Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield (Result)
Evan Caffrey twice goes close in early stages
Shelbourne awarded penalty in 21st minute but decision overturned by VAR
Mipo Odubeko netted winner in 58th minute
Second leg of Champions League first qualifying round tie to be played at Windsor Park on 16 July
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Shelbourne head to Windsor Park next Wednesday night for the second leg of Champions League first round qualifying with a one goal advantage.
Mipo Odubeko's second half strike is the difference on the night, with the hosts more than deserving of the win.
That being said, it's still all to play for in Belfast next week with just the one goal in it.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Three minutes of added time to be played at Tolka Park.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Kieran Offord charges down Shelbourne goalkeeper Conor Kearns, and is almost rewarded for his determination.
Offord blocks Kearns' clearance as the ball almost flies into the net for a Linfield equaliser.
Much to the relief of the home fans, the ball goes behind for a goal kick instead.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Shels goal scorer Mipo Odubeko is replaced by John Martin up front.
As it stands, Odubeko's goal is the difference between the two sides in this Champions League first round qualifying tie.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Can Linfield find an equaliser with less than three minutes of normal time remaining?
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
That's the closest Shelbourne have come to doubling their lead.
Tyreke Wilson crosses from the left with Sean Boyd meeting it from close range, firing his first-time effort just over the crossbar.
Boyd's shot could easily have found the roof of the net, but flies just over the crossbar, much to the relief of Chris Johns.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Shelbourne had to be patient for their opener...here's how Mipo Odubeko found the net.
Watch: Shelbourne break the deadlock as Mipo Odubeko finds the bottom right-hand corner.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Ellis Chapman replaces the lives Harry Wood for the hosts, with Shels boss Joey O'Brien making his fourth change of the evening.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Ehtan McGee gets caught on the ball in a dangerous area, as Sean Boyd slips the ball into the path of Tyreke Wilson who strikes with his left foot.
The Shelbourne substitute keeps his effort on target, but Chris Johns makes a routine save.
Wilson could perhaps of done better and tried to find either corner, but instead went for power rather than precision.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
David Healy looks to his bench for the first time as he makes a double change.
Kieran Offord and Chris McKee are introduced with Jamie Mulgrew and Callumn Morrison going off for the Blues.
Around 18 minutes left of normal time at Tolka Park.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Substitute Sean Boyd should do better with his effort as he misses the target with a free header for the home side.
Harry Wood's cross from the right is precise, with Boyd heading wide of the left upright when he should really be hitting the target at least.
Shelbourne 1-0 Linfield
Linfield have responded well to going a goal behind.
The Blues are having a brief spell in Shelbourne's half, with Callumn Morrison trying his luck from outside the area which is blocked by a red jersey.
Mipo Odubeko - 58 mins
It had been coming.
Shelbourne break the deadlock as Mipo Odubeko finds the bottom right-hand corner with his left foot.
Substitute Sean Boyd finds Odubeko with a tidy pass, with the Shels striker doing the rest to find the back of the net to give the Dubliners the lead.
On the balance of play the hosts deserve to be in front.
Image source, InphoShelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Shels manager Joey O'Brien makes three changes early on in the second half.
Sean Boyd, Dainel Kelly and Tyreke Wilson are introduced as Evan Caffrey, James Norris and Ali Coote make way.
Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
The hosts have started the first half on top, like they were for the majority of the opening 45 minutes.
Linfield won their first corner of the game moments ago, but it came to nothing as Kirk Millar's cross doesn't beat the first man.
Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
We're back underway for the second half at Tolka Park.
The Blues will attack from left to right this half from the camera position.
Still all to play for in north Dublin, so who will take the game by the scruff of the neck and make the difference?
Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
The four added minutes of the first half are up and it's goalless at the break between Shelbourne and Linfield.
The hosts have dominated proceedings in the opening 45 minutes, but the Blues have stood firm so far.
Image source, InphoShelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Callumn Morrison almost catches Conor Kearns out with a lob just before the break.
That was Linfield's best chance of the first half, and Morrison may feel he could do better.
Chances have been few and far between for the Blues, so being clinical in the final third is a must tonight when they do create an opportunity.
Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
The Blues have taken the sting out of the game in the closing stages of the first half.
Shelbourne have been firmly on top in the first half though and will be looking to find a reward for their dominance before the break.
Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Less than 10 minutes to go to the break and it remains goalless at Tolka Park.
The Blues are struggling to keep hold of the ball when they do get it, with constant Shelbourne attacks coming their way.
Highlights: Shelbourne v Linfield
Shelbourne got the better of Linfield in the first leg of their Champions League first qualifying round tie at Tolka Park with Mipo Odubeko's second-half strike the only goal of the game.
The Northern Ireland champions had to soak up plenty of pressure to ensure they would return to Belfast for next week's second leg facing only a one-goal deficit.
In what was their first competitive game of the 2025-26 season, David Healy's side appeared well drilled and defended strongly throughout, although Evan Caffrey had two good chances in the first half.
The hosts in Dublin also had a penalty award overturned by the video assistant referee (VAR) in the first half, but Odubeko's well-taken finish in the 58th minute ultimately proved to be the difference.
Mipo Odubeko's goal proved the difference between Shelbourne and Linfield
The game at Tolka Park provided a second clash between the champions of the Irish Premiership and League of Ireland Premier Division in as many seasons after Shamrock Rovers thumped Larne 4-1 in last year's Uefa Conference League.
And while the Republic of Ireland side again asserted their dominance in the first half of this one, Linfield held firm through the opening 45 minutes despite a few scares.
Caffrey looked lively throughout for Shelbourne and came closest to opening the scoring in the early exchanges when he got on to the end of a near-post corner only to see his flicked header come back off the crossbar.
The same player then drew a brilliant save from Linfield keeper Chris Johns from point-blank range after defender Euan East had slipped in the build-up.
As Shelbourne piled on the pressure, they thought they would have the opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot when Ben Hall was adjudged to have handled Jonathan Lunney's effort from the edge of the box, but the decision was overturned by VAR.
While admirably organised without the ball, in the absence of playmaker Joel Cooper who joined Coleraine over the summer, Linfield offered little attacking threat, although they did have a few chances of their own in the goalless first half.
First Ethan McGee drove an effort wide after latching onto a loose pass across the box before, in the final minutes before the break, Callumn Morrison's looping effort failed to catch out Conor Kearns in the Shelbourne goal.
Chris Johns produced one fine save to deny Evan Caffrey
Shelbourne were playing their first Champions League fixture since 2005 and, while their title-winning manager Damien Duff departed between the draw and this first leg, they came into this one 25 games into their domestic season.
New manager Joey O'Brien got his first win against Cork City on Friday night and, in comparison to Linfield who had only last week's Charity Shield final under their belts, their increased match sharpness was evident.
Mipo Odubeko is one player who has been enjoying life under former West Ham and Bolton defender O'Brien and the striker opened the scoring with his third goal in as many games.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, he was put through by substitute strike partner Sean Boyd, took a touch to get the ball out of his feet and fired into the far corner.
Boyd, whose assist came only two minutes after his introduction as part of a triple sub, proved to be a lively replacement as he flashed a header across goal before firing Tyreke Wilson's cross over the top.
Kieran Offord came closest to delivering a Linfield equaliser in the closing minutes when he charged down Conor Kearns attempted clearance only to see the ball deflect narrowly wide.
Manager: Joseph O'Brien
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: David Healy
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Joseph O'Brien
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: David Healy
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
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