The scene is set at Tallaght. Tottenham have to win and be on the nice end of a five-goal swing to make any further progress in this competition. Rovers, fresh from retaining their league title, are still on the lookout for their first point in the group stages and bid farewell to manager Michael O’Neill once the final whistle blows.

Next up – some team news. Rovers: Brush, Sullivan, Oman, Murray, Stevens, Rice, Turner, Dennehy, Finn, Paterson, Sheppard.

Subs: Thompson, O’Donnell, McCabe, Twigg, Kilduff, O’Neill, Ricketts.

Tottenham: Cudicini, Assou-Ekotto, Kaboul, Livermore, Rose, Townsend, Kranjcar, Sandro, Pienaar, Giovani, Defoe.

Not Spurs’ strongest team out tonight, but still seven internationals for Rovers to contend with.

Spurs are being talked about as potential title challengers at the moment. It’s hard to see them competing with the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and even Arsenal over the course of the entire season. Still, steady improvements keep coming under Redknapp.

Rovers, for their part, are at the end of a very long season. European football has been a massive bonus for the Dublin side but it has meant extending their season by several weeks when their Airtricity League rivals finished up at the end of October…

The referee tonight is Swiss Stephan Studer. He leads the teams out to a vocal reception.

Several players wearing gloves. Don’t blame them.

Enda Stevens is another man leaving…. he joins Aston Villa in the New Year. Rovers captained tonight by Dan Murray, one of the highest Airtricity League scorers in Europe thanks to his stints with Cork City and the Hoops.

Spurs only have three outfield players on the bench this evening: Falque, Kane, Carroll.

Rovers get the game underway. Key to getting a result tonight for Rovers will be to keep concentrate and not concede early…

A fantastic crowd singing in the name of Rovers tonight. Paterson has the ball in the back of the net but is whistled for offside before the ball even leaves his boot.

Brings back memories of the ‘Who are ya? Who are ya?’ chants at Alessandro del Piero when Juventus visited Tallaght not too long again.

Jermain Defoe is at the heart of Spurs first real attack on goal. Rovers look a little messy but escape the danger on this occasion.

There’s been a decent start to this game. Nice tempo and good ideas from both sets of players. More please!

Ken Oman’s going mad. He shoots after a knock down from Murray and the ball hits a Spurs player on the way out. It’s a goal kick when it should be a corner to the home side.

Pat Sullivan and Danny Rose are going to keep each other fairly busy this evening. Both seem to like their roving full-back role!

A long ball forward allows Sheppard cause a few problems. He’s a man in demand if you believe reports…

Tottenham’s hopes have improved with news that PAOK have gone 1-0 up on Rubin Kazan. Spurs need to win and hope their Russian rivals lose, with a five-goal swing to go any further in the competition.

Defoe leaves fly a shot from distance but it’s bread and butter for Rovers keeper Richard Brush. The England international will have to do much better if he’s to break the deadlock.

Finn wins a corner for Rovers and the ball is immediately directed towards Murray. The big centre half gets a clean head to it but there’s not enough power to put Cudicini under pressure.

Murray halts a Giovani surge on the way back and is booked by referee Studer. The free-kick is in a decent position but when the ball drops to Defoe, he blasts an effort high into the crowd – much to the Rovers’ fans delight.

Next into the referee’s book is Niko Kranjcar. The Croatian is warned for deliberately pulling back Ronan Finn after a midfield tussle.

GOAL! Steven Pienaar loses the attention of Stephen Rice and his subsequent shot takes a slight deflection off Paterson to wizz past Murray and Brush. A soft goal for Rovers to concede.

Spurs are almost in again – Defoe was only inches away from making contact from Dos Santos’ pass and had it done, it might have been another in Brush’s net.

Another chance for Spurs. Brush pushes a Dos Santos cross away from goal and out for a corner. The Rovers keeper was right not to take the chance as replays show it might well have dinked inside his right-hand post.

After working hard and doing so much running for the opening half hour, Rovers have been on the back foot since the goal. O’Neill will be looking for his men to regain their composure quickly.

Paterson drifts an effort just over for Rovers.

GOAL! Another sucker punch for Rovers. Defoe and Townsend combine, and the latter floats a wonderful effort around the reach of Brush and into the top left-hand corner of the Hoops’ goal.

In fairness, it’s a classy second goal from Tottenham and there’s nothing much that Rovers did wrong. Still, it’s another goal conceded and another Europa League game that’s drifting away from them before half time.

Townsend isn’t far away with another curling effort. Spurs are getting joy down both wings at the moment.

Defoe has another half opportunity but fails to make a proper connection and lands the ball safely into Brush’s hands.

GOAL! Defoe gets his goal. Another good cross into the box from Townsend and Defoe traps the ball, turns and plants the ball into the back of the Rovers’ net.

The scoreline is a little harsh on Rovers. They kept Tottenham at bay until the half-hour mark but Pienaar’s score has prompted a complete collapse. Townsend’s goal was utter class while Defoe’s was a good finish at the end of a long first half. What can O’Neill say to raise his troops for their final 45 minutes of the year?

Of course, it’s PAOK that Spurs need to win…

Stephen O’Donnell will start the second half in place of Stephen Rice.

The relentless pressure continues on Rovers. Tottenham are spraying the ball around with ease, seeking the additional goals that could well give them a real chance of qualifying out of this group.

Rovers still haven’t found any solutions for the thorn that is Townsend. Spurs gain a decent free-kick position after the winger is fouled by Oman, but Kranjcar sends the set piece just over.

Sheppard finds Sullivan across on the right wing with a great pass but the defender’s shot – and boy can this lad shoot – is blocked by Livermore. Billy Dennehy then gets a chance to test Cudicini. Better from the Irish champions.

Livermore and Sheppard tussle on their way into the Spurs box but the referee is not interested despite howls from the home support. The Hoops in the crowd are not impressed and urge their team on with renewed vigour. In the meantime, a goal in Greece has PAOK 1-1 with Rubin. Not good news for Spurs.

Pienaar sends a free-kick to the left and wide at the other end. O’Neill is bringing Gary Twigg on for Ronan Finn meanwhile, one of the signings that he will be forever known for around Rovers circles.

I’d even imagine that Rovers fans will be hoping O’Neill gets the Northern Ireland job as opposed to a position at a club where he might return and swoop for Twigg…

Pienaar has been booked for a tussle with Sheppard – nothing much away from the foul Livermore got away with a few minutes earlier.

An effort from Stephen O’Donnell fizzes just wide of Cudicini’s post. The midfielder caught it really well and was unlucky not to get more from the chance.

Rovers have had more ball in recent minutes – and it suits them. They asked a couple of questions of their Premier League opponents early on in this encounter but have been smothered since the goals.

The post saves Brush’ blushes (been waiting for that one…) after Dos Santos floats a ball into the box. The Rovers keeper appears to have tip it away from danger only for the ball to rebound off the post, then off Brush and out for a corner.

Rovers are caught out of position again and only a last-ditch tackle from Murray prevents Townsend from having a clear shot on goal.

The referee appeared to be pointing to the penalty spot for Rovers – after Cudicini took down Sheppard in the box – only for an offside flag. Replays show that the assistant referee’s decision was very, very tight.

Sheppard beats the offside flag second time around and is tackled in the box by Kaboul. Home supporters appeal for a penalty but the referee waves play on and the chance passes.

Ciarán Kilduff is on for Sheppard. An injury appears to be behind O’Neill’s decision too as his striker holds his thigh leaving the field.

Teenager Harry Kane is on for Defoe. The latter did score but missed a few too.

A great delivery from Dennehy sees Chris Turner head a ball just wide. Turner has run miles and miles tonight and will be disappointed not to have made it count.

Harry Redknapp continues to watch anxiously from the sidelines. You’d wonder how he’s feeling right now. Playing a full team throughout the competition, Spurs surely should have qualified from this group.

Kane has several European games under his belt as a Spurs player and none in the Premier League, and that’s why Tottenham are on the verge of elimination. Saying that, one goal in the right circumstances right now will change all that – as Kranjcar knocks an effort just wide.

Kilduff goes in late on Livermore. The latter is not impressed but the referee sees nothing much in it.

On the pitch but a few moments, Iago Falque plants a shot off Brush’ post. Harry has his head in his hands. At the other end, Sullivan forces Cudicini into another decent save.

The Rovers fans raise their voices once more as their season finally comes close to an end.

GOAL! Just as I typed ‘Rovers have kept it to 0-0 in the second half’, Kane flicks the ball beyond Brush. Spurs still need PAOK to score in Greece to qualify but this match is well and truly settled.

The final whistle blows and Redknapp and O’Neill shake hands.

The crowd give the Rovers players and management a huge round of applause. They have played six weeks beyond the end of the domestic season to take part in this competition and can now look forward to a decent rest over the festive period.

Tottenham will be waiting on news from Greece but Redknapp will at least be happy that several of his fringe players got a decent run out this evening.

Will he have learned much else? Doubtful.

Roddy Collins is insisting that O’Neill’s departure is “just business” as part of 3e’s coverage of the game. I wonder is the Dubliner expecting a call? I suspect not, somehow!

Regardless of how the matches went, Rovers’ achievement in qualifying for the group stages of the Europa League cannot be forgotten in all this. The club has come a long way in recent years and sustainable growth, while not overspending, is the key for every Airtricity League outfit in the future.

It has finished 1-1 in Greece. Tonight has been Tottenham’s final game in Europe this season too.

Speaking on 3e, O’Neill says it’s the “right time” for him to move on and that he has enjoyed his time with Rovers. He also adds that he’s “only the manager” and that it’s the board that decides which way the club will go…

Well done to Shamrock Rovers for their season and Best Wishes to Michael O’Neill in his next steps. That wraps up our coverage of tonight’s Europa League action. It’s been great to see Rovers playing in Europe over the past few months. Hopefully, there’s more nights to follow for League of Ireland football.