Shelbourne failed to complete another dramatic comeback and bowed out in the UEFA Cup first round via a 2-0 defeat (4-2 on aggregate) against French Ligue1 hot-shots Lille tonight.
Two first-half goals from Milenko Acimovic and Matt Moussilou put an end to the Irish champions' European ambitions this season.
Shelbourne found themselves under attack right from the start, with Moussilou and Christophe Landrin firing in two shots in the first minutes.
Lille found the back of the net after 17 minutes thanks to Acimovic, who converted a cross from Mathieu Bodmer from the right.
The hosts compounded their Irish rivals' European woes when Moussilou completed a fantastic run from midfield before firing a second goal past Williams in the 27th minute.
Shelbourne were unable to respond effectively. Four minutes later Moussilou failed to make the most of a good cross from the right. But Les Dogues were determined to protect their lead this time and never looked likely to be hauled back again.
Five minutes after the break, Moussilou again found himself in front of goal but he could not beat Williams. Shelbourne's defence remained solid when Jamie Harris deflected a dangerous cross towards Moussilou in the 56th minute.
Moussilou missed a golden opportunity in the 63rd minute when, with Williams off his line, he found himself in an ideal position to score a third from the right. But his shot bounced back off the base of the right-hand post.
Mathieu Chalme, on for Acimovic in the 83rd minute, almost got a third for Lille - but his shot was blocked by David Crawley. Harris' 87th-minute header was as close as Shelbourne came - but his shot was saved by Tony Sylva.
Filed by Eilish Barry
