# shelbourne Hold Hacken in European Debut
For Shelbourne, Thursday night’s UEFA Conference League opener against BK Hacken was always going to be a step into the unknown, no matter how diligent the opposition scouting and preparation had been.This being the first time the club would play in the league phase/group stage of a european competition, a number of questions would need to be answered: How would the players rise to the occasion? And how would they deal with the fact that the game would have to be held in Tallaght Stadium rather than their Tolka Park home due to UEFA venue regulations?
The ultimate answer came in the form of a 0-0 draw against their Swedish opponents under a leaden, rain-filled canvas. It’s a point on the board and something to build on going into the five remaining league phase games including clashes against Crystal Palace and Troy Parrott’s AZ Alkmaar.
Both sides had their moments in the first half but the battle ultimately hinged on how the right side of shelbourne’s defense dealt with Hacken’s left side, notably as a second half – in which the Dubliners were at times on the back foot – wore on.
It was insightful to hear from Hacken’s manager jens Gustafsson who admitted that some of his preparation had identified a need to deal with the Shels right flank.
“The right side is quite strong in Shelbourne but also the counter-attacking and the balls into the box and the set-pieces were very, very tough,” he told RTÉ Sport after the draw.
Shels had generally contained Hacken with relative comfort in the first half with their 5-2-2-1 shape morphing into a 4-3-2-1 out of possession as they sat in a lower block.
Indeed, in one first-half instance, Sean Gannon – the right center-back on the night – could be seen egging on his wing-back Milan Mbeng to push forward towards the right of the midfield to support JJ Lunney and Kerr McInroy.
But a half-time substitution from the visiting side changed the dynamic. Left winger Danilo Al-Saed was brought on and the Sweden-born Iraq international made an instant impact, regularly finding space in the gaps behind Mbeng.
One example just after the hour mark saw Gannon get sucked forwards and Hacken exploit the space by releasing Al-Saed in behind.
Only for his crosses not finding their mark – something his manager rued in his post-match debrief – and bold defending from Paddy Barrett in particular inside the Shelbourne box, Hacken were not able to profit.From Shels manager Joey O’Brien’s point of view, that aspect of the game was a case of risk and reward and he was satisfied to see his side emerge unscathed.
“That’s just managing the game. They obviously rolled the dice a little bit in that sense and we still…