Champions League first-round qualifier, first leg
Víkingur Reykjavík 0
Shamrock Rovers 0
ALL OF THE drama in this first leg tie came in the final 10 minutes but by the end there was still nothing to separate these sides ahead of next week’s return in Dublin.
Shamrock Rovers went down to 10 men after a harsh second yellow card for diving was shown to Darragh Nugent, but it was substitute Johnny Kenny who missed a glorious chance to snatch victory with three minutes of normal time remaining.
He was sent through on goal by a fantastic Darragh Burns pass and the forward, who came on as a second-half substitute, lifted his finish over the bar with just the goalkeeper to beat.
Víkingur Reykjavík almost punished Rovers straight away at the other end when Danijel Djuric flashed a 25-yard free kick inches wide.
Rovers hung on but it wasn’t quite last-ditch stuff as Víkingur failed to have a shot on target from 11 attempts.
Stephen Bradley’s side couldn’t manage one either from their three but Kenny’s was by far the best of the night.
Still, his pace will be a weapon at Tallaght Stadium next week.
Everything else went pretty much exactly as Bradley would have wanted, barring Nugent’s dismissal.
There was one scramble in the box from a corner early in the first half.
The left foot of midfielder Pablo Punyed fizzed a dangerous ball into the box. It wasn’t cleared at the first time of asking and Erlingur Agnarsson rose above a trio of Rovers’ bodies to head the ball towards goal.
Leon Pohls reacted quickly to push the initial effort onto the post and Djuric didn’t have the same anticipation levels as the Rovers goalkeeper.
The forward, with five goals in nine appearances, was flat footed as the ball rebounded to him six yards out and stabbed a sloppy effort back onto the post with the goal gaping.
No doubt the pattern of the game could have changed had they made the breakthrough after just 10 minutes but Rovers survived the scare and looked comfortable for the rest of the half.
Indeed, by the hour mark the home side had forced 11 corners but Bradley’s side stood up to the test.
One of those set-pieces came after a shot on the right side of the box, about 15 yards out, from Agnarsson deflected off the outstretched leg of Sean Hoare and looped slowly over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
Rovers were set in their shape and their personnel until Kenny replaced Aaron Greene up top on 66 minutes.
With 10 goals this season the on-loan Celtic striker’s introduction was a positive move after taking a more pragmatic approach from the start.
Jack Byrne looked sharp in possession when Rovers did manage to get hold of the ball and was comfortable under pressure. Early in the second half he was surrounded by three opponents but a combination of quick feet and an incisive pass got him out of trouble.
Dylan Watts received the ball from Byrne on the right and floated it over the top for the advancing Darragh Nugent.
He was unable to take control 18 yards out and a rare foray into the final third came to nothing.
Víkingur dominated possession but were frustrated and lacking in ideas. While they had enough territory to rack up 14 corners with a quarter of an hour remaining they still hadn’t got a shot on target from six attempts.
Rovers only managed two of their own but a counter attack from substitute Kenny almost delivered in style.
He won possession on the left flank near the halfway line and drove towards goal. Rather than slow his run or change direction to wait for support he stayed positive and curled an effort inches wide as he approached the 18-yard box.
Goalkeeper Ingvar Jonsson was rooted to the spot as the ball flashed to his left.
The away-goal advantage has been scrapped, of course, but that was a big opportunity for Rovers to deliver a significant blow and it was the start of a dramatic ending.
Byrne and Trevor Clarke were replaced by Darragh Burns and Neil Farrugia, respectively.
With 10 minutes to go Rovers’ task was made even more difficult when Nugent was shown a second yellow card for what referee Sigurd Kringstad deemed a dive, despite a slight touch from Karl Gunnarsson in his back after the midfielder slowed his run to draw the contact.
Even worse was the fact Nugent was well inside his own half and simply using street smarts to buy a breather for his team.
And yet, with 87 minutes on the clock, Kenny had his moment to shine.
He fluffed his line but will have another chance to deliver next week.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes (captain), Hoare; Honohan, Watts (Towell 90+2), O’Neill Byrne (Burns 74), Nugent, Clarke (Farrugia 74); Greene (Kenny 66)
Víkingur Reykjavík: Jonsson; Gunnarsson, G Vatnhamar, Ekroth, Fjoluson; Agnarsson, Punyed, Gudjonsson, Ingimundarson; Hansen (captain), Djuric.
