Bradley: Lessons learned against Ferencvaros need to be taken to Conference group stage

Gavin Cooney

STEPHEN BRADLEY SAYS his Shamrock Rovers side learned lessons from their first-leg drubbing against Ferencvaros that led to a morale-boosting 1-0 second-leg win at Tallaght Stadium tonight, and has called on his players to remember said lessons in the Europa Conference League group stage. 

Rovers were hammered 4-0 by the Hungarian champions in Budapest last week, but were the better side tonight, securing a win courtesy of Andy Lyons’ late header, converted from a pinpoint Jack Byrne cross. 

“We knew we were against a top team, you only had to watch them against Ludogorets, they beat them 4-0 a few weeks ago to see their level”, said Bradley after the game. “But I felt last week our spacing was too big, we weren’t aggressive enough in our play in and out of possession. We respected them too much. When you come off the game against teams like that and you’re spacing’s not good, they kill you in transition. Everytime they broke last week, I think they had twenty-plus shots. Nobody ever does that against us.

“But tonight we tweaked it, and I thought the players were brilliant. Our spacing was really good and our aggression on transition was brilliant. Really frustrated last week, they are a top team and can still go and beat you, but not by the goals we gave away. If you take it back here with one or two goals in it, then it’s game on. 

“We can’t approach games like that and we haven’t been, we have been really good in Europe. It was probably Shkupi at home in the second half and the whole game over there, our distances were just too big. We were too open, in and out of possession, so it’s definitely something we have to learn from. We did as you could see it tonight, but we have to take it forward. We have shown we are a match for anyone here, we can’t be going away from home and giving up the game like we did last week.” 

Seventeen-year-old Justin Ferizaj was given RTÉ’s Man of the Match award. “He’s got real ability”, Bradley added in his interview with the broadcaster. “The pleasing thing is he’s come in, worked hard and listened. Tonight he really listened to the tactical side of things, we know he has ability so he just needs to stay focused and keep working hard.”

Rovers have confirmed they will play their Conference League home games in Tallaght, where they’ve won all of their European games this season, against Hibernians of Malta, Ludogorets, Shkupi, and now Ferencvaros. 

Their standing is such that they will be third seeds in tomorrow’s draw, with West Ham United and Villarreal among the highest-profile names in the top pot. 

Adam Bogdan, once of Liverpool and now in goal for Ferencvaros, said his side relaxed with a four-goal aggregate lead, and praised Rovers’ patience in possession. 

“Maybe subconsciously we let this 4-0 from the first leg influence our play today. The clean sheet would have been the minimum [expectation]. The opponent was very patient today. I am sure they wanted to take this win at home, as time passed today our focus lowered, as we knew we had advanced to the[Europa League] group stage.”