North v South: A Rivalry Rekindled | OneFootball

Pat Cordelle looks back on the fascinating rivalry between Shelbourne and Linfield.

They haven’t met often, but when they have, it’s mattered. From the North-South Cup in the early ’60s to the high-stakes finals of the Setanta Sports Cup, the meetings between Shels and Linfield have always carried extra weight. Bragging rights, pride, and that old North v South edge, these were games that stuck in the memory.

The Setanta Sports Cup was a football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland. Inaugurated in 2005, it was a cross-border tournament between clubs in the League of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Football League. The competition was discontinued in 2014. It was the first such cross-border tournament since 1980. Previous competitions included the Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup, the North-South Cup, the Blaxnit Cup, the Texaco Cup and the Tyler Cup.

The inaugural tournament ran from March to May 2005, coinciding with the start of the League of Ireland season and the end of the IFA Premiership season. Qualification was based on league and cup performances in each jurisdiction—the top two teams in each league and the winners of the FAI Cup and the Irish Cup qualified. Teams were split into two groups, with the group winners advancing to the final.

Representing the League of Ireland were Cork City, Longford Town and Shelbourne; from the Irish League, Glentoran, Linfield and Portadown took part. After a seeded draw, the groups were:

Linfield—eventual winners—started poorly with a 2-1 loss to Longford but recovered to win their remaining group games, including a victory over tournament favourites Shelbourne.

2005 Setanta Cup

Match 1: Shelbourne 3–3 PortadownFirst-half goals from Richie Baker and Jason Byrne seemed to have set Shels on their way to victory. However, Portadown mounted a stirring comeback to level at 2–2. Richie Baker restored the lead, but a defensive error handed the Ports a deserved equaliser.

Match 2: Cork City 1–0 ShelbourneA magnificent 64th-minute goal from Behan was enough to give City the win in a highly competitive fixture at Turner’s Cross. Gamble (Cork) and Crawley (Shels) were both sent off near the end. The defeat was a major blow to Shelbourne’s hopes.

Match 3: Portadown 0–1 ShelbourneThe Reds stayed in contention with a narrow win away, Jason Byrne scoring in the 3rd minute. Portadown were reduced to ten men in the 54th minute.

Match 4: Shelbourne 1–0 Cork CityShels remained in the hunt after a highly controversial win. Jamie Harris’s 54th-minute header was awarded despite replays showing it hadn’t crossed the line. The referee and linesman ruled otherwise, enraging Cork boss Damien Richardson. Shelbourne only advanced when Cork lost to Portadown a week later.

Final: Shelbourne 0–2 LinfieldFirst-half goals from Glenn Ferguson and Peter Thompson gave Linfield a well-deserved win. Once ahead, they defended in depth and crowded the midfield. Shelbourne pressed but couldn’t break through. Jason Byrne and Alan Moore were sent off in stoppage time for dissent.

Linfield returned to Belfast as All-Ireland champions.

Despite home advantage and being a full-time outfit, Shels were outmanoeuvred. Linfield, well-organised and determined, deserved their win. The £150,000 winner’s cheque would have been welcome at Tolka. Shelbourne boss Pat Fenlon was outwitted by David Jeffries, who called it the greatest achievement of his managerial career.

Shelbourne Team: Williams, Brennan (Moore), Hawkins, Rogers, Crawley, Baker (Ryan), S. Byrne, Crawford (Ndo), Cahill, Hoolahan, J. Byrne.

2006 Setanta Cup

Group A: Cork City, Drogheda United, Dungannon Swifts, PortadownGroup B: Linfield, Shelbourne, Derry City, Glentoran

Match 1: Shelbourne 3–0 GlentoranA strong start. Goals from Ryan and two from Crowe put the game beyond doubt before the hour mark.

Match 2: Derry City 0–0 ShelbourneA dull affair but a satisfactory result. Four points from six.

Match 3: Linfield 2–0 ShelbourneLinfield claimed top spot with a goal in each half. They showed a cutting edge that Shels lacked.

Match 4: Shelbourne 0–0 LinfieldA chance for revenge, especially after Linfield were reduced to ten men in the 24th minute. But Shels couldn’t capitalise, and Hawkins was sent off on 75 minutes.

Match 5: Glentoran 0–3 ShelbourneJason Byrne (2) and Crowe scored. Glentoran were the group’s whipping boys. One point at home to Derry would now be enough.

Match 6: Shelbourne 1–1 Derry CityJason Byrne’s 17th-minute goal looked to be the winner until Mark Farren equalised in the 90th minute. Shels lost top spot and would now face Cork City away in the semi-final.

Semi-Final: Cork City 2–0 ShelbourneColm O’Brien scored on 34 minutes. Shels were then awarded a penalty, but Jason Byrne missed. Five minutes later, Fenn made it 2–0. Crawley was sent off in the final minute.

The North-South Cup

A short-lived All-Ireland tournament played in the early 1960s.

In 1961, Shels played Linfield twice. They drew 2–2 at home (Turner, Wilson scorers) but lost 3–2 away (Barber x2).

In 1962/63, Shels beat Glentoran 8–3 on aggregate (1–1 away, 7–2 at home). Scorers: Barber, Brendan O’Brien (2), Hennessy, ‘Ginger’ O’Brien (2), Wilson.

Next, they beat Linfield 6–2 on aggregate—2–0 at home (Hannigan, Wilson), 4–2 away (Barber 2, Wilson, Hannigan).

Shels were heavy favourites in the final vs Glenavon. A 2–1 away loss (goal by Gilbert) set up the second leg. With Eric Barber missing, Shels could only draw 0–0 at home. Glenavon’s 19-year-old keeper played a blinder.