Four goals, three penalties and one red card – Shelbourne versus Linfield, Part Two, was the blockbuster we'd been hoping for.
The stakes are so high in this Conference League play-off, with a place in the league stage and with it, at least €3.8m, on offer for the victors.
It was not plain sailing for Shelbourne in this first leg at Tolka Park, but a strong bench and some key breaks tipped a chaotic contest their way.
The drama was constant.
Matthew Fitzpatrick saw red midway through the opening period, when he caught Milan Mbeng high. Mipo Odubeko missed a penalty five minutes before half-time; Harry Wood then converted from the spot just before the break after the hosts were awarded a scond peno.
When Odubeko doubled Shels' lead less than a minute into the second period, it looked like the Dubliners would bury this tie tonight. But Linfield nicked one back through Kieran Offord and should have levelled when they won a penalty of their own. Offord’s effort was excellently saved by Dutch keeper Wessel Speel on 63 minutes.
Evan Caffrey gleefully rubbed salt in Linfield wounds when he knocked home a third 12 minutes from time to ensure Joey O’Brien’s team will take a healthy advantage to Belfast.
It was fast and furious from the off.
A club member with a leaf blower dutifully cleared red and white ticker tape off the Toka turf as the natives drummed up a raucous pre-kickoff atmosphere.
It took Shels less than five minutes to create their first opportunity.
The snake-hipped Wood glided through the middle of the park and fed Kerr McInroy on the left. His cross dipped invitingly towards Odubeko, who screwed a free header wide.
Wood seems to really relish these European nights. He was sharp as a tack to pick Chris Shields’ pocket before curling in a 25-yard effort that stopper Chris Johns held well. Wood generally fizzed with intent, hovering between the lines and linking well with McInroy and marauding wing-back Milan Mbeng.
The signs were positive for Shels; and in the 20th minute, we had a game-turning moment.
Fitzpatrick tried to get his toe on a pinged diagonal, leaping kung-fu style in the air. The ball evaded him but Fitzpatrick’s momentum saw him catch Mbeng in the mid-riff. It looked reckless, though most in attendance were surprised to see Greek referee Vassilis Fotias go to his back pocket.
Linfield boss David Healy furiously protested on the touchline, but to no avail. The home support smelled blood.
Shels seemed to briefly freeze in the aftermath of that dismissal.
McInroy – usually so reliable in possession – was guilty of a sloppy crossfield ball that Offord intercepted. The attacker hared goalwards, checking inside Speel before lashing a rising drive a yard over the bar.
Fitzpatrick’s red card simplified the task for the visitors who retreated into a deep low block and dug in their heels.
Shels might as well have been wearing miner’s hats and carrying pickaxes as they tried to burrow their way through a blue wall.
Just as they were starting to toil, penalty No 1 arrived.
Mbeng fed Wood on the overlap, he swung in a cross that caught the flailing arm of Kyle McClean, and the ref pointed to the spot. Up stepped Odubeko, who slipped just as he struck the ball. It soared over Johns’ goal to spark wild celebrations from the travelling fans.
Shelbourne 2-0 Linfield
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 21, 2025
The hosts double their lead 30 seconds into the second half through Odubeko
📱 Updates: https://t.co/1ZFoQYkCwI
📺 Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer#UECL pic.twitter.com/tVZiclaaW3
Their joy would be shortlived. Less than five minutes later, Odubeko was caught by Ben Hall right on the edge of the area and Fotias pointed to the spot for penalty No 2.
Odubeko wanted to take it again, however Wood talked him down, taking the ball from his teammate’s hands and duly smashing it home.
One up with an extra man at the break, O’Brien withdrew Sam Bone for Caffrey.
It was a declaration of intent; and that daring was reward almost immediately when Caffrey skated down the left and picked out Odubeko. He fashioned some space in the area and unleashed a low strike that spun into the bottom left corner with the help of a deflection.
Linfield deserve credit for how they responded thereafter.
Healy’s charges – showing the fitness benefits of now being in season – started to swing back.
In the 53rd minute, Hall’s inswinging corner skid off the head of Mark Coyle and looped towards the back post where Offord stooped to convert from close range.
It was furiously dramatic. Linfield were getting joy simply by going direct. Just after the hour mark, that approached reaped more rewards. Shels failed to deal with a long throw-in, the subsequent head tennis climaxing with Paddy Barrett flicking the ball with his hand when rising at the far post with Sam Roscoe .
Penalty No 3. But Offord’s attempt was superbly saved by Speel, who dived low to his left to bat it away.
Shelbourne 3-1 Linfield
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 21, 2025
Sub Evan Caffrey restores Shels' two-goal lead after Wood's shot comes back off the post
📱 Updates: http3://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2025/0821/1529533-conference-league-play-off-shelbourne-v-linfield/
📺 Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer#UECL pic.twitter.com/DVRrmA1fFv
That buoyed Shels who almost nabbed another when Mbeng drove in a 70th-minute cross that clipped Hall’s head and kissed the top of the crossbar.
A third goal would arrive though, Wood’s twinkle toes again peeling open space. His sweet strike from distance bounced off the post, falling kindly for Caffrey to bury the rebound.
This is far from safe for Shels, but they will travel north in a week's time knowing they have an unbelievable opportunity to make club history.
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Milan Mbeng (Sean Moore 78), Paddy Barrett, Mark Coyle (Capt, Sean Gannon 78), Sam Bone (Evan Caffrey HT), James Norris; Kerr McInroy (Ali Coote 64), JJ Lunney, Harry Wood; John Martin (Dan Kelly 64); Ademipo Odubeko.
Linfield: Christopher Johns; Ethan McGee (Sean Brown 90), Sam Roscoe, Ben Hall, Euan East; Chris Shields (Capt), Kyle McClean, Joshua Archer; Kirk Millar (Jamie Mulgrew 86), Matthew Fitzpatrick, Kieran Offord (Callumn Morrison 85)
Referee: Vassilis Fotias (Greece)
