Conference League playoff: Linfield 0 Shelbourne 2 (Wood 23, Coote 30) (Shelbourne win 5-1 on aggregate)
Shelbourne banked the Euro millions after winning the all-island bragging rights for a second time this season.
After seeing off Northern Irish champions Linfield in the Champions League qualifying rounds last month, Shels repeated the trick on Thursday night in the Conference League.
The League of Ireland champions followed up last week’s 3-1 Tolka Park victory with a 2-0 win at Windsor Park to seal a 5-1 aggregate triumph. It means Joey O’Brien’s men are through to the Europa Conference League league phase for the first time.
Shamrock Rovers’ progression against Santa Clara also means it is the first time two League of Ireland teams have reached this stage of European competition in the same season.
RM Block
Harry Wood and Ali Coote put the gloss on what was already a healthy Shelbourne lead from the first-leg, but they never looked as though their place in the league phase was at risk.
The historic achievement will boost the bank balance by at least €3.17m. It also brings the intangible glory of adding their name to the roll of honour including Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk as the only League of Ireland sides to mix it with Europe’s elite.
Shels can now look forward to Friday’s league-phase draw in Monaco as their European exploits go up another gear.
Linfield knew an early goal would reignite the tie. With a little over two minutes on the clock, Blues defender Sam Roscoe’s eyes lit up when he had a sight of goal, but the assistant’s flag quickly eased any Shels nerves.
The visitors’ two-goal advantage meant Linfield had to make all the early running, which would inevitably lead to spaces to exploit.
But the Blues carried an early threat with Kieran Offord – who scored and saw a penalty saved in the first-leg – probing here, there and everywhere.
The Scottish striker collided with goalkeeper Wessel Speel after 12 minutes, causing concern on the visitors’ bench, but he was able to continue after treatment.
Five minutes later, a careless mistake at the back could have put the tie beyond any doubt.
Ben Hall’s weak header back to Chris Johns was easily intercepted by the alert Ademipo Odubeko and his delicate lob over the keeper looked destined for the net, only for it to bounce off the top of the crossbar.
Hall’s blushes were spared but the assistant immediately flagged, so it wouldn’t have counted.
But Shels didn’t have to wait too long to silence the boisterous home crowd as Wood opened the scoring midway through the half to all but seal the deal - and what a strike it was.
Ali Coote clipped a delightful ball over the home defence, into Wood’s path and he produced a sublime side-footed volley to send the visiting fans into raptures.
The red sea of supporters were now in celebration mode, but it was about to get even better.
Coote went from provider to goal hero on the half-hour when he stepped onto a perfectly-weighted lay-off from Odubeko and stroked the ball into the bottom corner of Johns’ net with the help of a deflection off Hall.
Some Linfield fans were already heading for the exits as their Shels counterparts drowned out the noise of a nearby Sam Fender concert.
It was all too easy for the League of Ireland champions, who were cutting through the Blues at will.
With Shels cruising, they were content to allow the deflated Blues to have possession in their own half, and more often than not they were able to win it back and hit the home side on the break.
There was no need for intensity because they looked as though they could spring into another gear if needed.
And for all Linfield’s possession, it was Shels who came closest to adding to the scoring after the break.
Three minutes before the hour mark, Kerr McInroy’s corner was met by Paddy Barrett, but his effort grazed the outside of the post with Johns scrambling.
Both sides rang the changes and one of the Blues’ substitutes, Callumn Morrison, had their best chance of the second period 15 minutes from time. However, his strike from 12 yards was easily gathered by Speel after Evan Caffrey had taken the sting out of the shot.
While the contest fizzled out, the Shels faithful were enjoying their carnival in the stand, cheering every pass as their dream European adventure became a reality.
For the second time in a month or so, Shelbourne were much too good for Linfield over two legs. But much bigger tests now lay in wait.
Now all eyes will be on the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo to see where their adventure leads to next.
Linfield: Johns, McGee, Roscoe (Taylor 59), Hall, East, McClean (Morrison 72), Shields, Archer (Allen 59), Millar (Brown 59), Offord, McKee (Yates 72). Subs not used: Walsh, Whiteside, Mulgrew, McCullough, Orr.
Shelbourne: Speel, Gannon, Bone (Ledwidge 82), Barrett, Norris, Coote, Lunney, McInroy (Martin 63), Mbeng (Coyle 63), Odubeko (Caffrey 63), Wood (Kelly 74). Subs not used: Healy, Topcu, Chapman, Boyd, Moore, Temple.
Referee: Julian Weinberger (Austria)
