Updated at 23.18
Shamrock Rovers 2
Slovan Bratislava 1
Slovan win 3-2 on aggregate
SHAMROCK ROVERS won 2-1 on the night but exited Champions League qualifying after a 3-2 aggregate loss at the hands of Slovan Bratislava.
Stephen Bradley’s men went into this match looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from last week’s first leg and almost produced a remarkable comeback.
A Graham Burke penalty and a Richie Towell thunderbolt in either half levelled the tie on aggregate before a controversial Vladimir Weiss goal secured his side’s passage into the next round.
The Hoops made three changes from the away leg, with Joey O’Brien, Graham Burke and Daniel Mandroiu coming into the team in place of Sean Hoare, Sean Gannon and Aaron Greene.
Slovan, meanwhile, made two changes. David Hrncar and Weiss — who was playing for Slovakia at the Euros last month — came into the starting XI, with Rabiu Ibrahim and Aleksandar Cavric making way.
The visitors had the first real chance of the game in the fifth minute. A Roberto Lopes miskick allowed Ezekiel Henty to break through on goal, but the attacker sidefooted his effort narrowly wide.
It was a slow start to the opening stages, with several stoppages interrupting play. As was the case in the first leg, the Hoops initially struggled to create clear-cut chances when faced with a Slovan team that was well organised out of possession.
The game suddenly came to life in the 16th minute, however. Gary O’Neil’s incisive through pass found Burke in the area and experienced Bulgarian defender Vasil Bozhikov dived in rashly and took down the 27-year-old.
Burke then stepped up to take the spot kick, coolly dispatching it and sending Adrian Chovan the wrong way in the process.
Slovan nearly produced an immediate response. A Joeri de Kamps pot shot from distance hit the crossbar before Mannus had to be alert again to keep out Hrncar’s header on the follow-up.
The visitors proceeded to get a grip on the game and enjoyed a good spell of possession amid a period where chances were at a premium for both sides.
There were occasional scares for the hosts though. Rovers goalkeeper Mannus had more than one awkward moment with the ball at his feet during the first half.
Three minutes before the break, an attempted pass from the 39-year-old goalkeeper to Towell went astray, and the ball came to Henty, whose shot from the edge area was deflected wide.
Moments later, claims for a foul were ignored, as Gary O’Neill got dispossessed in a dangerous area. A subsequent cross found Rafael Ratao — the two-goal hero from the first leg — but he could only head wide as Slovan finished the half the stronger.
The game remained tight in the second half, with a lack of goalmouth action characterising the first 10 minutes after the re-start, as Slovan held onto the ball well and frustrated the home crowd.
Gradually though, the hosts came into it more. After good work from Liam Scales down the left, the wing-back’s cross found Burke, who laid it off to Ronan Finn, and the 33-year-old’s shot from the edge of the area was powerful but straight at Chovan, who was able to parry it away.
But it was a sign of things to come, as in the 64th minute, Tallaght Stadium erupted, with 1,500 fans making their voice heard.
A low Rory Gaffney cross found Towell on the edge of the area. The former Brighton midfielder took one touch before expertly firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner to level the tie on aggregate.
The visitors threatened a swift response, as Weiss’ shot was deflected a few inches wide. Shortly thereafter, Slovan went close again. The ball broke for Vernon De Marco just inside the box and the full-back’s low first-time effort flew just wide.
Yet the Slovaks got the goal they badly needed with 18 minutes remaining in a controversial fashion.
There were claims that Lopes had been fouled in the build-up, but former Man City and Rangers man Weiss — who had been quiet up to that point — produced a moment of individual magic, evading the challenge of two players and producing a powerful shot into the corner of the net.
Rovers pressed for a goal to take the game to extra time, and Lopes almost scored with 10 minutes remaining. His header from a set-piece forced an acrobatic save from Chovan.
The 29-year-old Dubliner was replaced with six minutes remaining in an attacking change that saw Aaron Greene come on as the Irish side desperately searched for a goal.
Slovan effectively slowed the game down in the dying stages, while Rovers went close with two minutes remaining, as substitute Sean Hoare headed just over from a Danny Mandroiu corner.
But it wasn’t to be as a night that had promised so much at one point ended in anti-climactic fashion for the reigning Premier Division champions.
It is not the end of European football at Tallaght Stadium this season, however, as the Hoops will now go on to play in the Europa Conference League.
Shamrock Rovers: 1. Alan Mannus 28. Joey O’Brien (Hoare 81) 4. Roberto Lopes 5. Lee Grace 16. Gary O’Neill (Watts 72) 15. Liam Scales 10. Graham Burke 14. Danny Mandroiu 17. Richie Towell (Greene) 8. Ronan Finn 20. Rory Gaffney.
Subs: 25. Leon Pohls 2. Sean Gannon 3. Sean Hoare 7. Dylan Watts 9. Aaron Greene 11. Sean Kavanagh 24. Max Murphy 34. Conan Noonan 38. Aidomo Emakhu
Slovan Bratislava: 1. Adrian Chovan 17. Jurij Medvedev 4. Guram Kashia 29. Vasil Bozhikov 81. Vernon De Marco 6. Joeri de Kamps (Abena 90) 20. Jaba Kankava 18. David Hrncar (Ibrahim 58) 21. Rafael Ratao (Zmrhal 81) 7. Vladimir Weiss (Strelec 90) 9. Ezekiel Henty (Cavric 58)
Subs: 31. Martin Trnovsky 10. Rabiu Ibrahim 11. Jaromir Zmrhal 13. Dejan Drazic 14. Myenty Abena 15. David Strelec 16. Alen Mustafic 25. Lukas Paulschek 26. Filip Lichy 66. Kenan Bajric 77. Aleksandar Cavric