Highlights: Shelbourne defeat Linfield to advance in Europe

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

Shelbourne progressed to the league phase of the Uefa Conference League thanks to a 2-0 victory over Linfield at Windsor Park.

Goals from Harry Wood and Ali Coote in the space of seven first-half minutes ensured a comfortable evening for the visitors who had led 3-1 coming into the game after an eventful first leg in Dublin last week.

The League of Ireland champions had already beaten their Irish Premiership counterparts in the qualifying stages of the Champions League in July and were again the better side over the course of the 180 minutes in Uefa's third-tier competition.

Linfield made just one change from their first-leg defeat at Tolka Park with Chris McKee taking the place of Matthew Fitzpatrick who was suspended after his red card.

The visitors had the better of the opening exchanges but seemed content to sit on their advantage in a spell of few chances for either side.

It was just as Linfield started to come into the game that Joey O'Brien's side had their first real sight of goal when, after 18 minutes, Ben Hall misjudged a ball over the top and allowed Mipo Odubeko to steal in.

The striker's lob struck the crossbar and bounced over before the linesman's flag was belatedly raised.

Four minutes later, Shelbourne did build upon their first-leg advantage when Harry Wood volleyed Ali Coote's delivery past Chris Johns.

After half an hour, the visitors doubled their advantage on the night and put the tie beyond doubt with a second goal when James Norris got in behind the Blues' defence and pulled the ball back for Odubeko who teed up Coote to score via a deflection.

With all the sting taken out of the tie, Shelbourne showed their superiority for the remainder without really pressing to extend their advantage.

Patrick Barrett did strike a post from a corner just shy of the hour-mark but that was the closest either side came to finding the net in a second half lacking in goalmouth action.

Linfield replacement Callumn Morrison did draw a save from Wessel Speel but it was a rare threatening moment from David Healy's side.

Fourteen points behind league leaders Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne already know they will not retain their domestic title but can now look forward to the continuation of their European season and the league phase draw which takes place in Monaco on Friday at 12:00 BST.

With their game against Coleraine on Sunday postponed, Linfield, meanwhile, are not back in Irish Premiership action until they host Portadown at Windsor Park on 6 September.

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