Bradley left to rue self-inflicted wounds as Gent's class is too much for Rovers

A goal down after nine minutes. Shams were even more culpable for the second just nine minutes later

Tough night: Shamrock Rovers players Aaron Greene, right, and Gary O'Neill after the UEFA Europa Conference League Group F match between Gent and Shamrock Rovers at KAA Gent Stadium in Gent, Belgium. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

KAA GENT 3 SHAMROCK ROVERS 0 

Three and easy for KAA Gent against Shamrock Rovers; the Belgians showing precisely why they’re top seeds in the group of Ireland’s sole European hopes.

Stephen Bradley had reason to latch onto aspirations of progressing from Group F following last week’s opening stalemate against Djurgardens but they won’t be doing so at the expense of a far superior Gent side who ventured that far in competition last year.

Much like their heavy away defeats earlier in this season’s European odyssey against Ferencváros and Ludogorets, what will rile Rovers most is the own contribution to the losing margin.

A goal down after nine minutes, they were guilty of slackness in allowing Hugo Cuypers to smash home the opener but more culpable for the second on 18 minutes caused by risking too much from their own goal-kick.

Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe had too much class not to punish the loose ball with a sublime volley and the Belgian international repeated the trick on 65 minutes to complete a comfortable win for the club that was a stepping-stone for a clump of the nation’s golden generation, including Thibaut Courtois, Kevin de Bruyne, Christian Benteke and Steven Defour.

It wasn’t all one-way traffic, for the Hoops still fashioned seven attempts on goal, just under half of their hosts. That the game was all but over before they threatened is the frustration.

Jack Byrne, making only his second start since returning from injury, went close with a curler moments before the third goal, with Rory Gaffney and substitute Justin Ferizaj forcing goalkeeper Paul Nardi into saves thereafter on foot of sloppy defending.

Gent’s 20,000-capacity Ghelamco Arena looked less than half full but they’re full force on track to seal one of the two places from the pool into the last-16. Rovers have four more games, including Gent at home, to build on the point they accrued last week.

Djurgardens did so by belying their status as fourth seeds in the pool to topple Norwegian giants Molde 3-2 in tonight’s other group game.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: A Mannus; S Gannon , D Cleary, L Grace; R Finn (N Farrugia 75), G O’Neill, C McCann (S Kavanagh 46), A Lyons; J Byrne (J Ferizaj 75), D Watts (A Greene 66); R Gaffney (G Burke 75).