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Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Linfield v Shelbourne: Dubliners take one-goal lead to Belfast in all-Ireland Champions League clash
Live | 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. 2 minutes ago These are two sides with storied histories, with much of the focus in the build-up to the clash centering on previous meetings between the pair, including Linfield's 2-0 victory over Shelbourne in the 2005 Setanta Cup Final a little over 20 years ago. Both sides have the chance to write a new chapter tonight with Healy and O'Brien on the respective home and away touchlines looking to make that happen for their teams. 13 minutes ago The other is Shelbourne's veteran right-back Sean Gannon, who knows all about European group stage football having savoured it both with Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk where he was a team-mate of Shields'. The 34-year-old insisted that Joey O'Brien's Shels aren't feeling any added pressure before tonight's game but that they are fuelled by motivation to get the job done given they have that slender one-goal lead from their first-leg victory in Dublin. Shelbourne don't feel added pressure… we are simply motivated to finish job against Linfield, maintains veteran Sean Gannon Shelbourne's 'senior citizen' Sean Gannon says the group need to use the rewards on offer for finishing the job against Linfield as a source of motivation rather than a reason to feel the pressure. 23 minutes ago There are two experienced campaigners back from suspension on either side, with Chris Shields coming straight back into the Linfield starting line-up after he was banned for the first leg at Tolka Park. The former Dundalk man has sampled group stage football with the Lilywhites and will hope to play an influential role for the Blues this evening having done a job in both midfield and defence for David Healy's side. Chris Shields raring to go for Linfield's Windsor duel with Shelbourne: 'I hope they think they can pass us off the park' Chris Shields says he expected Shelbourne to show their class at Tolka Park but he's backing Linfield to have the last laugh in Belfast. 49 minutes ago Let's take a look at the line-ups. Linfield: Johns; McGee, East, Hall, Orr; Archer, Mulgrew, Shields; Morrison, Fitzpatrick, Millar. Subs: Walsh, Roscoe, Whiteside, McCullough, Brown, McKay, Allen, McKee, Offord, Annett. Shelbourne: Kearns; Wilson, Ledwidge, Barrett, Caffrey; Coyle, Lunney, McInroy; Wood, Coote, Odubeko. Subs: Topcu, Healy, Gannon, Bone, Norris, Temple, Chapman, O'Sullivan, Kelly, Boyd, Martin, Ring. 59 minutes ago Hello and welcome to tonight's live blog for the Champions League First Qualifying Round second leg clash between Linfield and Shelbourne at Windsor Park. Mipo Odubeko's solitary strike for Shels in the first leg at Tolka Park is all that separates the sides prior to kick-off in this evening's second all-island showdown in Belfast, with both the defending League of Ireland champions and Irish League winners harbouring hope of progressing to the Second Round. Who will book their ticket into the next stage? Stick with us for all the action as it happens! Live Blog Software
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘It's a motivation for us' – Sean Gannon feels no pressure as Shels represent LOI in Champions League
THE Champions League first round has become a tale of pressure and parachutes for League of Ireland clubs. Since 2010, when Uefa introduced the incentive of winning your first tie to guarantee additional rounds even if you lost the next, the opening round has been squeaky-bum time. 2 Sean Gannon is no stranger to Champions League qualifiers having won the Premier Division 11 times 2 The 34-year-old has been reduced to just 16 league games this season due to some injury issues Over the years, the bonus for winning the first round has become even greater where now you are guaranteed not one, but two parachutes where winning one additional tie secures group-stage football. But while the possibilities are endless, the pressure also increases. Since 2012, the 13 League of Ireland champions have fallen at the first hurdle nine times. Read more on Irish football Of the four who cleared it, three went on to reach the group stages — Dundalk in 2016 and Shamrock Rovers in 2022 and last year — though those early rounds have remained nervy. Ten-man And tonight, Shelbourne visit Windsor Park to face Linfield with Joey O'Brien's men looking to come through when the heat is really on. Forget the north-south dimension to the game — both clubs have done their best to do just that — and let's focus on the facts. Most read in Football Shelbourne are 1-0 up from the first leg and are in-season and looked the far better team last week. Linfield are in pre-season. Tonight is worth €750,000 to the winners and those three guaranteed ties for the victors offer a great chance of turning that into €3.1million by reaching for the group stages. Celtic launch new away kit with trailer featuring Scottish music icon and Hoops legends But from defender Seán Gannon, it is about the possibility rather than those pressures and parachutes. The ten-time league winner, 34, has been through this round more than most — this is his ninth time in the last 11 years — and he insisted that it must be embraced. Former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk player Gannon — who won the league with Shels on the final night last season — said: 'I think we've shown as a group that we are resilient, how we got the league over the line last year under the biggest pressure situation . . . 'But I think pressure is probably not a word we'd be using, it's probably motivation. The rewards for getting through as a player are huge and obviously these are the games you want to be playing in. 'Every player in the league wants to be playing here in the Champions League and we're representatives of our league. It's not a pressure, it's a motivation for us. 'I've been lucky enough to be part of games like this and I know how valuable they are to your career, and to look back on in many years to come. 'It wouldn't be a pressure for us, it's definitely a motivation, a reward and a chance to showcase your talent really.' FAR FROM OVER Still, the defender knows how much hard work is to be done as he acknowledged Linfield will be almost as content with the narrow defeat last week as Shelbourne were with the 1-0 home win. Gannon explained: 'From our side, it was important we won the game as a home team, it was important for us to take the game to Linfield and we did that. 'I can see from their side, the tie is still alive. That was instilled in us last week, how the whole thing is in the balance and how we need to be prepared for a game that is going to test us — 1-0 away from home in Europe does leave it all to play for. 'We need to approach the game with the same mentality we would always approach it. There's huge rewards. As a player, you want to progress in Europe, they are amazing games to be a part of. 'Our mentality is to treat this game . . . if you start putting games on a pedestal and preparing differently for certain games, you come away from what got us to this.' PENALTY PREP Boss O'Brien has made allowances for the occasion though, by making But he acknowledged that even the best preparation cannot prepare you for the pressure of penalties, or having the right men on the pitch. O'Brien said: 'I always think but it's mad that in most shootouts I've been involved in I've ended up taking one because you're on the pitch at the end of the game. 'If it goes to 120 minutes, it's attacking players, they're the ones who get taken off. "So when you're going around to your five, it's probably not your first five. I think with the pressure at that moment, whether you practise them or not doesn't have any bearing.'
Irish Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sean Gannon's incredible Euro record as Shels prepare for showdown with Linfield
On one hand, it's a relatively inexperienced Shelbourne dressing room when it comes to big nights in Europe. On the other hand, Sean Gannon is back from suspension and is ready to add a fresh chapter to a most remarkable Irish footballing tale. The 33-year-old is expected to get the nod in tonight's Champions League second-leg against Linfield, and make his 58th appearance in continental competition. And 16 of those have come in the group stages - a level that Shels are desperate to reach this year. Victory over Linfield would inch that dream closer to reality, as it would earn them a second qualifying round spot in the Champions League, and shots at both the Europa League and Conference League. Defeat and they would be dumped straight into the Conference League second round - a much steeper climb to the league phase. From his European debut in the Europa League against Luxembourg side Jeunesse Esch 11 years ago, Gannon has come a long way. There have been 15 wins, 14 draws and 28 defeats, and those three cracks at the coveted group stages. Famous victories have come with Dundalk away to Hajduk Split (2014), BATE Borisov (2016), and that historic first ever group stage win against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Tallaght. Dundalk pulled off another first in that famous 2016 campaign when they picked up a point away from AZ Alkmaar in their opening group game. Prior to that, they went to Legia Warsaw and, for much of the game, were just a goal away from the Champions League group stages. There was honour in the defeats to Zenit St Petersburg (1-2 home and away) and to Arsenal in the 2020 group stages, when they played at an empty Emirates (0-3) and Aviva Stadium (2-4) during Covid. Gannon has yet to find the net in his 57 appearances so far, of which 48 were as a starter. Wouldn't tonight be the perfect night for the versatile defender to finally get off the mark? 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 . Prior to his red card away to Gibraltar side St Joseph's last year, which earned him the three-game ban that forced him to sit out last week's game, he had been booked just twice in Europe. Ironically, he was joined in the Tolka Park stand by his former Dundalk teammate Chris Shields, who was serving a ban for Linfield. The pair will go toe-to-toe tonight in a battle of two of Irish football's most experienced European campaigners. 'I actually shared a lot of good times with Chris,' he said last night, sitting alongside manager Joey O'Brien at the pre-match press conference. 'I played with him for many years, he's a great character, he was a big loss for the league. 'But he is flying up here and we know the value he is going to add to the game for Linfield, he has got huge European experience. 'He is a good friend of mine, it was good to see him last week, it was mad the two of us being suspended for the same game, but he can still chat, he burnt the ears off me last week in Tolka! 'He's a great lad and a huge asset for them.' Gannon's return gives O'Brien a fully-fit squad for the game tonight. 'It's been surreal, to be honest, the longest suspension ever,' he said of the three-game ban, handed down for his part in a melee deep into injury-time in the second-leg against St Joseph's. 'Obviously it's great to be back involved, it was hard watching on. I don't know how supporters do it every week, my nerves would be gone. 'It's good to be back involved. There's a great buzz around the group and I'm delighted to be back and available.' A man of his European experience will be vital in the Shels dressing room tonight. He has echoed his manager's sentiments regarding pressure - or the lack of - surrounding such a crucial game. 'I think pressure is probably not a word we'd be using, I think it's motivation,' said the former Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers man. 'The rewards for getting through as a player are huge and obviously these are the games you want to be playing in. 'Every player in the league wants to be playing here in the Champions League, and we are representatives of our league. 'It's not a pressure, it's motivation for us. I have been lucky enough to be a part of games like this and I know how valuable they are to your career and to look back on in many years to come. 'But it wouldn't be a pressure for us, it's a motivation. There are big rewards and a chance to showcase your talent.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
