Watch: Linfield and Shelbourne still goalless in Champions League

BBC News

09-07-2025

Update:
Date: 20:05 BST
Title: YELLOW CARD
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Another yellow card for Linfield, this time it's skipper Jamie Mulgrew who's cautioned for his late tackle on Ali Coote.
That's two of the Blues central midfielders both in the book in the opening 20 minutes.
Concern for David Healy early on with his midfield duo.
Update:
Date: 20:02 BST
Title: YELLOW CARD
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Linfield's Josh Archer is the first player in the referee's book as he is cautioned for his late challenge on Shelbourne captain Mark Coyle.
Update:
Date: 19:59 BST
Title: Post
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Linfield have managed to weather the early Shelbourne storm, at least for the time being.
Joey O'Brien will be the happier of the two managers so far, with his side firmly in the ascendancy.
Update:
Date: 19:54 BST
Title: GREAT SAVE!
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Chris Johns comes to Linfield's rescue with a superb save to deny Evan Caffrey from opening the scoring.
Caffrey beats the offside trap, latches on to a cross and heads at goal but is denied by a great Johns save.
Two headed efforts in as many minutes from Caffrey, both being denied.
Update:
Date: 19:52 BST
Title: HITS THE WOODWORK
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Evan Caffrey gets on the end of a corner and his header strikes the near upright!
Early spell of dominance from the hosts.
Update:
Date: 19:50 BST
Title: Post
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Drawing concern for David Healy, Euan East is down receiving treatment.
It looks like the ball struck East on the head at some pace while he was on the ground.
Update:
Date: 19:48 BST
Title: Post
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
Evan Caffrey spots Chris Johns off his line, attempting to catch the goalkeeper off guard with his long-range effort from just inside Linfield's half.
His effort sails over the crossbar.
Update:
Date: 19:45 BST
Title: KICK-OFF
Content: Shelbourne 0-0 Linfield
We're underway at Tolka Park for the first leg of Champions League first round qualifying action between Shelbourne and Linfield.
Update:
Date: 19:42 BST
Title: Shels in 'new era' after Duff departure - Coyle
Content: Shelbourne v Linfield (19:45 BST)
Shelbourne skipper Mark Coyle says tonight's game is an opportunity to make "new memories" after last month's departure of manager Damien Duff.
Duff, who won 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland, led Shelbourne to their first League of Ireland championship since 2006 last season, but their title defence proved a disappointment and the former Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers winger surprisingly quit last month with the side fifth in the table.
New manager Joey O'Brien, Duff's former assistant and international team-mate, earned his first victory at the third attempt at home to Cork City on Friday night, giving the side momentum going into their tie against David Healy's squad.
"It's been very good," said Coyle of the team's mood since Duff's shock departure.
"We obviously have huge respect and love for the ex-manager but now we're excited for the new era.
"The gaffer [O'Brien], it's been great. He's put his own stamp on things and you can see around the ground, there's obviously an excitement and it's just about creating new memories now."
Read more.
Update:
Date: 19:41 BST
Title: Linfield need 'ice in veins' - Healy
Content: Shelbourne v Linfield (19:45 BST)
Linfield boss David Healy has said it would be "wrong" to play on any derby element to tonight's tie.
"It's certainly not talked about north v south, that would be wrong of me to do that," he told BBC Sport NI yesterday.
"You have to play with a little bit of passion, a little bit of fire, but you also have to control that emotion.
"Like any European game, anything reckless, anything silly, will be punished, so play with ice in your veins and make sure we stay fully focused for 90 minutes."
Read more.
Update:
Date: 19:35 BST
Title: Team news
Content: Shelbourne v Linfield (19:45 BST)
With Damian Duff having resigned a fortnight ago, Joey O'Brien remains in charge and names an unchanged side following Friday night's 3-1 victory over Cork City at Tolka Park.
David Healy makes just one change to his starting XI that drew 0-0 with Dungannon last week. Dane McCullough comes in for Charlie Allen who drops to the bench.
Shelbourne: Kearns, Ledwidge, Lunney, Wood, Coyle (capt), Odubeko, Coote, Norris, McInroy, Caffrey, Barrett.
Subs: Healy, Topcu, Wilson, Chapman, Boyd, Martin, Bone, O'Sullivan, Kelly, Temple, Ring, Offor.
Linfield: Johns, East, Millar, Hall, Archer, Mulgrew (capt), McGee, Fitzpatrick, McCullough, Morrison, Orr.
Subs: Walsh, Roscoe, Whiteside, Offord, Allen, McKee, Brown, Annett, McKay.
Shelbourne v Linfield
Update:
Date: 19:32 BST
Title: The Champions League starts here!
Content: Shelbourne v Linfield (19:45 BST)
Summer football, eh? The Irish Premiership season may still be a month away but, for now, European qualifiers are going to be coming thick and fast.
After Clifronville's draw in Gibraltar last night, tonight it's the turn of Linfield who get their Champions League campaign underway with a trip to north Dublin in the first qualifying round.
The Blues' only competitive action so far this season was last week's penalty shootout defeat to Dungannon Swifts in the Charity Shield.
Tonight's hosts Shelbourne, on the other hand, are 25 games into their League of Ireland Premier Division campaign, with the champions currently sitting fifth in the table.
These two sides have only met three times before, with Linfield winning two previous encounters and the other being a goalless draw. Those meetings were almost 20 years ago in the now defunct Setanta Cup, of course.
Who will gain the advantage tonight? Stay with us to find out, we've live coverage right here and on the iPlayer.