SHAMROCK ROVERS ARE on the verge of exiting Europe after a 2-1 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Uefa Conference League tonight.
Goals in either half from Kauã Elias and Yehor Nazaryna were enough for the visitors, despite Connor Malley’s late strike setting up a tense finish.
Stephen Bradley predicted Rovers would need seven points to advance to the knockout stages, and the Hoops must now win their final two games away to Breiðablik and home against Hamrun Spartans to achieve that tally.
The 2025 Premier Division champions made three changes tonight from their FAI Cup final win over Cork City.
Darragh Nugent, Lee Grace and John McGovern all made the starting XI.
Josh Honohan and Aaron McEneff missed out through injury, while Graham Burke dropped to the bench.
Rovers came into the game having taken only one point from their opening three Uefa Conference League fixtures, a 1-1 draw away to AEK Athens during the last matchday.
Shakhtar started the day 21 places above the Irish side, having won two of their three matches — getting the better of Aberdeen and Breiðablik while losing at home to Legia Warsaw.
It was a cagey opening with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances.
There were, however, claims for a penalty early on as Lee Grace headed the ball into the arms of Vinicius Tobias, but the officials took no action.
Were Shamrock Rovers unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty here? ☘️
Shakhtar Donetsk's Vinicius Tobias handled the ball inside the box, but VAR didn't intervene ❌ pic.twitter.com/7oD1KkvPDZ
The visitors went close in the 20th minute as Elias’s low finish was saved by Ed McGinty, after Nazaryna had robbed Roberto Lopes of possession.
The hosts then survived another attack that forced Matt Healy into a goalline clearance, but were punished minutes later. Elias made no mistake this time, as his side-footed finish found the corner of the net, after a well-worked move down the right ended with Tobias’s cutback for the striker.
The visitors lead in Tallaght 🟠
Kauã Elias with the opening goal following a nice move down the right wing 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/gW5rtGFHsA
Rovers looked to respond through John McGovern, but the attacker’s header from a Danny Grant cross went narrowly wide.
The same player was agonisingly close moments later. He was found by Rory Gaffney’s ball into the box, and the Newry native’s shot beat goalkeeper Kiril Fesyun but was cleared off the line by Valeriy Bondar.
Rovers began the second half strongly. Gaffney slipped Grant through on goal, and the attacker appeared to be impeded by Fesyun as he went for the ball, but again, the referee ignored the Irish side’s protests, with Bradley booked for dissent in the immediate aftermath.
The hosts’ pressure continued, with Healy’s shot from distance forcing a save.
Down the other end, Ed McGinty got down well to keep out an Elias header as the game became more open.
Shakhtar gained increased control of the contest as the second half developed, and Bradley brought on Graham Burke, Michael Noonan and Malley in an attempt to give his tiring side a new lease of life.
But it was the Ukrainians who got the all-important next goal.
Nazaryna’s free kick took a slight deflection off Burke that wrong-footed McGinty, who got a touch on the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Shortly thereafter, it looked like it was 3-0.
Elias met the influential Nazaryna’s corner and slotted it home first time.
But it was ruled out after a VAR check, with a Shakhtar player deemed to have been offside and interfering with play as the ball hit the net.
Malley gave Rovers hope late on. The midfielder’s clipped finish found the corner of the net after being set up by Burke.
The visitors threatened a third as Elias went past Lopes after Cory O’Sullivan gave the ball away, but McGinty raced off his line and blocked the goalbound shot.
It was as close as either side came to another goal as the five minutes of stoppage time played out uneventfully.
Shamrock Rovers: 1. Ed McGinty 6. Daniel Cleary 4. Roberto Lopes 5. Lee Grace 21. Danny Grant 27. Cory O’Sullivan 7. Dylan Watts (Greene 87) 17. Matt Healy 15. Darragh Nugent (Malley 68) 20. Rory Gaffney (Burke 68) 88. John McGovern (Noonan 68)
Subs: 25. Lee Steacy 41. Alex Noonan 3. Adam Matthews 9. Aaron Greene 10. Graham Burke 11. Seán Kavanagh 18. Trevor Clarke 22. Cian Barrett 23. Connor Malley 31. Michael Noonan
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Shamrock Rovers' European hopes hanging by a thread after Shakhtar loss
Shamrock Rovers 1
Shakhtar Donetsk 2
SHAMROCK ROVERS ARE on the verge of exiting Europe after a 2-1 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Uefa Conference League tonight.
Goals in either half from Kauã Elias and Yehor Nazaryna were enough for the visitors, despite Connor Malley’s late strike setting up a tense finish.
Stephen Bradley predicted Rovers would need seven points to advance to the knockout stages, and the Hoops must now win their final two games away to Breiðablik and home against Hamrun Spartans to achieve that tally.
The 2025 Premier Division champions made three changes tonight from their FAI Cup final win over Cork City.
Darragh Nugent, Lee Grace and John McGovern all made the starting XI.
Josh Honohan and Aaron McEneff missed out through injury, while Graham Burke dropped to the bench.
Rovers came into the game having taken only one point from their opening three Uefa Conference League fixtures, a 1-1 draw away to AEK Athens during the last matchday.
Shakhtar started the day 21 places above the Irish side, having won two of their three matches — getting the better of Aberdeen and Breiðablik while losing at home to Legia Warsaw.
It was a cagey opening with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances.
There were, however, claims for a penalty early on as Lee Grace headed the ball into the arms of Vinicius Tobias, but the officials took no action.
The visitors went close in the 20th minute as Elias’s low finish was saved by Ed McGinty, after Nazaryna had robbed Roberto Lopes of possession.
The hosts then survived another attack that forced Matt Healy into a goalline clearance, but were punished minutes later. Elias made no mistake this time, as his side-footed finish found the corner of the net, after a well-worked move down the right ended with Tobias’s cutback for the striker.
Rovers looked to respond through John McGovern, but the attacker’s header from a Danny Grant cross went narrowly wide.
The same player was agonisingly close moments later. He was found by Rory Gaffney’s ball into the box, and the Newry native’s shot beat goalkeeper Kiril Fesyun but was cleared off the line by Valeriy Bondar.
Rovers began the second half strongly. Gaffney slipped Grant through on goal, and the attacker appeared to be impeded by Fesyun as he went for the ball, but again, the referee ignored the Irish side’s protests, with Bradley booked for dissent in the immediate aftermath.
The hosts’ pressure continued, with Healy’s shot from distance forcing a save.
Down the other end, Ed McGinty got down well to keep out an Elias header as the game became more open.
Shakhtar gained increased control of the contest as the second half developed, and Bradley brought on Graham Burke, Michael Noonan and Malley in an attempt to give his tiring side a new lease of life.
But it was the Ukrainians who got the all-important next goal.
Nazaryna’s free kick took a slight deflection off Burke that wrong-footed McGinty, who got a touch on the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Shortly thereafter, it looked like it was 3-0.
Elias met the influential Nazaryna’s corner and slotted it home first time.
But it was ruled out after a VAR check, with a Shakhtar player deemed to have been offside and interfering with play as the ball hit the net.
Malley gave Rovers hope late on. The midfielder’s clipped finish found the corner of the net after being set up by Burke.
The visitors threatened a third as Elias went past Lopes after Cory O’Sullivan gave the ball away, but McGinty raced off his line and blocked the goalbound shot.
It was as close as either side came to another goal as the five minutes of stoppage time played out uneventfully.
Shamrock Rovers: 1. Ed McGinty 6. Daniel Cleary 4. Roberto Lopes 5. Lee Grace 21. Danny Grant 27. Cory O’Sullivan 7. Dylan Watts (Greene 87) 17. Matt Healy 15. Darragh Nugent (Malley 68) 20. Rory Gaffney (Burke 68) 88. John McGovern (Noonan 68)
Subs: 25. Lee Steacy 41. Alex Noonan 3. Adam Matthews 9. Aaron Greene 10. Graham Burke 11. Seán Kavanagh 18. Trevor Clarke 22. Cian Barrett 23. Connor Malley 31. Michael Noonan
Shakhtar Donetsk: 23. Kiril Fesyun 5. Valeriy Bondar 22. Mykola Matviyenko 17. Vinicius Tobias 16. Irakli Azarovi (Ocheretko 74 29. Yehor Nazaryna 8. Dmytro Kryskiv (Henrique 74) 14. Isaque 11. Newerton (Konoplya 84) 37. Lucas Ferreira (Bondarenko 74) 19. Kauã Elias
Subs: 48. Denys Tvardovskyi 4. Marlon Santos 6. Marlon Gomes 7. Eguinaldo 13. Pedro Henrique 20. Anton Hlushchenko 21. Artem Bondarenko 26. Yukhym Konoplya 27. Oleh Ocheretko 49. Luca Meirelles 74. Maryan Faryna
Referee: Filip Glova (Slovakia)
Attendance: 9,226.
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League of Ireland LOI Report Soccer Shakhtar Donetsk Shamrock Rovers