UEFA Conference League
Shamrock Rovers 2
The New Saints 1
THIS WAS A bit nervier than it should have been edging towards the final whistle, but Shamrock Rovers got the job done to move onto seven points in the UEFA Conference League.
They’re also inching closer to becoming the first League of Ireland club to reach the knockout stages since the introduction of group/league phases.
A 2-1 comeback win over The New Saints, courtesy of first-half goals from Johnny Kenny and Dylan Watts, ensured the Hoops left the pitch third in the table and looking comfortable in one of the eight automatic qualifying spots.
The later kick offs will soon change the dynamic but what looks pretty sweet for Stephen Bradley’s side right now is the guts of €5 million earned in prize money from this European adventure so far.
Kenny and Watts, their young player and player of the season, respectively, delivered the goods to show there would be no feeling sorry for themselves after losing the Premier Division title to Shelbourne last Friday.
They were worthy winners against the Welsh side, who arrived brimming with confidence having lost just 2-0 to Fiorentina and then beating Astana by the same scoreline.
They didn’t really trouble Leon Pohls in the final quarter but nerves were palpable in the stands at the looseness of things.
It had looked like Rovers would not allow such an ending, although the the first-half summed up so much of what has been good and bad about them this season.
They started sharply and with purpose, pressing TNS high and turning the ball over for a couple of chances.
Kenny had a shot blocked on the edge of the box and Aaron McEneff had another that needed to be closed down from an angle.
Then TNS produced a dangerous counter attack that would eventually lead to the opening goal on 14 minutes. Jordan Williams fizzed a cross into the box on the run down the left and Declan McManus’ header deflected off Lee Grace, forcing Pohls into an impressive reaction save.
Rovers couldn’t clear their lines, though, and when Grace failed to stop Rory Holden keeping the danger alive from the right the ball fell kindly for Williams seven yards out when Daniel Cleary got his feet muddled.
The TNS bench erupted and so did the couple of hundred travelling fans.
But Rovers weren’t rattled. When Bradley talks about the trust he has in his players and their sense of calm because of the process, the next half an hour was a perfect example.
They didn’t try to chase the game and force things that weren’t on. With Watts and Markus Poom controlling midfield and McEneff also venturing forward from the centre they were finding space to look dangerous.
The equaliser was an exquisite distillation of that. Poom won a loose ball, quickly fed Watts who got turned and drilled a pass into the feet of Neil Farrugia. His deft flick took Jack Bodenham out of the game and Kenny ran off the shoulder of Daniel Davies.
He surged into the box, was strong enough to keep the defender at arm’s length, and maintained enough balance to let rip with a lasher of left-footed shot just inside the box. It smacked the underside of the crossbar and bounced out off the metal lining at the back of the net.
The leveller came within six minutes of falling behind and the goal to go in front arrived seven minutes before half-time.
Rovers had the guts of 70% possession by this point and were clinical when it mattered. Farrugia teed up Darragh Burns for an inswinger cross from the right and Watts anticipated with a run off the shoulder of marker Holden.
The ball landed perfectly on the six-yard box and Watts connected with his left foot as he slid in to score his fourth goal in successive games and fifth from the last seven.
The first to kickstart that run was a 92nd minute equaliser against APOEL on 3 October to snatch a draw in Rovers’ opening league phase game.
He should have added a glorious sixth to that tally on 62 minutes when he chopped the ball away from Holden and then produced a filthy looking nutmeg on the onrushing Davies who scurried out to close him down.
Instead, Watts opened the whole goal up with that pirouette only to sky his side-foot effort from 18 yards over the bar.
It was indicative of the second half, Farrugia getting into two dangerous areas only for his final ball to let him down. In total Rovers had 23 attempts.
TNS were still in it but didn’t have the quality to find a way through.
Rovers, on the other hand, could introduce Graham Burke and Jack Byrne along with Gary O’Neill.
A trip to Rapid Vienna is up on 28 November, by which stage Rovers would have had two friendlies with HJK to keep themselves sharp.
They must hope they’ve already done the hard work to continue this season into 2025.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Daniel Cleary, Roberto Lopes (captain), Lee Grace; Josh Honohan, Dylan Watts (Gary O’Neill 85), Aaron McEneff (Graham Burke 69), Markus Poom (Darragh Nugent 85), Darragh Burns (Jack Byrne 69); Neil Farrugia, Johnny Kenny (Aaron Greene 79).
The New Saints: Connor Roberts; Josh Daniels, Daniel Davies, Jack Bodenham, Daniel Redmond (captain); Ryan Brobbel, Leo Smith, Daniel Williams, Rory Holden (Ben Clark 75); Declan McManus, Jordan Williams (Adam Wilson 83).
Referee: Snir Levy (Isr).
Attendance: 6,108.
Rashford attitude at Utd is Pogba level attitude
@Caolan Z: Even worse
He must be absolutely toxic altogether for scholesy to come out with this he’d jave plenty inside knowledge..amrion is honest and calls it as it is other managers let him away with murder it seems..time to separate ways be good for both parties.
@Paully kells: The Saudis don’t even want him. You’d have a better chance of selling a bag of sand to them than offloading Rashford to them.
The second this muppet did an interview asking how dare people question his professionalism mere weeks after getting pissed in Belfast and didn’t bother turning up for training for a game they bearly won with the managers job on the line…he should have been shown the door then.
He gets paid a million quid sterling every 3 weeks
Good job his conscience doesn’t appear to trouble him
The implosion really is a delight to watch. Scholes showing his true colours by throwing a fellow professional under the bus, magic stuff altogether.
@Paul Linehan: Scholes is dead right take the Abu glasses off..
@Paully kells: Sorry Paully, what are these ‘Abu’ glasses you refer to?…. do they allow you to see games in places like Saudi Arabia, where Rushford will probably end up making stacks of money?
@Paul Linehan: do u not think Scholes is correct paul and telling it as it is??rashford has got away with it for too long.. actually admire amriom the way he’s handled it. Maguire has he’s critics if rashford could take a leave out he’s book he wouldn’t be going too wrong he’s knuckled down and got on with it.. rashford wouldn’t lasting a day with he’s attitude if he was under fergie
@Paully kells: Devaluing a player by ridiculing them in public doesn’t sit well with me, whether I like them or not. Rushford will ride off to the land of gold and won’t give a fiddlers about Amorim and his ‘tic-tacs’ (yes it is correct). It looks like the great saviour is putting the blame on a player because the rest of the team are below average and trying to make an example. No point in everyone running around like spring chickens on the training ground and turning up like lame ducks on match day.
@Paul Linehan: you seem very bitter about Ruben amorim for some reason paul? I’ve seen you have a few digs at him now, seems strange as let’s be honest, few of us knew him 3 months ago and he’s come across as being very honest and fairly sound so far.
@Brian Dunne: Bitter is too strong a word Briany. I think he should’ve stuck with Sporting and showed loyalty to that club. But he made his bed and has to live with the consequences of walking out on a happy club, with REAL team players. Ruben was well known within the football circles in Europe, probably not MU fans, as they can’t see beyond the club, who has managed to ruin the careers of so many coaches since Sir Alex hung up his training gear. All that man done for the club and the owners just tossed him in the rubbish bin. MU truly are a toxic club.
@Paul Linehan: wow. I guess slot is to be condemned for walking out on a happy club too? Oh and my name is Brian.
@Brian Dunne: From one Happy club to another happy club Briany….. Not every penny fits the Slot. Oh and Paul has a capital at the start ;-)
@Paul Linehan: Bitter sounds about right.
@Paul Linehan: jeez, you’re calling people bitter. The only person that sounds bitter is you. Did Fergie ruin your childhood?
@Paul Linehan: ok Paul. Now, my name is Brian or brian. Please respect my name.
@Brian Dunne: unlikely Brian.
@Brian Dunne: OK Brian, will do. I see Dave and Mick are backing you up, so I’ll
leave you be, coz when three or more MU fans gather there’s usually a mob in the making :-)….. PS it is really great seeing your club fall apart both team wise and the kip they run around in.
@Paul Linehan: have you a problem with getting people’s names correct? Or is it just basic manners your lacking?
@Kevin Dillon: Hi Kev, try reading the post, as I complimented Sir Alex on all he done for MU. Also when someone has a dislike for, or argues against something, it’s silly to class them as bitter towards the topic argued…. By the way, Sir Alex wasn’t managing when I was a child. He playered for St Johnstone FC, and had a pretty good goal for games played ratio. Football was a tougher game then, combining skill and physicality. Most of today’s so called world class players wouldn’t have lasted 30 minutes, let alone 90 minutes kicking a lead weight ball and playing on muck fields. Todays players are overrated and well over paid. The LOI and English lower leagues are getting bigger gates because of the standard played in what’s supposed to be the greatest league in football.
@Brian Dunne: Do you know them personally Brian, as they may use a shortened version of their name. Not everyone is a picky as you Brian…. I know lots of Davids and Michaels who have introduced themselves as Dave or Mick. Relax Brian, take a chill pill and try to enjoy life. Have an early night and prepare yourself for a very long day on Thursday ;-)
@Paul Linehan: I adress people as they present themselves Paul. So if someone calls themselves mick I’ll adress them as mick. If you were a child in the 60s as you claim then I’m amazed at your lack of respect for people’s names. I thought it was only the younger generations who had such a lack of manners.
@Paul Linehan: wow, probably the worst football fan on here. You’re actually worse than the Shepherd. I really feel sorry for you if you were a child when Fergie played for St. Johnstone. That puts you roughly in your 70′s. What an absolute embarrassment you are. Was sure you had school in the morning.
@David: Sorry if I hit a nerve Dave, but it’s like shooting fish in a barrel with you lot. By the way there’s a calculator on your phone that will help you do the maths on the age thing. This article should be going behind the pay wall shortly, so see you Thursday, unless you hit one of the options provided ;-)
@Brian Dunne: I wouldn’t bother with him Brian it’s obvious that about 30 years or so of hurt and to coincide with ferguson being man united manager and winning most of them years really done a job on him.