SHELS WON'T BACK DOWN

O'Brien has his players ready for Windsor battle

- By MARK McCADDEN

JOEY O'BRIEN has issued a stirring rallying call to his Shelbourne players as they stand on the cusp of history.

The Reds boss believes the spirit that dragged them over the line in last year's Premier Division title race can see them through a potentially tricky tie tonight in the Europa Conference League playoff against Linfield.

Shels hold a 3-1 lead from the first-leg, but no one is taking anything for granted as they prepare for a second visit to Windsor Park this summer.

O'Brien wants his players to dig deep and remember how "no one gave us a chance" in last year's title race, which was won late on the final day of the season at the Ryan McBride Brandywell.

Sitting next to Harry Wood, whose 85th-minute winner away to Derry City last November sent the title back to Tolka Park for the first time in 18 years, he poured his heart out.

He recalled how when he was playing for Shamrock Rovers against clubs that were "supposedly bigger", no one in the Hoops dressing room felt inferior.

And that attitude was replicated this year when Shelbourne put it up to Qarabag and HNK Rijeka, only to lose to the Croatian champions by the slimmest of margins.

O'Brien said: "You go out and you perform, you have a cut off whoever you're coming up against. That's how I see football and that's how players should see football all the time.