Shamrock Rovers 0
Flora Tallinn 1
(Flora advance 5-2 on aggregate)
SHAMROCK ROVERS were left to rue a couple of costly individual errors, both tonight and in the first leg, as they exited Europe at the hands of Flora Tallinn after their Europa Conference League play-off second leg.
Rauno Sappinen scored the game’s only goal, a powerful strike just before the hour mark, to earn the Estonian side what proved to be an insurmountable three-goal aggregate advantage.
Rovers had a couple of bright moments over the course of the 90 minutes, but ultimately did not do enough in the final third and were beaten by the better team over the two legs as a place in the competition’s group stages — and the significant financial boost that would have entailed — eluded them.
The Hoops trailed 4-2 from the first leg but were boosted ahead of kick-off by the increase of the permitted capacity at Tallaght Stadium from 1,500 to 3,500.
Rovers made two changes to the starting XI from their last meeting with Flora. Danny Mandroiu and Aaron Greene came into the team, while Richie Towell and Rory Gaffney dropped to the bench.
The visitors, meanwhile, made just one alteration from the first leg, with Marten Kuusk replacing Henrik Purg in defence.
After a scrappy opening, Rovers had the game’s first half-chance in the 12th minute. Dylan Watts found Aaron Greene with a lovely long pass and the attacker fired just wide from a tight angle.
A spell of pressure from the home side ensued, as both Ronan Finn and Graham Burke tested the opposition goalkeeper Matvei Igonen with shots from outside the area.
In the 22nd minute, Watts picked out Burke with an incisive through pass but no one could get a proper connection on the attacker’s dangerous low cross.
The hosts were given a warning five minutes later. Sappinen escaped the attention of Roberto Lopes, but his finish from a tight angle was comfortably saved by Alan Mannus.
Rovers were dealt a blow just after the half-hour mark. With Lee Grace unavailable for the tie, another centre-back, Sean Hoare, had to depart the action injured, with Sean Gannon coming on in his place.
Flora finished the opening 45 strongly, and Roberto Lopes did well to block a goalbound Konstantin Vassiljiev shot out for a corner.
The beginning of the second period was frustratingly stop-start from a Rovers perspective.
Gannon was booked for a rash sliding challenge while Henrik Ojamaa also saw yellow for a cynical foul moments later.
Rovers gradually began to increase the pressure on the Flora goal. Liam Scales was looking lively and his powerful low cross was deflected out for a corner.
Yet out of nothing on 57 minutes, Flora broke swiftly, as they had done so effectively in the first leg. Vassiljiev played it to Sappinen, whose powerful low shot on the edge of the area crept under the body of Mannus and into the net. The 39-year-old goalkeeper didn’t have much to do during the game and will feel he should have done better with that strike.
With the Premier Division side now trailing by three goals on aggregate, Bradley responded by taking off Mandroiu, who had given the ball away in the build-up to the goal, and introducing Towell.
Shortly thereafter, an attacking change saw Gaffney brought on in place of Watts.
Though clearly deflated, Rovers did not give up. Scales got on the end of a Graham Burke corner, but could not direct his attempt goalwards.
With 15 minutes remaining, Lopes headed over from another Burke set piece.
As the game entered its dying stages, Rovers had their best chance yet. A dangerous cross broke kindly for Towell, but Igonen did well to block the midfielder’s strike from close range.
There was also time for Scales, Rovers best performer on the night, to force a good save from Igonen with a header, as Flora held on for a clean sheet,.
The home crowd’s frustration was palpable, though they kept singing defiantly until the end, as ultimately, a European campaign that featured some memorable moments for the Hoops and Irish teams in general, ended in an anti-climactic fashion.
Shamrock Rovers: 1. Alan Mannus 28. Joey O’Brien 3. Sean Hoare (Gannon 33) 4. Roberto Lopes 15. Liam Scales 8. Ronan Finn 7. Dylan Watts (Gaffney 62) 16. Gary O’Neill 14. Danny Mandroiu (Towell 59) 10. Graham Burke 9. Aaron Greene.
Subs: 25. Leon Pohls 2. Sean Gannon 24. Max Murphy 26. Chris McCann 17. Richie Towell 20. Rory Gaffney 29. Dylan Duffy.
Flora Tallinn: 32. Matvei Igonen 25. Ken Kallaste (Lukka 82) 43. Markkus Seppik 2. Marten Kuusk 27. Michael Lilander 10. Martin Miller 28. Markus Soomets 14. Konstantin Vassiljiev 8. Henrik Ojamaa (Alliku 74) 20. Sergei Zenjov 11. Rauno Sappinen.
Subs: 31. Karl-Romet Nõmm 33. Evert Grünvald 7. Sten Reinkort 4. Marco Lukka 9. Rauno Alliku 16. Erko Jonne Tõugjas 21. Rocco Robert Shein 23. Henri Välja 26. Kristo Hussar 35. Markus Poom 54. Danil Kuraksin.
Referee: Tamás Bognár (Hungary)
Mighty Rovers. Meanwhile Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar make the group stages. Gibraltar – a rock occupied by a certain species of ape and disaffected Brexit voters. Average players wage about €150 per week. Rovers average about €1,500 minimum per week. Shocking by them.
@Sean Healy: I think that probably says more about the team from Gibraltar’s opposition than about Rovers to be fair.
@Sean Healy:
1. Gibraltarians are not disaffected Brexit voters. They voted overwhelmingly to remain.
2. at the same time They also voted overwhelmingly on numerous occasions to remain British in symbolic but, nonetheless very telling referendums the last of which was around 2002 if I recall correctly.
3. Lincoln Red Imps have spent 7 years investing and developing not only their youth setups culminating in players moving across to higher quality teams than anything in Ireland (Oviedo/Las Palmas/MK Dons/Swansea)but, also with financial investment (upwards of a million quid post 2016)
The fact Irish football is a shambles doesn’t really make it acceptable for ignorance but, by all means continue to spout untruths. If on the other hand you would like an education on the region, let me know
@Jack Inman: take a look at the playing budget. It’s available on their website. You had no comment on the apes? By the way, get a humour transplant lad.
A great chance to qualify and earn some real money gone, first leg caused the harm. The club is heading in the right direction though. 600k for Scales will help soften the blow. Youth development is the future for all Irish clubs, keep investing and giving chances to youth players and the league will do fine!
@TheCraftyCulchie: Scales came in from UCD. He wasn’t “developed” by rovers
@Mattress Dick: where did he say he was developed by rovers?
@MRhino82: exactly!
@TheCraftyCulchie: your name seems to be an oxymoron but hopefully the all Ireland will prove me wrong
Very disappointing result tonight, had the best chance out of all Irish teams as they had the champions route! Missing the type of spark Jack Byrne provided the past two years for them. Unfortunately it’s the level the Irish clubs are at in Europe, need to keep developing the youth n try hold them for as long as possible, the Europeean money will help if they can get it!
@Stephen Bryan: remember, this is basically the Estonian national team. A bit of perspective is required. This team were levels above us. No shame in losing. Nice to see the classy comments from the usual suspects…NOT.
@Philip Fox: they are also the first Estonian team to ever qualify for the group stage of a European competition, that’s perspective also!! Dan McDonnell saying tonight that their budget is similar enough to Shams also. I think Rovers need to replace the likes of Finn, Greene, O’Brien and Lopes to advance further in Europe
@Philip Fox: Estonian league ranked 50th in Europe Co-efficient league table, Ireland 39th, at the outset of the European campaign you would had backed Rovers to make the group stage of the conference league if drawn against the Estonian champions! With all the Estonian international players are all based in one club, you have to admire the Estonian FAs policy vs our own, unfortunately for Rovers that is the luck of the draw in some regard! Finally, classy commments? There are a lot of sneering comments on this article gaining a lot of likes which don’t deserve the number of likes they are getting, I never said there was any shame in losing, however going back 3 Thursdays ago and the optimism of the third round n 3 teams in action vs now is disappointing if you follow LOI.
@Philip Fox: give over
@Stephen Bryan: when bohs lost against paok a few weeks ago a rovers fan was one of the first to comment and say he loves to see bohs get knocked out of Europe and lose in Ireland every week, what goes around and all that!! Let’s be fair they absolutely blew it over 2 legs got hammered in Estonia and couldn’t even score tonight
@Philip Fox: levels above…. Will you cop on!! You should of beat them 8 times out of 10 ffs Vitesse and paok were levels above dundalk and bohs and both clubs ran that opposition very close over 2 legs let’s face it you blew it and that’s it! Stay humble and be so arrogant because it was a case of the usual suspects a few weeks ago, I’m all for Irish clubs progressing but what to did you expect?
Just not good enough. LOI suffering from the Delaney years. Will the current civil service run FAI bring any better results?
@Liam O’Flaherty: nonsense. Blame Rovers. Nothing to do with the Delaney.
7 teams in Dublin
A Joke.
Copenhagen regularly get into the group stages of the champions league
Same population
@The Grand Nagus: Eh…the elephant in the room -again- are the PL Fanboys. The Danish Superliga averages around 4,000 more per game than League of Ireland. As long as Fair Play clooowns continue to tug themselves over their PL clubs the league is useless
I’d love to see any LOI team progress as far as possible in Europe. There are some real toolboxes here unfortunately.
Unlucky rovers
Ouch!!!!!!
The league of Ireland / fai have a long way to go .Money is the problem , but with all the money in the world behind any league , direction and leadership is badly needed.Well done Rovers , it’s the simplest thing to knock your efforts , any fool will and he won’t give you or any team trying to overcome barriers , the credit that’s due . Heads need to come together for the sake of football in Ireland .
@Tricksy: what part of Scotland are you from?
@Alan Ó Seachnasaigh: it’s the same old story from LOI supporters armchair this and that which part of England or Scotland are you from.Its anybody’s own personal choice the team they choose to support weather others like it or not. Some people don’t like or rate the standard of LOI and have no interest in it and that’s ok too. The same goes for any league just because supporting LOI is some people choice fair play to them go and enjoy the games support your team and don’t worry about other peoples choices. I have no interest in supporting LOI teams domestically but if a team is playing in Europe I hope they acquit themselves well and I hope that the league it’s self grows for the people interested in it but always remember just because some people like something different that’s ok too.
@Rotts: he might not have been a league of Ireland supporter…. And I think that veiw is of the older generation of loi fans but very well said on the rest, everyone is entitled to support whoever they want. I think loi fans sometimes get defensive because a lot of other people slag it off and dismiss it as a terrible league with no quality which is unfair because it has improved a lot in recent years
I honestly thought Rovers would have got through. They have a very strong squad that were more than capable off getting through. Unfortunately, I thought they played like a team that went into the fixture 4 – 2 ahead, spending too much time playing tippy-tappy in their own half rather than getting the ball into the oppositions box.
@John Kelly – you seem to know everything about nothing!!! Ha Ha Ha!!
@Joe Kelly: oh yea Joe….. Hahaha
@Joe Kelly: i know you seem to have a little thing for me Joe xx