Ajax loom for Shelbourne in Conference League after first leg blitz

Sean Moore bagged a brace. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Uefa Conference League second qualifying round, first leg: Shelbourne 5 (Freitas 3, Moore 21, 47, Coote 25, Ring 87) Nomme Kalju 2 (Esono 40, 90+1)

Ajax’s Amsterdam Arena on August 6 is visibly in the eyeline of Shelbourne after they swept to a commanding three-goal first-leg advantage in their Uefa Conference League opener.

Receiving a bye past the first round afforded the Reds’ hierarchy more time to recruit Joey O’Brien’s replacement as manager and John Russell’s first home game couldn’t have gone any better as they racked up a three-goal lead within 25 minutes.

Despite allowing their Estonian guests a sliver of hope by conceding just before half-time, a second goal for winger Seán Moore within two minutes of the restart restored the cushion.

Teenager Daniel Ring added a fifth with four minutes left and not even a second by the Estonians in stoppage time could dampen the optimism.

Barring a second leg collapse next week in Tallinn, against a side who needed extra-time to edge Linfield in the first round, Shels will square up to the Dutch giants in the glamour European tie of the year for an Irish club.

Ajax also seem to be home and hosed in their second round clash, taking a 4-1 advantage against Vojvodina Novi Sad back to the Netherlands for the second leg.

Facing such exalted opposition will likely mean the end of this year’s European campaign for the Reds but Ajaz are not the force they once were.

They slipped into Uefa’s third competition after finishing last season’s Eredivisie in fifth place, languishing 29 points adrift of champions PSV.

Russell, fresh from quitting Sligo Rovers for Tolka Park, will fancy his underdogs giving the side now managed by Spaniard Míchel a scare over the two legs. Ticket demand for the second leg is sure to be high, leaving Shels with a dilemma on the venue.

Ali Coote, left, celebrates with team-mate Rodrigo Freitas after scoring the third. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Although they were permitted to use outdated Tolka during last year’s march to the group phase of this competition, the seating requirements reduces capacity to around 4,000.

They must balance the hostile reception for the aristocrats against the potential of a higher attendance by switching to a larger, neutral venue.

Avoiding a calamity next week guarantees prize-money hiking to a handsome €900,000, only a fraction of last year’s €4.45m but still welcome, given qualification was secured with a third-placed league finish.

Russell was hired with a mandate of improving on their current position of fifth in the table but his era got off to an inauspicious start by being knocked out of the FAI Cup in Kerry last Friday night.

Goalkeeping problems that blighted that loss were rectified by enticing two stoppers and while debutant Eddie Beach was culpable for their first concession, his presence had a calming influence on the defence in front of him.

The same couldn’t be said for his opposite number, captain Henri Perk. His loose pass after only three minute enabled Moore to nip in on the turnaround and he squared to Rodrigo Freitas for a simple tap-in.

It was the Portuguese’s first goal of his Shels spell and Russell’s job will be easier if that transpires to be a catalyst for a rush of strikes.

Kalju were a rabble at the back and were two behind on 21 when the unmarked Moore stroked the ball home following Evan Caffrey’s pass across the edge of the box.# Four minutes later and the tie was effectively killed off.

Ali Coote is a handful on his day and embraced the euphoria by taking two touches inside the box before drilling a low shot across his body into the bottom left corner.

Beach went walkabout from his box to gift Enrique Esono his first five minutes before the interval and while the Equatoguinean helped himself to another at the death, two second half goals by the hosts deepened their task.

Moore’s backpost header two minutes after the resumption from Dan Kelly’s cross illustrated their dominance before Ring was given the entire half to sprint free into and bundle the ball home.

SHELBOURNE: E Beach; M Mbeng, P Barrett, K Ledwidge (S Bone 81), J Norris; E Caffrey, J Henry-Francis (JJ Lunney 81); S Moore (W Jarvis 75), A Coote (K McInroy 65), D Kelly; R Frietas (D Ring 81).

NOMME KALJU: H Perk; D Mashchenko, M Podholjuzin (T Baptista 30), R Vukušić, A Nikolajev (M Orlov 59); O Musolitin, M Tambedou, B Vaštšuk; R Siht, N Ivanov (A Boronilštšikov 59), E Esono.

Referee: Szabolcs Kovacs (ROU).

Attendance: 3,357.