Setanta Cup Group Two/Linfield - 2 Shelbourne - 0: Shelbourne goalkeeper Dean Delaney's bad fortune continued at Windsor Park last night when he was taken off on a stretcher.
After presenting Bray Wanderers with a goal in the drawn Eircom League opener at the weekend, Delaney's mishaps helped Setanta Cup holders Linfield relive last season's cup final win over Pat Fenlon's side.
Gift-wrapped goals for Michael Gault and Peter Thompson in either half gave the Irish League part-timers a thoroughly deserved win to leave the Dubliners facing a qualifying group exit from the cross-Border competition.
Delaney was forced to withdraw after conceding Linfield's second goal after 57 minutes, when he appeared to have suffered a blow to the head when challenging for Avun Jephcott's cross with Tim Mouncey.
Gault's opening goal was only what Linfield deserved for their unrelenting work-rate on a slippery surface. The Belfast side bombarded the visitors' goalmouth, giving Delaney the jitters.
The former Everton goalkeeper almost handed Linfield a goal four minutes before they finally did score, when he let Mouncey's shot slip through his wet gloves.
Delaney was glad to see the ball spin wide of his right post but there was nothing he could do to stop Gault scoring with an opportunist strike amid the mayhem Oran Kearney's cross had created in the 35th minute.
Ironically, it was Delaney who presented Linfield with the corner that led to the goal. He misjudged William Murphy's long defensive clearance and almost lost the ball to lurking striker Jephcott, before eventually clearing the danger.
Kearney collected a short corner and whipped the ball into the box where Mouncey's instinctive effort was blocked by Ollie Cahill. The ball fell loose to Gault, who drove it past Delaney.
Despite experiencing early pressure in the second half, Linfield grew in stature and, with a touch of fortune, Peter Thompson bagged the second goal.
Under pressure from Mouncey, Delaney dropped the ball into the path of the grateful Belfast postman who delivered the decisive blow in the 53rd minute.
LINFIELD: Mannus, Bailie, Ervin, Murphy, Gault, Kearney, Mouncey (booked, 60 mins), Mulgrew, O'Kane, Jephcott, Thompson. Subs: Douglas for Kearney (79mins); Hunter for Bailie (57mins), Larmour for Jephcott (76mins)
SHELBOURNE: Delaney, Heary, Cahill, Dillon, Hawkins, Reynolds, S Byrne, Kearney, Crowe, J Byrne, Ndo. Subs: Williams for Delaney (57 mins), Harris for Cahill (76 mins), Ryan for Reynolds (68 mins)
Referee: D Malcolm (Bangor)
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