![\"Shamrock](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/XH3ZQUQJONZDELZ2GQQ6SUK3OU.jpg\")
Shamrock Rovers’ Danny Mandroiu and Vin\u00edcius Lopes of Santa Clara. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo\/Inpho <\/p>\nLinfield 0 Shelbourne 2 (Wood 23, Coote 30) (Shelbourne lead 5-1 on aggregate)<\/b><\/p>\n
Linfield: <\/b>Johns; McGee, Roscoe, Hall, East; McClean, Shields, Archer; Millar, Offord, McKee<\/p>\n
Shelbourne: <\/b>Speel; Gannon, Bone, Barrett, Norris; Coote, Lunney, McInroy; Mbeng, Mipo Odubeko, Wood<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0 (Shamrock Rovers lead 2-1 on aggregate)<\/b><\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers:<\/b> McGinty; Cleary, Lopes (capt), Grace; Grant, Watts, Healy, Nugent, Honohan; Gaffney, Mandroiu. <\/p>\n
Santa Clara:<\/b> Gabriel Batista; Sidney Lima, Rocha, Matheus Nunes; Diogo Cabral, Serginho, Adriano, Paulo Victor; Brenner, Wendel Silva, Vinicius Lopes<\/p>\n
54 mins:<\/b> Good pressing by Rovers, especially Mandroiu, they\u2019ve rattled Santa Clara this half so far, positive football. Watts gave the ball away only 30 yards from his goal, but thankfully for Rovers, Santa Clara couldn\u2019t make anything of it.<\/p>\n
50 mins:<\/b> Chance for Lopes, but penalised by the referee for handball. Watts free kick was dangerous and Lopes ended up blazing over in the box, but wouldn\u2019t have counted.<\/p>\n
48 mins: <\/b>Positive start for Rovers as Gaffney holds the ball up well in the first minute and lays off to Mandroiu whose shot is deflected just wide. The corner causes chaos but nobody can get a solid contact on it. More than 8,000 at the game tonight, it was announced on commentary.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re f***ing s**t\u201d chant the Shelbourne fans as Shels nearly score another goal, good delivery by McInroy to Barrett who hits the post with his header. 59 minutes gone there.<\/p>\n
Second half is under way in the Shamrock Rovers game.<\/p>\n
The second half is under way in Windsor Park, only very unusual circumstances will stop Shelbourne going through but still need to see it out.<\/p>\n
Half-time: Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
A big second half ahead in Tallaght. Can two Irish teams qualify for the group stages of the Conference League?<\/p>\n
43 mins: <\/b>A tense sort of atmosphere in Tallaght, Rovers would love a goal to ease it. But it\u2019s been an even game so far, nothing to particularly fear. Serginho the danger man for the Azores side.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
36 mins: Off the crossbar! <\/b>Josh Honohan shows why he\u2019s been called up to some Ireland squads as he dribbles on the edge of the box, right to left, and then smashes a great off the post. So close for Rovers.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
33 mins: <\/b>Some sustained pressure by Santa Clara goal on the Rovers goals, but they throw bodies on the line to block and clear the ball.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
Meanwhile it\u2019s half-time at Windsor Park<\/p>\n
Linfield 0 Shelbourne 2 (1-5 on aggregate)<\/b><\/p>\n
Shels a class above the Northern Irish side so far, with Wood, Mipo and Coote showing their class. Cruising through.<\/p>\n
With Shelbourne four ahead on aggregate, will focus more on the Rovers game from now on.<\/p>\n
25 mins:<\/b> Bit of a lull in Tallaght but it won\u2019t worry Rovers too much as they hold a 2-1 advantage. McGinty has to make a good save from Vinicius to smother the ball, but was offside anyway.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers’ Danny Mandroiu and Vin\u00edcius Lopes of Santa Clara. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo\/Inpho <\/p>\n
30 mins: GOAL FOR SHELBOURNE!<\/b> Ali Coote continues his wonderful games so far, cross goes to Mipo in the box, who lays it off cleverly to Coote who curls it into the corner from just inside the box. 5-1 on aggregate, should be game over. Shelbourne fans are ecstatic in the stands!<\/p>\n
Linfield 0 Shelbourne 2<\/b><\/p>\n
28 mins: <\/b>Chance for Linfield as Millar can\u2019t get a good contact on a dangerous cross.<\/p>\n
Linfield 0 Shelbourne 1<\/b><\/p>\n
14 mins: <\/b>Rovers are competing well with Santa Clara, although a dangerous moment from a short corner and Serginho smashed a low shot that could have went in the corner but good block by Mandroiu.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
23 mins: GOAL FOR SHELBOURNE!<\/b> Harry Wood with the big moment again. Ali Coote with a nice turn then perfect precision lofted through ball to Wood who sidefoots volleys it into the corner. Superb goal. 4-1 on aggregate.<\/p>\n
Linfield 0 Shelbourne 1<\/b><\/p>\n
20 mins:<\/b> Mipo gets through for Shels one on one and tries to lob the keeper and hits the post, but would have been ruled out for offside anyway.<\/p>\n
Linfield 0 Shelbourne 0<\/b><\/p>\n
5 mins:<\/b> Nugent almost gets in behind after a long ball by Lopes, but Portuguese side dominating possession so far.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers 0 Santa Clara 0<\/b><\/p>\n
14 mins: <\/b>Speel receives treatment as Offord clashes with him after speeding past Barrett but left a leg in and collided with him.<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers are under way in Tallaght.<\/p>\n
8 mins: <\/b>Some early possession for Shelbourne, being patient, the onus is on Linfield behind to take the game to Shels.<\/p>\n
Better interplay by Linfield but a poor cross and then they give away the ball. Coote runs down the wing and his cross is blocked out for a corner. Nothing comes from it but a solid start to the game.<\/p>\n
Shelbourne are under way at Windsor Park, solid following for the Drumcondra side in Belfast.<\/p>\n
2 mins:<\/b> Bit of chaos in the box for Shels as Miller delivers a free-kick into the box, rebounds off Mbeng and Gannon has to make a great block to stop a chance.<\/p>\n
The full teams in the two games:<\/b><\/p>\n
Linfield: <\/b>Johns; McGee, Roscoe, Hall, East; McClean, Shields, Archer; Millar, Offord, McKee<\/p>\n
Shelbourne: <\/b>Speel; Gannon, Bone, Barrett, Norris; Coote, Lunney, McInroy; Mbeng, Mipo Odubeko, Wood<\/p>\n
Shamrock Rovers:<\/b> McGinty; Cleary, Lopes (capt), Grace; Grant, Watts, Healy, Nugent, Honohan; Gaffney, Mandroiu. <\/p>\n
Santa Clara:<\/b> Gabriel Batista; Sidney Lima, Rocha, Matheus Nunes; Diogo Cabral, Serginho, Adriano, Paulo Victor; Brenner, Wendel Silva, Vinicius Lopes<\/p>\n
The Shamrock Rovers team to play Santa Clara:<\/p>\n
The Shelbourne team for tonight:<\/p>\n
Here are Gavin Cummiskey\u2019s match previews:<\/p>\n
[\u00a0Shamrock Rovers on brink of European milestone ahead of Santa Clara clash in TallaghtOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n [\u00a0Shelbourne could stumble if Linfield drag this second leg playoff all the way to penaltiesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Some sad news for Irish football this afternoon as Ollie Horgan passed away.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018Proper football man\u2019: Former Finn Harps manager Ollie Horgan dies aged 57Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to live coverage of a big night for League of Ireland football, and a chance for the league to have two clubs in the league stage of a European competition for the first time in their history. First up it\u2019s Shelbourne<\/a> against Linfield, Shels go to the intimidating Windsor Park with a 3-1 advantage from the first leg. Shelbourne are looking to make the Conference League proper for the first time. That kicks off at 7.45pm.<\/p>\n![\"Shamrock](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/DZRUKZFCRXUNKBYDE4JKZDBXXQ.jpg\")
Shamrock Rovers’ Danny Grant. Photograph: Tom O\u2019Hanlon\/Inpho <\/p>\n