Shamrock Rovers with mountain to climb in Prague to progress in Champions League
TWO EASY: Sparta Prague's Tomas Wiesner celebrates scoring their side's second goal. Photo credit: Niall Carson/PA Wire.
Small margins and profligate finishing were costly for Shamrock Rovers as their Champions League journey appears over before they travel to Prague next Tuesday.
Veljko Birmančević’s 38th minute goal might have come against the run of play to silence the record crowd for a European tie at Tallaght but the Czech champions were cruising once Tomas Wiesner added a second on 64 minutes.
What Rovers will ponder on reflection are the opportunities they squandered when it was scoreless and near the death to make the second leg a contest.
For just their second game of the season, Sparta boss Lars Friis had thrown a dummy about his selection plans, strongly suggesting the exertions of the Euros were too recent for his participants unleashed.
The more salient clue on his intentions was discerned from an admission of pressure, the expectation to cap their second league title on the spin by swatting aside opponents from the lower ranked nations.
Hence it was logical for Czech duo Jan Kuchta and Martin Vitik, Albanian midfielder Qazim Laçi and Birmančević, the Serbian who featured against England, to start.
There was a breather offered to Birmančević at half-time by being substituted following his first-half breakthrough but Friis swapped him with another regular in Germany, Lukáš Haraslín.
Rovers were bruised from their FAI Cup exit to foes Bohemians last Friday, effectively ending their domestic silverware aspirations, and knew there wasn't similar jeopardy riding on the outcome of this tie.
Beating Vikingur in the first round affords the Hoops three bites at reaching the promised land of European group stage involvement.
This challenge in the Premier competition was always deemed a bridge they’d struggle to pass but in a fortnight the loser of the tie between Slovenia side NK Celje and Slovan Bratislava lurks in the Europa League third round.
Whereas victory there maps a playoff shot at reaching that group phase, defeat activates the backdoor to the Conference League group throes, Three strikes and they’d be out.
Against that snakes and ladders backdrop, Stephen Bradley wasn’t entertaining the notion of this being a free hit, albeit deploying Neil Farrugia in a central role hinted at a degree of experimentation.
It’s Farrugia’s strides with his lanky legs on the wing which have contributed to his hamstring troubles and not until he drifted out to the sideline did he begin to threaten the visitors.
From one his trademark darts, he barged towards the penalty area, laying the ball off for Johnny Kenny to have his angled shot for Rovers’ first corner of the night.
Then on 29 minutes he was presented with a gift of a chance he somehow spurned. Goalkeeper Peter Vindahl-Jensen’s wayward pass from his box squirted straight into the path of Farrugia.
With the goal on show and only a split second to profit, his slight delay allowed the ‘keeper’s fellow Dane Mathias Ross to scamper across and get his outstretched leg on the goal-bound shot.
That was the chance Rovers would rue, for it awoke the Czechs from their early leisurely pace.
Captain Qazim Laçi had oceans of space to spray passes wide and their first test of Leon Pohls – a 20th minute Vitik shot he fumbled out for a corner – engendered encouragement.
Clubs with the resources and reputation of Sparta can attract Mathias Ross on from Galatasaray but it was the other recent loan capture, signed from Athletic Bilbao, who was instrumental in the 38th-minute opener.
Rovers can only blame themselves for being cavalier in possession around their box, a square ball from Dylan Watts to Dan Cleary allowing Imanol García de Albéniz to nip in to dispossess.
Although Pohls saved the Spaniard’s shot, the ball ricocheted off Watts towards goal. Despite Pico Lopes hacking the loose ball off the line, it fell straight for Birmančević to smash home.
A goal to the good, Sparta could display their quality. Kuchta rippled the side-netting but it took their goalkeeper pawing away Cleary’s cross to deny Clarke a clear sight on goal.
They did strike again just past the hour through a flowing move, Jaroslav Zeleny cutting Rovers asunder down the left to create the space. His fellow wing-back was left completely unmarked to scoop his half-volley into the roof of the net.
Chances were traded in the closing stages but Rovers will regret Josh Honohan not taking one of the pair produced on the stroke of half-time.
L Pohls; D Cleary, R Lopes, S Hoare; J Honohan, D Watts, G O’Neill, T Clarke (L Grace 84); D Nugent, N Farrugia (A Greene 66); J Kenny (D Burns 66).
P Vindahl Jensen; M Vitik (A Sorensen HT), M Ross, J Zeleny; T Wiesner, M Solbakken, Q Laci (E Krasniqi 62), I De Albeniz; I Tuci (D Pavelka 61), J Kuchta (V Olatunji 75), V Birmancevic (L Haraslin HT).
J Kooij (Netherlands).
9,684.
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