SHELS IN A HARRY

Wood inspires Reds to vital first-leg lead as race to group stage is on

- BY PAUL O'HEHIR

SHELBOURNE had Linfield where they wanted them - shell shocked and beaten down after a blistering double whammy either side of halftime.

On a 2-0 lead against opponents who were reduced to 10-men after only 18 minutes, the League of Ireland champions were sitting pretty.

And yet until Evan Caffrey scored their precious third with 13 minutes to play, home fans were wondering if Shels were going to pass up the chance to finish Linfield off.

Their team certainly tasted blood after Harry Wood's late first-half penalty and Mipo Odubeko's deflected goal just 30 seconds into the second.

But Linfield scrambled a 53rd minute lifeline as Kieran Offord headed home.

And the tide may have turned in the Belfast club's favour had big Wessel Speel not saved an Offord penalty just minutes later.

It was never a contest dripping with quality but it was laced with edge-of-your-seat drama and big moments none more so than Caffrey's precious third goal.

He has put Shelbourne in pole position to advance to the league phase of a European competition for the first time and pocket a cool €3.8 million in the process.