Shelbourne hold their ground

Soccer Champions League, first qualifying round:  Shelbourne 0  - KR Reykjavik 0  In European terms Tolka Park has been much more a funfair for visitors than a fortress for Shelbourne during the past decade or so. The Dublin club's inability to win in 11 attempts at their own ground since a 3-1 defeat of Karpaty Lvov in 1993 has been a significant factor in the club's rather miserable record on the international stage, writes Emmet Maloneat Tolka Park

They extended that run to 12 games last night but a battling a performance against a strong, if rather style-less, Icelandic outfit proved enough to earn a place in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers. Their reward is a trip to Croatia next week where, history suggests, they be well advised to give themselves something to defend in the return game with Hadjuk Split.

For much of the opening period this was a scrappy affair with both sides anxious to deny their opponents space and neither showing the capacity for open, passing football that would have given them the upper hand.

The visitors looked stronger and fitter for stretches and created a couple of half chances that might have yielded a goal had Steve Williams not reacted sharply with Solvi Davidsson the first to test the Welshman after five minutes.

Some of Shelbourne's passing left a good deal to be desired and the KR defence picked up a steady supply of easy possession as the likes of David Crawley, Thomas Morgan and Jamie Harris tried but failed to send the home side's strikers, Jason Byrne and Alan Moore, clear.

Both front-runners, though, looked capable of causing their markers problems. Moore controlled a Crawley ball well but his shot was deflected wide. Byrne fluffed a much better chance to put Shelbourne in control of the tie with a badly misdirected header after fine work by Ollie Cahill and a good cross by the former Middlesbrough player, Alan Moore.

It was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock before the break which left the locals looking the happier, but perhaps also the more nervous, of the two teams as they made their way off at half-time.

Inevitably, things opened up a little after the break and although the football was all still a little frantic Shelbourne did start to establish something of an edge over their rivals.

In defence they were now more commanding with Harris and Dave Rogers combining with growing effectiveness to smother the Icelandic forwards and Owen Heary performing solidly out on the right.

The longer the hosts went without a goal the longer they remained vulnerable to being dumped by one scored against the run of play. However, as the contest moved into its closing stages, Willum Thor Thorsson's men really didn't seem to know how to break Shelbourne down and they were increasingly reduced to snatching at long-range shooting opportunities.

At the back too there was now just a hint of disarray about the visitors' approach as Shelbourne's attacking players, in particular Cahill, who was on the receiving end of some rather heavy tackles that the Swedish referee might have done a little more to deter.

Moore, though, could hardly complain about the match official given that he got away with an elbow on Jokull Elisarbetarson, 25 minutes from time, that would surely have resulted in a red card had it been spotted.

The striker stayed, however, and the threat posed by the locals steadily grew. Finally, with a quarter of an hour remaining, Stuart Byrne forced Kristian Finnbogason into a good save with a fierce left-footed shot after a good through ball by Wes Hoolahan. A couple of minutes later his namesake, Jason Byrne, should have done a lot better when Cahill shook off his marker and presented the striker with a shooting chance from 15 yards.

The remaining minutes were nervous ones for Pat Fenlon's men who had to hang on in the face of a fairly desperate late assault by their visitors.

When the final whistle finally arrived Shelbourne had failed to win at home yet again but for the second time in 11 years a draw was good enough to see them through to the next round.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Harris, Rogers, Crawley; Hoolahan (Cawley, 88 mins), S Byrne, Morgan, Cahill; J Byrne (Rowe, 94 mins), Moore (G McCarthy, 83 mins).

KR REYKJAVIK: Finnbogason; Elisarbetarson, Einarsson (Magnusson, 68 mins), Sigurdsson, Podzemsky; Davidsson, Olafsson, Gylfason, Kristjansson (Bjarnason, 74 mins); A Gunnlaugsson (Benediktson, 74 mins); Finnbogason.

Referee: M Svensen (Sweden).