O’Donnell slots winner on Hoops' special night

FK Partizan 1 Shamrock Rovers 2 (aet) (Agg: 2-3)

Pat Sullivan was another hero among a team of stalwarts, scoring a stunning equaliser on the night, as Rovers stood tall in the 32 degree heat and raucous atmosphere of the Partizan Stadion.

Michael O’Neill’s side have thus created history by becoming the first Irish side to make the group stages of a European competition and go into today’s Europa League draw with financial rewards well in excess of €1 million now on offer.

Roared on by their fans, whose incessant chanting never let up, it wasn’t long before Partizan threatened as Rovers were a bag of nerves at the back in the opening minutes.

First a Craig Sives stray pass put skipper Dan Murray in trouble and he had to haul down Eduardo. Luckily Nemanja Tomic, their goalscorer in Dublin, fired his free-kick into the wall.

Another howler in the third minute saw keeper Ryan Thompson’s attempted clearance kick go straight to Vladimir Jovancic.

Thankfully for Rovers, Jovancic, in one-on-one, dinked his effort wide to save Thompson’s blushes.

Rovers were getting forward well when they could and Finn again worried the home defence on 17 minutes, first winning the ball and then cutting in from the left to fire in a low drive Ilic parried away.

Partizan got their deserved lead on 35 minutes when impressive left-back Volkov beat Thompson with a back post header from a Tomic corner.

The crowd were silenced on 58 minutes when Sullivan scored with a stunning 25 yard volley after a clearance form a corner dropped to him.

If that was sublime, some brilliant defending at the other end on 69 minutes prevented Partizan regaining the league.

Volkov put Stefan Babovic in on goal, but O’Donnell, in his first act having just come on as a substitute, made a terrific block tackle to prevent what looked a certain goal.

O’Donnell was there again two minutes from time to make another goal saving tackle on substitute Lazar Markovic.

The woodwork then came to their rescue in the second minute of extra-time when a curling free-kick from Babovic came back of Thompson’s left hand post. Thompson was then there at his opposite post right on 100 minutes to thwart Volkov.

The woodwork then came to Rovers rescue in the second minute of extra-time when a curling free-kick from Babovic came back off a post.

Another let-off came on 109 minutes. Babovic got to the end line to cross, Sives completely missed his kick to set up Jovancic whose feeble shot was straight at Thompson.

The tie, and the tide of Irish domestic football history, then turned on 113 minutes.

Ilic made a parry save from Ciaran Kilduff. But the ball broke for Sheppard who was taken down by the keeper.

Cue O’Donnell’s courageous moment as he scored emphatically from the spot. Now needing two goals, Partizan’s frustration boiled over and midfielder Medo was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Sheppard.

FK Partizan: R. Ilic; Rankovic, Rnic, Ivanov, Volkov; Tomic, Medo, Jukic (Babovic, 57 mins.), S. Ilic; Jovancic, Eduardo (Markovic, 84 mins.).

Shamrock Rovers: Thompson; Sullivan, Sives, Murray, Stevens; Rice; McCabe (O‘Donnell, 68 mins.), Turner, Finn, Dennehy (Sheppard, h/t); Twigg (Kilduff, 101 mins.).

Referee: Jan Valasek (Slovakia).