Shamrock Rovers outclassed in Europa League playoff
OUTCLASSED: Rovers’ players dejected after conceding a goal. Pic: INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic
Barring a miracle next week, Shamrock Rovers will have to make do with involvement in the Conference League group phase after they were crushed in Budapest.
Ferencváros scored twice in each half to rack up a resounding first-leg advantage and there wasn’t much evidence to suggest Rovers could muster a repeat of their resurrection against Ludogorets three weeks ago.
This was always bonus territory for Stephen Bradley’s side as Uefa’s facilitation of national champions guaranteed them the fallback of the third-tier competition once they saw off their equivalent counterparts from Malta and Macedonia in two of their previous European rounds.
That was the stated target from the outset by Rovers, banking close to €5m in prize-money that major shareholder Ray Wilson admits will fund the club’s entire operation for the year.
As Bradley confessed on the eve of this playoff, this opposition was a level above those they met in the previous three encounters along their summer odyssey.
Any notion of achieving the mission alive for the return next Thursday was obliterated early in the second half when the Hungarian powerhouses were gifted their third goal for Adama Traoré’s second. A fourth by Eldar Civic in stoppage-time didn’t flatter the hosts either.
The more moderate calibre of the Conference League will also lift hopes of them being competitive over the six games, offering potential to boost the windfall they’ve already bagged and with it scope to strengthen their squad for future quests.
It didn’t take long for the disparity in class to tell on a long, hot night for the Hoops.
Moroccan international Ryan Mmaee was the primary architect, his cleverness in the final third too much for Rovers to smother.
He sidestepped a couple of defenders to pound a curler off the right post before Carlos Auzqui nabbed the 13th minute breakthrough. Lapses from a short corner created space to exploit and Auzqui was first to react from the deflected cross by squeezing his shot past Alan Mannus at his near post.
The former Northern Ireland goalkeeper has been immense during this campaign and only for him, the hiding could have turned into a landslide.
A sublime pass by Aissa Ladouni on 35 minutes serrated the home defence and Mali international Traore had the simple task of stabbing home from Mmaee’s pinpoint left-wing cross.
Half-time was a relief for Rovers but there was no chance of steadying the ship for the second half by conceding a third within three minutes. The nature of the goal was especially painful.
Mannus was at his best to parry away a shot but somehow Sean Gannon aimed the loose ball straight into the path of the gleeful Traore to gobble up with a first-time finish.
Bradley is still managing the game-time of the returning Jack Byrne and his introduction alongside Richie Towell and Neil Farrugia added impetus to the champion naturally leggy from their exertions of recent weeks.
Former Ireland U21 winger Farrugia looked set to reduce the deficit when he dashed away in the closing stages, only to blaze his shot over from his weaker right foot.
The last goal, instead, went the way of the dominant side. Mannus again came to the rescue by turning over the latest in a succession of shots as Brazilian Marquinhos continuously toyed with the home defence.
And Mannus’ colleagues let him down again by failing to pick up Ediar Civic from the resultant corner. That room allowed him to pick his spot with a downward volley from the edge of the box into the right corner.
For Rovers, the immediate priority is to extend the gap on Dundalk at the top of the table when they meet the second-placed team on Sunday at Tallaght.
D Dibusz; L Paszka (E Civic 83), M Knoester, E Botka, H Wingo; M Besic (B Vecsei 69), A Laidouni; C Auzqui (Marquinhos 63), N Tokmac (X Mercier 83), A Traore; R Mmaee (F Boli 63).
A Mannus; D Cleary, L Grace, S Hoare; S Gannon (N Farrugia 60), S Kavanagh (R Towell 60), G O'Neill, D Watts (J Ferizaj 69), A Lyons; R Gaffney (J Byrne 60), A Greene (Gideon Tetteh 78).
Glenn Nyberg (SWE).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
