Edgy start leads to same old story for Shelbourne

ANOTHER European night of what might have been left Shelbourne acutely frustrated. Partly the authors of their own troubles in an edgy opening half hour, they gamely set about undoing a two goal deficit before their Cup Winners' Cup hopes were scuppered by an appalling decision from the Portuguese official.

Having finally got into this first leg, they had an initially confident Brann looking uncomfortable with the score at 2-1 when Vitor Manuel de Melo Pereira deemed Dave Campbell's tackle from behind worthy of a penalty and a red card. Game over.

As was the case against Akranes a year ago, three away goals must surely be beyond Shelbourne in the return leg two weeks' hence. Brann were better than the Ice landers and so too, for that matter, were Shelbourne a year on, but comparable solid virtues of hard work, defensive discipline, physical strength and swift breaks were sufficient to undermine an edgy Shelbourne start.

Most of the damage was done in the opening half hour, although for the following 37 minutes Shelbourne looked by far the more skillful side.

The causes of Shelbourne's early problems wilt ultimately command more of an inquest than the Portuguese official's decision. The fact that this was their first competitive game of the season was undoubtedly a disadvantage, all the more so as they have adopted a new 3-4-2-1 formation. Perhaps also there was a mental acclimatisation to European football. But technically they were not inferior to the visiting man mountains.

As with St Patrick's last month, who fell three behind in the first half before finding their feet, Shelbourne appeared unsure of themselves in the opening quarter of the game. Indeed it was only through the inspired play of Alan Gough in goal that the initial damage was limited to, two goals.

Though Tony Sheridan looked on song from the outset, Shelbourne couldn't establish a sufficient line of possession through to him. On a wet surface, made faster by its tight cut, passes went astray. With the Portuguese official showing a surprisingly laissez faire attitude, the game switched quickly from end to end.

However, it was Shelbourne who were particularly taken aback by the swiftness with which Brann broke in numbers when the home side lost possession in the opposite half. The back three of Greg Costello, Mick Neville and Dave Cambell were frequently outnumbered.

The warning signs were clear when Brann striker Mons Ivar Mjelde was twice released through the inside right channel. Gough watched the first angled shot drift wide of his far post, and then parried sharply to his right for the second.

Sheridan's sharp first time distribution and Pascal Vaudequin's overlapping offered Shelbourne's fleeting encouragement before Gough stood up well to deny Tore Andre Flo in a one on one and then extended himself quickly to paw away the rebound.

Not even Gough could prevent another counter attack reaping the opening goal after 27 minutes. Two passes sent mid fielder Roger Helland down the right one of several Shelbourne's slips on the soft surface by Costello contributing to Mjelde's far post half volley into the roof of the net.

Shelbourne were rocking and Brann struck again within two minutes when Morten Pedersen's vicious in winging left footed corner dipped over Costello at the near post and through a wrong footed Shelbourne defence.

There seemed no way back and there wouldn't have been had Gough not clawed back a Hellan header on the line at the second attempt. Finally Shelbourne started to cut loose. Sheridan initiated a good move from which John O'Rourke failed to convert a Declan Geoghegan cross.

Three minutes from the break Costello's brilliant diagonal long ball picked out Declan Geoghegan whose header back across the face of the goal was nodded home by his brother Stephen.

Then we saw something like the the real Shelbourne, with Sheridan extending Birkir Kristinsson with a snap shot from distance.

After the break they really cut loose, and Sheridan and Vaudequin combined on the right to carve through Brann almost at will. Declan Geoghegan fired over on his weaker right Stephen Geoghegan forced Kristinsson to tip over, before Vaudequin and Sheridan in turn cut inside to test the Brann goalkeeper some more.

Shelbourne were gambling but it was also all Shelbourne as counter attack of the period after 67 minutes resulted in a decisive double wham my. To the apparent surprise of the Norwegians, the Portuguese referee, a long way behind play, adjudged Campbell's seemingly well timed tackle from behind on Flo to have been a foul.

Compounding the decision to award a penalty, he also sent the Shelbourne defender off. Eftevaag tucked home the penalty and suddenly that was effectively chat. Shelbourne manager Damien Richardson was forced to abandon an attacking substitution with a defensive one and try gas they might, 10 man Shelbourne could not reduce the damage further.

. Gilles Rousset restored his own credibility last night and helped Hearts carve out a 0-0 draw in the European Cup Winners Cup. The big French goalkeeper was embarrassed in the Scottish Cup final three months ago when he made a schoolboys error that allowed Rangers to cruise to a 5-1 victory.

This was his first major test since then and he came through it with flying colours. Rousset was magnificent on a night when Red Star couldn't make the breakthrough and Hearts left Belgrade with a strong chance of making the next round.