Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Molde (Rovers won 1-0 in first leg)
20 Feb
7:36PM
Good evening and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
It’s a big night for Shamrock Rovers and Irish football in general.
Stephen Bradley’s side will fancy their chances of progressing to the Uefa Conference League round of 16, where they could face Cercle Brugge or Legia Warsaw.
16-year-old Michael Noonan, a recent signing from St Patrick’s Athletic, was the hero in the first leg as his goal proved the difference between the sides.
But the Hoops did have the advantage of playing against 10 men for more than half the game.
They will remain wary of Molde’s threat — the Norwegian side looked strong and dominated for long spells of the first leg before the costly red card.
Molde’s goal was really poor defensively from a Rovers perspective and the errors that led to the opening goal could prove costly.
The hosts have had a couple of decent attacking moments, notably the goalline clearance by Linnes and the penalty claim from goalkeeper Karlstrøm clatter into McEneff in the same incident.
The Norwegians look dangerous on the counter, with the pace of Gulbrandsen causing Rovers’ defence some problems.
Bradley won’t be too discouraged by what he has seen overall, however. His side are still well in this tie.
Shamrock Rovers' Josh Honohan and Halldor Stenevik of Molde. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
20 Feb
9:20PM
58 mins: McGinty plays a hopeful long ball up the pitch that causes a bit of panic in the Molde defence.
Noonan is lurking but the visitors eventually clear it.
20 Feb
9:22PM
62 mins: So close! McEneff puts in a brilliant cross for Burke.
The attacker’s finish takes a deflection off Lines and goes just off target.
20 Feb
9:25PM
Another penalty shout!
Molde get themselves in trouble trying to play it out from the back.
Noonan goes down Amundsen’s challenge from behind, but the referee again ignores the Rovers protests.
20 Feb
9:27PM
67 mins: This is a good spell for Rovers.
Molde’s defenders are regularly being put under pressure, often with straightforward balls just being lofted into channels and pressing from the hosts’ attackers.
20 Feb
9:29PM
Great pace again from Noonan to go past the defender.
Amundsen then cynically takes the youngster down just outside the area and gets booked.
20 Feb
9:31PM
71 mins: Burke slips through McEneff out wide.
But the midfielder is under pressure from the defender and overhits his sliding cross.
As I type Grace gets booked for impeding the run of Eriksen.
20 Feb
9:36PM
76 mins: It still feels like this tie could go either way.
One mistake or moment of magic from either side now is likely to prove decisive.
Given that they led going into the second leg, it’s a disappointing result for Rovers.
Ultimately, it was a gallant performance from the Irish but they just lacked the quality and creativity to break their opponents down.
Stephen Bradley will reflect on an avoidable goal and some bad luck — Rovers were stretched thin this evening, with a couple of players having to go off injured and their bench comprising largely of inexperienced youngsters.
It has been a memorable, historic run in Europe regardless and the aim now will be to ensure it is not an anomaly and qualifying for the group stages of major European competitions becomes a habit.
20 Feb
10:54PM
Right, that’s all from me for now.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
We’ll have plenty more reaction to come on the site shortly.
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As it happened: Shamrock Rovers v Molde, Uefa Conference League
Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Molde (Rovers won 1-0 in first leg)
Good evening and welcome to tonight’s liveblog.
It’s a big night for Shamrock Rovers and Irish football in general.
Stephen Bradley’s side will fancy their chances of progressing to the Uefa Conference League round of 16, where they could face Cercle Brugge or Legia Warsaw.
16-year-old Michael Noonan, a recent signing from St Patrick’s Athletic, was the hero in the first leg as his goal proved the difference between the sides.
But the Hoops did have the advantage of playing against 10 men for more than half the game.
They will remain wary of Molde’s threat — the Norwegian side looked strong and dominated for long spells of the first leg before the costly red card.
Kick-off is 8pm.
Confirmation of the Rovers team for this evening…
And here’s the Molde team for this evening…
Who do you think will go through?
Poll Results:
We’re underway…
2 mins: It’s a very windy night in Dublin.
The breeze seems to be having a slight impact on the play in these early stages.
6 mins: Rovers have made a decent start.
The hosts have had plenty of possession in opposition territory.
There have been no chances or significant efforts at goal so far.
SHAMROCK ROVERS 0-1 MOLDE (EIKREM 7)
Molde are level on aggregate.
A long ball causes chaos in the box. Lopes and Grace both let it bounce.
McGinty comes out of his goal but fails to deal with it.
And it falls to Eikrem, who converts a simple finish from the edge of the area.
Bradley will be very disappointed, as it was an avoidable goal from the Irish side’s perspective.
14 mins: Noonan runs on to a long ball, showing great pace to escape the defender.
However, the striker’s touch is heavy as he goes past the goalkeeper and he can’t find the empty net from a very difficult angle out wide
18 mins: O’Neill squares it to McEneff at the edge of the area.
The midfielder’s first-time shot is straight at the goalkeeper and easily saved.
20 mins: Eikrem goes through on goal following an incisive through pass by Eriksen but McGinty is out quickly to close the angle and make the save.
It appears to have been flagged for offside but it was good goalkeeping from the ex-Sligo Rovers man regardless.
Here’s a look at the opening goal tonight…
23 mins: A dangerous ball is played into the area but Grace does well to get his head to the ball ahead of Eriksen.
This is a good spell for Molde.
27 mins: Big moment! Burke plays a lovely through ball to McEneff.
The midfielder flicks it past the goalkeeper and Linnes does really well to clear it off the line.
The goalkeeper clatters into McEneff after he shoots but the penalty claims are dismissed after a VAR check.
31 mins: Burke dinks it through to McEneff.
The midfielder’s powerful low cross narrowly misses the onrushing Noonan.
Rovers have been much better in the last few minutes.
38 mins: This game has quietened down after a frantic period.
It’s finely balanced but Rovers have shown enough that they will be disappointed if they are trailing at the break,
Here’s a look at that penalty claim for Rovers…
45 mins: It’s been pretty scrappy and stop-start the last few minutes.
Rovers have seen plenty of the ball without creating much.
HALF-TIME: SHAMROCK ROVERS 0-1 MOLDE
Half-time and it’s been a tight game.
Molde’s goal was really poor defensively from a Rovers perspective and the errors that led to the opening goal could prove costly.
The hosts have had a couple of decent attacking moments, notably the goalline clearance by Linnes and the penalty claim from goalkeeper Karlstrøm clatter into McEneff in the same incident.
The Norwegians look dangerous on the counter, with the pace of Gulbrandsen causing Rovers’ defence some problems.
Bradley won’t be too discouraged by what he has seen overall, however. His side are still well in this tie.
The second half has begun…
47 mins: Molde start strongly.
They have two goalbound shots blocked in quick succession, with some good defending by Lopes in particular to protect the goal.
52 mins: It has been a bit flat the last few minutes.
Rovers look in need of inspiration, although apart from Aaron Greene and Leon Pohls, their bench is made up largely of inexperienced youngsters.
58 mins: McGinty plays a hopeful long ball up the pitch that causes a bit of panic in the Molde defence.
Noonan is lurking but the visitors eventually clear it.
62 mins: So close! McEneff puts in a brilliant cross for Burke.
The attacker’s finish takes a deflection off Lines and goes just off target.
Another penalty shout!
Molde get themselves in trouble trying to play it out from the back.
Noonan goes down Amundsen’s challenge from behind, but the referee again ignores the Rovers protests.
67 mins: This is a good spell for Rovers.
Molde’s defenders are regularly being put under pressure, often with straightforward balls just being lofted into channels and pressing from the hosts’ attackers.
Great pace again from Noonan to go past the defender.
Amundsen then cynically takes the youngster down just outside the area and gets booked.
71 mins: Burke slips through McEneff out wide.
But the midfielder is under pressure from the defender and overhits his sliding cross.
As I type Grace gets booked for impeding the run of Eriksen.
76 mins: It still feels like this tie could go either way.
One mistake or moment of magic from either side now is likely to prove decisive.
79 mins: Lovely one-two between O’Sullivan and Burke.
The latter’s subsequent powerful shot is parried away to safety by Karlstrøm.
As the game enters the dying minutes, Rovers are in the ascendancy.
82 mins: Molde make a third sub with Bjørnbak replacing Møller Dæhli.
Interestingly and perhaps due to lack of options, Rovers have yet to make a change.
84 mins: A threatening Molde attack ends with Eriksen blasting wastefully wide from the edge of the area.
The visitors are looking tired.
89 mins: Rovers make a first change.
Burke has picked up an injury and goes down.
He is replaced by Aaron Greene.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time…
RED CARD FOR AMUNDSEN!
The Molde player loses the ball to O’Neill before committing what is basically a rugby tackle on McEneff.
It’s very naive play given that he was already on a yellow.
FULL-TIME: SHAMROCK ROVERS 0-1 MOLDE – EXTRA TIME TO BE PLAYED
There was already a sense that Molde were there for the taking.
And that red card has accentuated that feeling.
The Norwegians would almost certainly settle for penalties now, while the hosts will want to ensure the tie doesn’t get that far.
Extra-time has begun…
Here’s a look at the red card…
94 mins: Two Molde players are down receiving treatment.
The visitors will surely try to slow the game down and waste as much time as possible now.
99 mins: McEneff’s shot is deflected out for the corner.
There was good work in the build-up by Greene.
102 mins: McEneff’s cross is too heavy and misses Noonan.
Both sides are looking tired.
102 mins: Rovers are applying all the pressure.
Healy has put in a few deliveries that the Molde defenders have nervously cleared away.
104 mins: Another change for Rovers.
Honohan is replaced by the youngster Ozhianvuna.
Presumably, the defender is carrying a knock as he didn’t look comfortable as he departed the action.
HALF-TIME: SHAMROCK ROVERS 0-1 MOLDE
Penalties loom if neither side can find a breakthrough in the next 15 minutes.
Unsurprisingly with the man advantage, Rovers were the dominant team in that first half.
But Stephen Bradley’s men struggled to create clear-cut chances.
They have missed Burke’s creativity since the attacker had to go off towards the end of normal time.
The second half of extra-time is underway…
Good play from Ozhianvuna.
The youngster carries the ball several yards down the left but can’t quite pick out Noonan with his cross.
108 mins: Molde make a rare foray into Rovers territory.
However, Daga’s shot from a tight angle is comfortably saved.
Moments later, McEneff’s cross finds Noonan, but it’s a difficult chance and the 16-year-old heads it a few inches wide.
113 minutes: Two more Molde players go down much to the crowd’s frustration.
Moments earlier, McEneff tried to pick out the onrushing Noonan with a through pass but his lofted ball was overhit.
116 mins: Gary O’Neill has picked up a knock and has to go off.
He is replaced by 19-year-old John O’Sullivan.
Ozhianvuna has made an impact since coming on.
He wins a free kick down the left after being taken down by Hestad.
Seconds remain and Rovers have a corner…
It’s a poor corner from Healy that goes straight out of play.
30 seconds until penalties.
FULL-TIME: SHAMROCK ROVERS 0-1 MOLDE – PENALTIES TO BE PLAYED!
Rovers will take the first penalty.
Matt Healy is up…
Healy scores.
1-0 Rovers.
Ihler scores for Molde.
1-1.
Noonan scores.
2-1 Rovers.
Stenevik scores for Molde.
2-2.
Greene’s penalty is saved.
Still 2-2.
Enggård scores.
3-2 Molde.
O’Sullivan scores for Rovers.
3-3.
Daga scores.
4-3 Molde.
McEneff scores.
4-4.
Hestad scores.
5-4.
MOLDE BEAT ROVERS 5-4 ON PENALTIES!
So that’s that.
The 10 men of Molde prevail.
Given that they led going into the second leg, it’s a disappointing result for Rovers.
Ultimately, it was a gallant performance from the Irish but they just lacked the quality and creativity to break their opponents down.
Stephen Bradley will reflect on an avoidable goal and some bad luck — Rovers were stretched thin this evening, with a couple of players having to go off injured and their bench comprising largely of inexperienced youngsters.
It has been a memorable, historic run in Europe regardless and the aim now will be to ensure it is not an anomaly and qualifying for the group stages of major European competitions becomes a habit.
Right, that’s all from me for now.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
We’ll have plenty more reaction to come on the site shortly.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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