Europa League play-off
Shamrock Rovers 0
PAOK 2
PAOK win 6-0 on aggregate
THIS OUTCOME WAS inevitable so now for what will hopefully be the memorable.
Shamrock Rovers head for the Uefa Conference League campaign on the back of a chastening 6-0 aggregate defeat to PAOK in the Europa League play-off.
The Greek champions had the tie wrapped up after hitting Rovers for four last week.
They added another two here with second-half goals from Magomed Ozdoev and Kiril Despodov.
The first on 64 minutes was the cue for Stephen Bradley to make five substitutions in one go. Sean Kavanagh, Jack Byrne, Gary O’Neill, Darragh Burns and Marc McNulty were replaced by Lee Grace, Danny Mandroiu, Conan Noonan, Neil Farrugia and Graham Burke, respectively.
Those changes are with a view to their derby with Bohemians on Sunday morning.
By then Rovers will also know who they will be playing in the new league phase of the Conference League. They will be guaranteed six games – three at home and three away – against different opposition.
They may well face a side of the calibre of POAK, but there is also the distinct possibility for Rovers to make their mark and potentially extend this season into February, by which point the 2025 League of Ireland season will begin.
New frontiers could be on the horizon, and this defeat will be long forgotten by Rovers.
Their goalkeeper, Leon Pohls, has been scrutinised and criticised since he became the club’s No.1 goalkeeper this season.
If it wasn’t for him in the first half this could have been a far more comfortable victory for the visitors.
He made a save from a shot you would expect at his near post after just five minutes but was called into action again five minutes later.
A loose pass across the back from captain Roberto Lopes was intercepted by Thomas Murg. He carried the ball towards the 18 yard box and slipped in captain Andrija Zivkovic advancing down the left. His first-time ball across the face of goal was destined for Despodov at the back for a simple tap in.
Pohls read it and pushed it clear, but not quite of danger and a scramble in the area allowed Despodov regain possession and tee up Ozdoev. The midfielder strode onto the shot only for Pohls to have recovered on his feet and make it to that far side of the goal to make a fine save.
If that double intervention was all about quick thinking and sharp reactions, his save from a 36th-minute free kick owed more to concentration and anticipation.
Richie Towell was shown a yellow card for a foul right on the edge of the box. Despodov stepped up just left of the D, bent it like Beckham over the wall but Pohls was there to deny him.
Seven minutes into the second half Kavanagh forced a save from a tight angle but Rovers carried little threat in the final third.
The visitors broke the deadlock on 64 minutes after Pohls first made a fine save to deny Zivkovic only for Ozdoev to smash home the rebound.
They made it two with a quarter of an hour remaining when Pohls attempted to read a Despodov pull back from the right only for the forward to call his bluff and fire into the middle of the goal.
It made little difference to the outcome on a night that had an air of reservation, but with much more to come.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Towell, Cleary, Lopes (captain), Kavanagh (Grace 65), O’Sullivan; Burns (Farrugia 65), McEneff, O’Neill (C Noonan 65), Byrne (Mandroiu 65); McNulty (Burke 65)
PAOK: Kotarski; Jonny, Kedziora, Michailidis, Baba (Soares 76); Ozdoev (Schwab 71), Camara; Despodov, Murg (Taison 71), Zivkovic (captain) (Konstantelias 71); Tissoudali (Chalov 71).
Referee: D Rumsas (Ltu)
Attendance: 5,079
