Linfield travel to Dublin for UEFA Champions League action where they will face SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Premier League Champions Shelbourne at Tolka Park in the 1st qualifying round of European competition (7.45pm k.o.). The game is a sell out and there will be live coverage of this eagerly anticipated clash on the BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
Tickets for the 2nd leg at Windsor Park on 16th July are selling like hotcakes and the winner of the tie will meet Azerbaijan Champions Qarabag in the next round.
Linfield and Shelbourne famously last met back in 2005 when The Blues pulled off a sensational 2-0 win in the Setanta Sports Cup Final, the goals coming from club legends Glenn Ferguson and Peter Thompson.
Shelbourne have had a challenging season and sit 5th in the table and off the pace in the title race. In their last outing they recorded a 3-1 home win over basement side Cork City. Shels recently appointed Joey O’Brien as Head Coach following the shock resignation of Damien Duff.
A massive night of football is promised with North v South pride and a financially lucrative 2nd Qualifying Round tie at stake. David Healy will target a positive result from the game to take back to Windsor Park, and the travelling Linfield faithful will of course be there as the team’s 12th man, albeit in restricted numbers.
This promises to be a tightly contested encounter between 2 evenly matched sides.
COYB!
By Ken Garrett. 