings that you can take from it, especially going away from home, because you know it's like two different games usually. 'So there are a lot of learnings, but we should be taking confidence from it when you look at some of the performances and the patterns of play, that we can go toe-to-toe with these teams. But we have to brush up on certain areas.' 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 . Asked if Wednesday's game would help with the rest of Shelbourne's European run, Coyle replied: 'Yeah, exactly. And it's making sure whatever we learn from tonight, we do it next week. We have to go (to Baku for the second-leg) and try to win a game. 'If it's not 3-0… look, there's no denying, it's going to be a tough, tough ask. But we have to go out there and do what we can and make sure we put in a good performance and represent the club in the right way.' Shels could have scored before Qarabag's opener. Veteran defender Sean Gannon hit the upright in the sixth minute. But the Azeri champions were an attacking threat throughout the first-half. So when Coyle and his teammates pinned them back inside their own half for much of the second-half, the Tolka Park faithful felt an equaliser was on the cards. To end up on the wrong end of a three-goal defeat was a real gut-punch. 'Definitely disappointment,' Coyle said, when asked for his feelings at the full-time whistle. 'I think in the second half we had a real go, you could see that in the chances we created. 'We had chances to equalise and I felt if anybody was on the ropes it was probably them at that stage. But that's the difference isn't it? That's European football. They got a few chances and they absolutely punished us. 'We're obviously disappointed with the overall result, but there's a lot of positives also to take out of it, especially for the next few games coming up." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .

‘You can't take chances' – Joey O'Brien gives early injury update on Shelbourne duo after Champions League qualifier win
‘You can't take chances' – Joey O'Brien gives early injury update on Shelbourne duo after Champions League qualifier win

The Irish Sun

time16-07-2025

  • Sport
  • The Irish Sun

‘You can't take chances' – Joey O'Brien gives early injury update on Shelbourne duo after Champions League qualifier win

SHELBOURNE will continue to fly the flag in the Champions League after celebrating with a tricolour on the pitch. A Advertisement 2 Shelbourne advanced to the next round of the Champions League qualifiers with an aggregate win over Linfield Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 2 Mark Coyle, pictured, and Conor Kearns were both forced off injured Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile Ali Coote's opener was cancelled out by Chris Shields' penalty with Kerr McInroy's goal chalked off by VAR for a tug by Paddy Barrett. Ben Hall's straight red card made a Linfield comeback unlikely with Shels' celebrations at the final whistle showed what it meant. Barrett borrowed a flag from supporters with Evan Caffrey then gleefully waving it on the pitch as the few remaining Linfield fans booed. Shels boss Joey O'Brien said: 'I thought we were the better team over the two legs but you don't always get what you deserve. Advertisement Read More on Shelbourne 'This was always going to be a tough game but I thought we started well, got on the ball and dominated possession and we reacted well after the penalty. 'We had a worked set-play and you have that emotion where you're thinking you're ahead and then you have it taken off you. 'The lads were a little bit flat in the dressing room which was understandable. I said to them that was OK.' Shels face Fairview Rangers in an FAI Cup tie on Saturday before hosting Qarabag at Tolka Park on Wednesday before the second leg in Azerbaijan a week later. Advertisement Most read in Sport Breaking And O'Brien knows his side cannot afford to gift the sort of chances that keepers Conor Kearns and Lorcan Healy did in either half. O'Brien said: 'You definitely cannot give them away, it's not even about Europe. You probably don't get away with them normally. RTE pundit's one-liner about Damien Duff makes Joey O'Brien laugh after Shelbourne's win vs Linfield 'They were disappointing because I don't think from open play they cut us open or had outstanding chances, it was from our bad stuff. 'But I thought overall, apart from those couple of moments, it was really mature, especially the second half and I was disappointed we didn't get the winner in the game.' Advertisement The ex-Ireland international is also sweating on the fitness of no 1 Kearns and captain Mark Coyle, both of whom were forced off. He said: 'Mark was struggling with his knee, he wanted to keep going because he's a warrior and he would keep going to the death but on a recovery run he wasn't able to sprint and you can't take chances at this level. 'Conor felt his hamstring, I think he felt it a little bit earlier, and people probably thought he was wasting time, and then he felt it again on the next kick, so he had to come off. 'I suppose we just have to get him back down to Dublin, get him scanned, and just take it from there.' Advertisement

Shels in 'new era' after Duff departure
Shels in 'new era' after Duff departure

BBC News

time08-07-2025

  • Sport
  • BBC News

Shels in 'new era' after Duff departure

Shelbourne captain Mark Coyle said their Champions League fixture against Linfield on Wednesday is an opportunity to make "new memories" after last month's departure of manager Damien Dublin side's meeting with the Northern Ireland champions at Tolka Park (19:45 BST) is their first fixture in Europe's top club competition in 20 years with both legs of the tie to be streamed live on the BBC Sport website and app. Duff, who won 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland, led Shelbourne to their first League of Ireland championship since 2006 last season, but their title defence proved a disappointment and the former Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers winger surprisingly quit last month with the side fifth in the manager Joey O'Brien, Duff's former assistant and international team-mate, earned his first victory at the third attempt at home to Cork City on Friday night, giving the side momentum going into their tie against David Healy's squad."It's been very good," said Coyle of the team's mood since Duff's shock departure."We obviously have huge respect and love for the ex-manager but now we're excited for the new era."The gaffer [O'Brien], it's been great. He's put his own stamp on things and you can see around the ground, there's obviously an excitement and it's just about creating new memories now." Former West Ham and Bolton Wanderers defender O'Brien said he has maintained his good relationship with Duff since the title-winning manager's departure, while the 39-year-old does not feel his ascension into the top job has been a disruption."A lot has changed but a lot hasn't changed really, it's still the same sort of thing," O'Brien said."I'm coaching every day, I'm out on the pitch every day. Obviously I had a great relationship with the man before us [so] I would have had a lot of say in a lot of meetings and taken a lot of meetings and stuff like that."Coyle believes O'Brien has "got all the attributes" to be a successful manager and added that the start of their Champions League campaign has helped maintain the "good buzz" around the the two decades since they last played in the competition, Shelbourne have endured multiple relegations, financial struggles and uncertainty over the future of their home what he called "dark years", the skipper said that the supporters deserve an occasion such as Wednesday night."The fans were here long before us, and will be here long after us, so for them it's obviously a massive occasion as well and it's what they deserve for what they've been through," he said. "We're just glad we gave them the opportunity, but now it's about going out there and putting on a performance and making sure that they can cheer again."

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