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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Shelbourne in pole position after shocking Rijeka in Croatia
EUROPA LEAGUE THIRD ROUND, FIRST LEG RIJEKA 1 (Niko Janković pen 56) SHELBOURNE 2 (Sam Bone 58, John Martin 70) Away wins in the Europa League are a rarity for Irish teams but this comeback victory puts Shelbourne on the brink of the lucrative league phase worth €3.8m. It's only the midway point of the tie against a classy Rijeka side but instead of having to beat either Linfield or Vikingur Gøta in a playoff for a berth in the Conference League, avoiding defeat at home next Tuesday before a sold-out Tolka Park would guarantee that spot. Shels boss Joey O'Brien highlighted the league's poor record on foreign soil but a dramatic turnaround trumped that to gild the club's return to Europe following an 18-month drought. Shamrock Rovers were the last team to win a Europa League fixture away from home and that two-leg victory over the Macedonian side secured their passage to the next stage of the Conference League. It changed from the group to league phase last year and once Shels hold the visitors in the return, they'll have six more games in the Autumn to relish. Things looked ominous for the League of Ireland champions when the Croatians struck first in a tight contest by Niko Janković converting a penalty but all that breakthrough in the 56th minute did was instigate a swift revival for the Reds. Defender Sam Bone equalised within two minutes by nodding in a rehearsed corner and another header, this time a bullet version by Waterford native John Martin, made it 2-1 with 20 minutes left. Bone was again in the thick of it in stoppage time but at this other end when a struck his arm. Spanish referee Ricardo de Burgos consulted with VAR but blew for full-time instead of for a penalty, much to the relief of the Shels contingent. More to follow….
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Shelbourne shock Rijeka on the road in Europa League
Second-half goals from Sam Bone and John Martin saw Shelbourne come from behind and defeat Croatian champions Rijeka 2-1 away from the home in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round meeting at the Stadion HNK Rijeka. Joey O'Brien and his players are now 90 minutes away from securing league phase football through the autumn and winter, going into the return fixture at Tolka Park. The Reds had to do it the hard way, against a side that were downed in extra time by Bulgarian heavyweights Ludogorets Razgrad last week in the Champions League. Rijeka were determined to build on this and Shelbourne responded by sitting tight in a conventional 4-4-2 that had Kerr McInroy doing the running between the forward line and midfield. Wessel Speel was the hero on the night through all of this as the goalkeeper made a number of big saves. This began with Amer Gojak in the in the 22nd minute when a low shot from the former Bosnia and Herzegovina international was stopped by the Minnesota United loanee. Niko Jankovic followed that up after getting around Milan Mbeng and his effort was easily caught at the near post. The midfielder got into a similar position at the end of the half and this time Speel dived low to deny the midfielder. O'Brien used half-time to reset and out of this moment of reflection came a change to the forwards, with Daniel Kelly replacing Mipo Udobeko. As everything settled down after the restart, Merveil Ndockyt was fouled inside the area by Speel and the resulting penalty was fired in by Jankovic in the 56th minute. Shelbourne equalised just 90 seconds later through a McInroy corner that was knocked on for Martin to turn in. Justas Lasickas retaliated for Rijeka and his right footed strike from the edge of the area was punched out by Speel, but the resulting set-piece came to nothing. The Reds brushed off this incursion and pushed up the right flank, where Mbeng found an overlapping Harry Wood. The midfielder crossed for Martin to head in at the far post and Shelbourne led 2-1 in the 70th minute. Everything slowed down after that as the game turned into a war of attrition. Shelbourne buckled down to navigate this spell as Rijeka pushed for an equaliser, a quest that intensified through three minutes of added time. It came down to a penalty appeal in the dying seconds, with the home side protesting about a supposed Bone handball, but the referee waved this away. Rijeka: Martin Zlomislic; Ante Orec, Ante Majstorovic (Anel Husic HT), Stjepan Radeljic, Mladen Devetak (Justas Lasickas HT), Niko Jankovic, Amer Gojak (Luka Menalo 69), Tiago Dantas, Merveil Ndockyt, Simun Butic (Dominic Yankov 76), Ante Matej Juric (Duje Cop 69). Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Kameron Ledwidge, Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett, Milan Mbeng (Sean Gannon 87), James Norris; JJ Lunney, Harry Wood (Ellis Chapman 77), Mipo Udobeko (Daniel Kelly HT), Sean Boyd (John Martin 19), Kerr McInroy (Mark Coyle 87).
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Shelbourne close in on Europa League history as John Martin header seals stunning comeback win over Rijeka in qualifier
There was a dramatic last second VAR check RIJEKA 1-2 SHELBOURNE Shelbourne close in on Europa League history as John Martin header seals stunning comeback win over Rijeka in qualifier JOHN MARTIN kept his head to keep Shelbourne's dreams of the Europa League group stages alive with a stunning comeback win over Rijeka. After finding themselves behind to a Niko Jankovic penalty early in the second-half, the League of Ireland champions equalized through a Sam Bone header just minutes later. Advertisement 2 John Martin scored the winner as Shelbourne beat Rijeka Credit: Igor Kupjlenik/Sportsfile 2 Sam Bone had equalised after Shelbourne fell behind to a penalty Credit: Igor Kupjlenik/Sportsfile And Martin completed the first leg comeback with a thumping header from a pinpoint Harry Wood cross to put Shels within 90 minutes of the play-offs. While the Croatian champions dominated possession, they rarely looked like creating that clear cut chance to make it show on the scoreboard on Wednesday night. That was as a result of Shelbourne's rearguard action that seemed to know exactly where every cross and every cutback was going to land. By the time the first-half ended goalless, Rijeka had had six shots – three on target – while Shels had yet to take a crack at goal. Advertisement Their task was not made any easier when, just 17 minutes into the game, Sean Boyd pulled up and was eventually replaced by John Martin. The first shot on target came after 22 minutes when another slick Rijeka move ended with a clever cutback in the direction of Amer Gojak on the edge of the box. Under pressure from Harry Wood, he could only drill his shot harmlessly at Wessel Speel. For his efforts, Wood required treatment on a knock but was okay to continue. Having soaked up the Croatian pressure with nary an incident, Shelbourne were able to retain enough confidence to enjoy a spell of possession themselves as the game ticked past the 35-minute mark. Advertisement James Norris and Kerr McInroy combined well down the left for the latter to send a low cross that was cut out while, later, Harry Wood's delivery from the same side was intercepted before it could reach Odubeko. Amer Gojak had another go from range with a fierce drive that was put behind for a corner by Speel at the end of the first-half but that was as good as Rijeka could muster. RTE pundit's one-liner about Damien Duff makes Joey O'Brien laugh after Shelbourne's win vs Linfield Both managers turned to the bench at half-time but the pattern of the game remained much the same, with Rijeka trying to unlock the door and Shelbourne happy to let them try. And it took just ten minutes for the Dubliners to hand the correct key to them. Advertisement Sam Bone played a backpass to Speel. The goalkeeper's touch was poor, allowing Merveil Ndockyt to steal in. Insult was added to injury as Speel, seeking to make up for his error, brought the forward down for the penalty which Niko Jankovic converted. Rather than wallow, however, Shels hit back straight away. Kerr McInroy's strike on 58 minutes, their first of the game, was blocked away for a corner, also their first of the day. Advertisement It was worked short and back to the Scot, whose cross found substitute Dan Kelly – on for Odubeko at the break - at the back stick. He headed it back across the face, where Sam Bone arrived to knock it home on the line. Speel went some way towards redeeming himself by tipping a rasping Justas Lasickas effort over the bar as play opened up. Shels looked more confident and deliberate after the goal, however, and with less than 20 minutes to go, they took the lead. Advertisement Milan Mbeng found Harry Wood wide on the right. His cross was whipped with pace into the area where John Martin headed emphatically into the top corner. It was backs against the wall in the final ten minutes and Rijeka felt they should have had a penalty for a Sam Bone handball in the final seconds. After a VAR check, the appeals were waved away and Shels sealed the historic win. SUN STAR MAN Advertisement Harry Wood (Shelbourne) RIJEKA: Ziomislic 6; Orec 6, Majstorovic 6 (Hustic h/t, 5), Radeljic 6, Devetak 6 (Lasickas h/t, 5); Jankovic 6, Gojak 6 (Menalo 69, 5), Dantas 6; Ndockyt 5, Juric 6 (Cop 69, 5), Butic 5 (Yankov 75, 5). SHELBOURNE: Speel 6; Mbeng 8 (Gannon 87, 6), Barrett 8, Bone 8, Ledwidge 7, Norris 8; Wood 8 (Chapman 77, 6), Lunney 7, McInroy 8 (Coyle 87, 6); Boyd 5 (Martin 18, 7), Odubeko 6 (Kelly h/t, 6).
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Rijeka 1 Shelbourne 2: As it happened – Joey O'Brien's men come from behind to win on road in Europa League
Ultan Corcoran League of Ireland champions Shelbourne face a stern test as they go up against Croatia's Rijeka in the Europa League third qualifying round. Ultan Corcoran brings you all the action with kick-off at 7.45pm. 70' Sam Bone 58' Niko Jankovic 56' 11 minutes ago I'm afraid that's all we have time for this evening! It was a pleasure to keep you up to date with the action. Whether you are a Shels fan or not, this is another momentous night for the League of Ireland as a whole! We will be back tomorrow to cover more action involving Irish clubs in Europe as Shamrock Rovers take on Ballkani, while Athletic face the might of Besiktas. Here's Dan McDonnell's summary on Shels' night below: Match Finished Shelbourne take a 2-1 lead back to Dublin! A strange finish to the game as Rijeka appeal for a penalty. Radeljic's effort struck Sam Bone's arm, but it didn't look convincing whatsoever. The VAR check passes by and the final whistle sounds - Shels have won it! Incredible work from Joey O'Brien's side as they go to receive the adulation of the hundred or so travelling Shels fans. Inside a giant cage no less, that wouldn't look out of place in Dublin Zoo. They fell behind to a Niko Jankovic penalty, but the League of Ireland champions responded through Sam Bone and John Martin. In doing so, Shels have gone one better than they fared in Croatia 21 years ago - a 3-2 defeat to Hajduk Split. This time, the Drumcondra club take a 2-1 aggregate advantage back to Tolka Park next week! 90'+3 Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Tiago Dantas BLOCKED! In desperation, Rijeka hoof the ball in deep and it breaks out to the edge of the box for Tiago Dantas. The Portuguese midfielder smacks it, but Paddy Barrett gets his body in the way. Sheer bravery from the captain. 90' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Luka Melano This time from Luka Melano turns provider with a whipped delivery to the back post. Ante Orec tries to sneak in but the pace on the ball beats him. Goal kick for Shels who are holding their own here approaching the final whistle. We will have a minimum of 3 minutes injury time added on by the Spanish officials. 87' The change in midfield is supplemented with a swap at right-back with the experienced Sean Gannon taking over from Milan Mbeng - the latter was pretty excellent tonight. 81' A little bit of gamesmanship creeping in for Shelbourne as Speel goes down to receive attention... and sure, what harm! They have the lead and every second they can kill off the clock could prove crucial. 77' Joey O'Brien also turns to his bench and calls upon the services of Ellis Chapman. Harry Wood departs with that crucial assist for the second goal under his belt. 77' Substitution Rijeka Substituted out Simun Butic Substituted in Dominic Yankov A fifth and final alteration for Rijeka as Bulgarian midfielder Yankov replaces teenager Butic. 76' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Anel Husic Another speculative effort and another routine save. Half-time substitute Husic gives it a go from 35-yards - Wessel Speel is right behind the strike. 70' Goal Shelbourne Scorer John Martin Assist Harry Wood GOAL! Suddenly Shels are in the lead! Its simple football but its oh so effective as the away end goes wild. Milan Mbeng slips it to Harry Wood on the right. The Englishman crosses to John Martin who directs his header inside the far post. Textbook finish giving Zlomislic no chance. 70' A double change for Rijeka - one in attack and one in midfield - as Duje Cop takes over from Juric and Amir Gojak is replaced by Luka Menalo. 66' Scoring Chance Shelbourne Player John Martin CLOSE! What an effort from John Martin. The Kilkenny native picked the ball up in the half space and turned for goal. He has a pop from a good 30-yards and it whistles just past the left upright. Martin Zlomislic was at full stretch in the Rijeka goal! 62' The game has really increased in pace in the last few minutes, evidenced by the goals. Rijeka go in search of a reply but Harry Wood manages to hook the ball away from Jankovic. 58' Goal Shelbourne Scorer Sam Bone Assist James Norris GOAL! Shels have responded in a flash here. Unbelievable reply from the League of Ireland side. Kerr McInroy works a short corner before whipping it to the back post. Jamie Norris arrives to keep the ball alive with a wonderful header and Sam Bone bravely bundles it in on the goal-line. Beautiful training ground move! 56' Goal Rijeka Scorer Niko Jankovic GOAL! In front of the hardcore Rijeka support, Niko Jankovic steps up and drills his penalty down the middle of the goal. Wessel Speel dives to his right and can't get near it. Rijeka take the lead. 56' Penalty Rijeka Shooter Niko Jankovic PENALTY! Oh this is cruel for Shels. Sam Bone's pass back to Wessel Speel is fine, but the Netherlands goalkeeper takes too much time to make up his mind and Ndockyt races in to get a touch and milk the penalty in the process. 54' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Tiago Dantas Once a highly rated prospect at Bayern Munich, Tiago Dantas picks out Niko Jankovic. The 23-year-old has a go from range but this time it lacks the accuracy to test Speel.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Rijeka v Shelbourne: Joey O'Brien's men back level after falling behind to penalty in Europa League
Live | League of Ireland champions Shelbourne face a stern test as they go up against Croatia's Rijeka in the Europa League third qualifying round. Ultan Corcoran brings you all the action with kick-off at 7.45pm. Sam Bone 58' Niko Jankovic 56' 66' Scoring Chance Shelbourne Player John Martin CLOSE! What an effort from John Martin. The Kilkenny native picked the ball up in the half space and turned for goal. He has a pop from a good 30-yards and it whistles just past the left upright. Martin Zlomislic was at full stretch! 62' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Justas Lasickas SAVE! Having taken over from Devetak on the left flank, the Lithuanian full-back cuts inside on his right foot and thumps an effort goalwards - Wessel Speel gets a strong fist behind it to push it behind for a corner. 62' The game has really increased in pace in the last few minutes, evidenced by the goals. Rijeka go in search of a reply but Harry Wood manages to hook the ball away from Jankovic. 58' Goal Shelbourne Scorer Sam Bone Assist James Norris GOAL! Shels have responded in a flash here. Unbelievable reply from the League of Ireland side. Kerr McInroy works a short corner before whipping it to the back post. Jamie Norris arrives to keep the ball alive with a wonderful header and Sam Bone bravely bundles it in on the goal-line. Beautiful training ground move! 56' Goal Rijeka Scorer Niko Jankovic GOAL! In front of the hardcore Rijeka support, Niko Jankovic steps up and drills his penalty down the middle of the goal. Wessel Speel dives to his right and can't get near it. Rijeka take the lead. 56' Penalty Rijeka Shooter Niko Jankovic PENALTY! Oh this is cruel for Shels. Sam Bone's pass back to Wessel Speel is fine, but the Netherlands goalkeeper takes too much time to make up his mind and Ndockyt races in to get a touch and milk the penalty in the process. 54' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Tiago Dantas Once a highly rated prospect at Bayern Munich, Tiago Dantas picks out Niko Jankovic. The 23-year-old has a go from range but this time it lacks the accuracy to test Speel. 53' Another superb bit of defending from Paddy Barrett who wins the duel with Ante Juric and gets the pressure-relieving free. Similar to the first-half start, it's been a cagey exchange after the break. 2. Half Second-half underway in Rijeka! A couple of alterations to start this second-half as Mipo Odubeko is replaced by Daniel Kelly. Meanwhile, Rijeka who are no strangers to big changes at the break, have made a double substitution. Ante Majstorovic and Mladen Devetak have made way for Anel Husic and Justas Lasickas. Half-time We have reached half-time in Rijeka! The Spanish arbiter's whistle signals the end of what has been an interesting first-half in Croatia. Nothing to separate the teams at the interval! All in all, Joey O'Brien and Shels will probably be happy with their work so far. They constricted Rijeka's attack until the 23rd-minute when Wessel Speel smothered Amir Gojak's effort. Two further long-range chances fell to Ante Butic and Niko Jankovic, but Shels' 23-year-old shot-stopper was more than equal to both. Shels yet to really trouble the host's goal. The loss of Sean Boyd to injury is the only negative. 45'+3 Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Niko Jankovic SAVE! Arguably Wessel Speel's best of the evening thus far - Niko Jankovic, the Rijeka midfielder who scored 8 goals last season, tries his luck from range. The shot bounces just before Speel who pushes it around the post expertly. 45'+1 A decent chance almost materialises for Shels as John Martin puts the Rijeka rearguard under pressure. He wins the ball back but Odubeko is caught offside. We will have 5 minutes of additional time to play before the break. Largely due to the stoppages for Majstorovic and Boyd. 43' Scoring Chance Rijeka Player Simun Butic Butic pops up on the right flank for the first time since switching with his fellow winger Ndockyt. The 19-year-old tears past Ledwidge but blazes his shot high into the night sky. The travelling Shels fans enjoyed that one! 41' Free Kick Shelbourne Shooter Harry Wood Jamie Norris is pulled back by the jersey on the left sideline. Harry Wood crosses deep to JJ Lunney who keeps the attack alive. Wood picks up the ball again and whips it in the direction of Odubeko - Majstorovic shows his experience by clearing the danger. 38' Milan Mbeng wins an important free to relieve some pressure. Interestingly, Rijeka's right winger Merveil Ndockyt has switched wings with Simun Butic in the hope of getting more joy. Mbeng wins the first one-vs-one battle. 33' Behind the goal Shels are shooting into in this first-half, a tifo has been unveiled by the Rijeka fans. Artwork displaying the city's medieval walls are erected with Croatian flags aplenty. Incredible atmosphere. 30' Corner Rijeka Milan Mbeng concedes the first corner of the game and John Martin is back sticking to his defensive duties to clear Shels' lines. Rijeka back in possession around the middle third. 28' Another fine save from Wessel! A cross from the right bounces through to the extreme left of the box. Simun Butic finds space to take a touch, cut in on his right foot and pull the trigger. It had venom - not enough to beat the Shels shot-stopper. 26' A real shame for Shels as John Martin, JJ Lunney and Kerr McInroy link up well around the middle of the park. Play goes wide to the advancing Kameron Ledwidge, but the 24-year-old's touch is loose and the move breaks down. Live Blog Software
