Rovers earn a lifeline with late, late Bayly strike

FOR the first time in Tallaght and seven years after Ireland’s most storied club last tasted European action, Shamrock Rovers found that they were unable to rhyme hope and history in the Europa League last night, despite securing parity on the scoreboard with a dramatic injury time equaliser.

However, the early concession of a vital away goal means that the intense heat will probably be the least of the Hoops’ problems when they visit Tel Aviv for the second leg next Thursday

For Yehuda’s Dele Aiyenugba, last night’s game saw him swap the backdrop of Table Mountain for that of the Hell Fire Club — he’d been Nigeria’s unused second ‘keeper at the World Cup. And the rather nervous-looking number one was kept busier in the opening stages of this one, as the home side went in search of an early goal against their orange-clad opponents.