Thompson the hero as Rovers hold on in Copenhagen

FC Copenhagen 1 Shamrock Rovers 0

Two wonderful saves from goalkeeper Ryan Thompson kept Shamrock Rovers’ Champions League hopes alive ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg at Tallaght Stadium.

Rovers suffered the worst possible start as they conceded a bad goal after just five minutes.

The visitors failed to deal with a corner with Solvi Ottesen heading home the cross.

Rovers regrouped well, however, and played their way into the game and should have equalised on 28 minutes when Billy Dennehy exposed shaky Copenhagen defending only to poke Pat Sullivan’s cross straight at keeper Johan Wiland.

But a first brilliant save from Thompson from a Papa Diouf header on 41 minutes prevented Copenhagen going in 2-0 up at the interval.

Rovers remained well in the game into the second half and defender Ken Oman headed just wide from Dennehy’s corner on 56 minutes.

Thompson then made his second telling stop of the night on 67 minutes when getting down low to his left to get a strong arm on a long range low drive from Christian Grindheim and turn the shot round the post.