Ajax beat Shelbourne 3-1 in Conference League qualifier

Ajax beat Shelbourne 3-1 in the first leg of their Conference League qualifying tie. Mika Godts scored an early penalty before Owen Wijndal doubled the lead.

Kasper Dolberg added the third after half-time. Daniel Kelly replied for Shelbourne in the 84th minute and reduced the aggregate deficit before the return.

Godts converted an early penalty

Ajax started with Marco Paes in goal and Dolberg at centre-forward. Godts attacked from the left, while Steven Berghuis worked from the opposite side. The home side controlled possession from the opening whistle. Oscar Gloukh found space between Shelbourne’s midfield and defence. His movement helped Ajax reach the penalty area early. Godts drew a foul inside the box and took the resulting penalty. He scored after six minutes and gave Ajax a quick advantage.

Shelbourne kept a compact group around goalkeeper Conor Kearns. The visitors tried to slow Ajax’s passing and block direct passes toward Dolberg. Ajax continued creating width around that shape. Full-backs Wijndal and Anton Gaaei advanced when the home side held secure possession.

Wijndal doubled the lead from the right

Berghuis received the ball with time on the right side. His cross travelled beyond the first defender and reached the far area of the box. Wijndal arrived from left-back and scored after 22 minutes. The move showed how Ajax used both sides during the same attack. Shelbourne’s defenders had followed the central runners and left space behind them. Wijndal used that space before the visitors could shift across.

Ajax led 2-0 and continued producing chances before the interval. Godts remained active near the left edge, while Gloukh passed into the space around Dolberg. Shelbourne protected the score until half-time. The Irish side still faced a demanding second period after spending much of the opening half without the ball.

Dolberg scored Ajax’s third goal

Ajax resumed with the same attacking width after the break. Berghuis again found room to deliver from the right side. Dolberg met the cross and scored in the 50th minute. The striker’s goal gave Ajax a three-goal lead and rewarded his movement inside the penalty area. Godts later received another penalty opportunity. He missed the chance to score his second goal, so Shelbourne remained three behind.

Ajax introduced several players during the final half-hour. The changes gave recent arrivals useful minutes and changed the relationships around the forward line. Marcos Leonardo received a clear chance after one of those moves. Shelbourne stopped that attack and avoided a fourth Ajax goal.

Daniel Kelly scored Shelbourne’s only goal

Shelbourne stayed organised despite the three-goal deficit. The visitors continued following loose balls and waited for a late opening. Kelly found that chance in the 84th minute. He reacted to a loose ball near the Ajax goal and scored to make it 3-1. The goal did not change the winner in Amsterdam. It did reduce Shelbourne’s deficit from three goals to two before the second leg.

Ajax tried to restore the wider margin during the remaining minutes. Shelbourne kept the score unchanged but still face a difficult return match. Kelly’s goal meant Ajax conceded once. The Dutch side had controlled most of the match but did not complete every defensive action.

Ajax travel to Dublin with a two-goal lead

Ajax will begin the return with a 3-1 aggregate advantage. The team scored through a winger, a full-back and a centre-forward. Berghuis supplied two important crosses from Ajax’s right side. Wijndal and Dolberg converted them from different positions. Godts created and converted the opening penalty. Shelbourne start the return two goals behind on aggregate. Ajax’s wide combinations remain the main danger identified during the match in Amsterdam.

The visitors showed persistence by scoring late. Their return task remains difficult because Ajax created enough chances to win by a larger margin. The first leg delivered four goals and a clear advantage, but it did not remove the second match. Ajax lead after sharper work near both penalty areas.

Three Ajax players scored in the first leg

Godts opened the match from the penalty spot. Wijndal then arrived from defence, and Dolberg finished as the central striker. Those goals came from three positions and two different types of attack. Ajax created one opening through direct movement and two through deliveries from wide areas.

Shelbourne reduced the gap through Kelly after Ajax failed to clear the danger. That late action gives the Irish side a concrete attacking moment to study before the return. Ajax still carried the stronger threat across the full match. Their two-goal lead reflects more accurate shooting around both penalty areas.