McCabe hits equaliser to keep Hoops hopes alive

A SUPERB late Gary McCabe equaliser saw Shamrock Rovers cheered off the pitch in Tallaght last night but the earlier concession of an away goal means that Partizan Belgrade retain the whip hand in this Europa League play-off game ahead of next week’s second leg in the Serbian capital.

In truth, Partizan will wonder how they didn’t make the tie much easier for themselves but, despite dominating for long periods and spurning at least three gilt-edged chances to add to their tally last night, they had only the one goal to show for their efforts by the time Rovers threatened to turn the game on its head with just under 10 minutes remaining.

McCabe’s goal had seemed an unlikely eventuality for much of a contest in which Partizan Belgrade demonstrated their superior class. Indeed, the game was only three minutes old when attacking midfielder Nemanja Tomic served notice of his threat, rasping a free-kick from 35 yards out which Ryan Thompson did well to fingertip to safety.

But that was only by way of reprieve for Rovers. Partizan, who could number eight internationals in their starting 11, duly lived up to billing by virtually owning the ball for the next 20 minutes, Medo building the moves from his defensive midfield position and, further up in the pitch, Serbian legend Sasa Ilic displaying his full repertoire of fancy flicks.

Ten minutes had elapsed before Rovers retained sufficient possession to cross the halfway line but, even then, Dan Murray’s ball forward for Gary Twigg saw the striker penalised for a foul.

Four minutes later, Partizan’s dominance was rewarded with a goal. Aleksandar Rankovic played the ball along the ground up the right where Vladimir Jovancic completely lost full-back Enda Stephens — and even had time for a heavy first touch — before pulling a cross diagonally back across the face of the Rovers box. Tomic, unchallenged, needed no further invitation to strike the ball first time and find the bottom of the net.

Things threatened to get worse for Rovers moments later when the trick was almost repeated from the opposite flank but this time Tomic, again with time and space on his hands, drove his shot wide.

Then, in the 21st minute, there was another let-off for the home side as the bounce of a long ball embarrassed Dan Murray but Brazilian striker Eduardo, getting in behind the centre-half, couldn’t exploit the opportunity, pulling his effort wide with only Thompson to beat.

To their credit, Rovers didn’t raise the white flag.

Instead, with Conor McCormack their most influential figure and McCabe always a menace, they finally got a foothold in the game, lifting their own support in the process but not yet capable of turning a decent spell of pressure into anything on the scoreboard.

As the game approached the hour mark there was a clear sense of the Serbian champions playing well within themselves, so the last thing Rovers needed was to make things any easier for the opposition.

But in the 57th minute, that’s exactly what Rovers keeper Thompson did, scuffing a kick-out straight to Vladimir Jovancic. Fortunately, the Jamaican managed to spare his own blushes by saving with his feet as Jovancic wasted yet another chance to ram home Partizan’s supremacy.

The let-off also sustained Rovers’ reason to believe, Gary O’Neill coming on to give Gary Twigg more support up front as the Hoops began to enjoy their best spell of the game, forcing the visitors back on the defensive and, at one point during a period of concerted pressure, even raising loud claims for a penalty for handball in the box.

The Estonian referee was unmoved, however, and the game resumed its familiar pattern of Partizan keep-ball contrasted with Rovers’ increasingly high-energy efforts to salvage something from the game.

And their commitment to all-out attack got its reward with a superb goal in the 81st minute.

McCabe weaved his way into the Partizan box and exchanged a lovely one-two with Twigg before beating the keeper from close range with a shot to the corner of the net.

Shocked, the Serbian champions suddenly seemed to lose all composure and, moments later, Twigg came close to completing the turnaround but, swivelling in the box, he was unable to keep his left-foot effort from rising over the bar.

It all led to a grandstand finish for the Hoops that had Tallaght Stadium rocking.

Even if Partizan were living on their nerves by the time the referee blew the final whistle, the cold reality of the 1-1 result means that the Serbians will still be odds-on to finish the job on their own turf in Belgrade next Thursday evening.

One thing’s for sure though, after Rovers’ spirited rally here Partizan are unlikely to be guilty of any complacency when the two teams meet again.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Thompson, Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Stevens, McCormack, McCabe, Rice (Kilduff 76), Finn (Turner 45), Dennehy (O’Neill 58), Twigg.

FK PARTIZAN: Stojkovic; Rankovic, Rnic, Ivanov, Stankovic; Tomic, Medo, Smiljaninc, Illic (L Markovic 84) Eduardo (Babovic 65), Jovancic (S Markovic 90)

Referee: Hanes Kaasik (Estonia).