Shamrock Rovers fall to narrow defeat but tie still alive for home leg
STILL ALIVE: Shamrock Rovers’ Aaron Greene dejected after the game. Picture: ©INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic
Shamrock Rovers fell to the narrowest of defeats in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round, but if the plan was to keep the tie alive, Stephen Bradley and his charges did exactly that, setting up a mouthwatering return leg in Tallaght next Thursday.
On a terribly patchy surface in Slovenia the visitors, who were dealt a massive blow with the news that in-form striker Johnny Kenny would potentially be out for the next couple of weeks through injury, tried their best to adapt to the conditions.
But it was the home side who came flying out of the traps, the languid Lithuanian International hitman Armandas Kucys showed his aerial threat with a couple of minutes played, rising highest to meet an in-swinging corner but couldn’t direct his header on target.
The Celje frontman showed he was no slouch on the floor too when he sharply got across the front post before forcing Dan Cleary into a goal saving clearance off the line as he tried to prod the ball home.
But to their credit the visitors eventually settled. Joshua Honohan went on a lung bursting run down the right, forcing the ball back to Dylan Watts who let fly from just inside the area but went straight at Lovro Stubljar.
Celje, managed by former Liverpool winger Albert Riera, put together a sweeping attacking move midway through the half that resulted in Kucys cleverly reversing for Aljosa Matko on the edge of the area, but the Slovenian attackers powerful strike was sharply saved by Leon Pohls down to his right.
The home side were left scratching their heads at how they hadn’t taken the lead from the resulting corner when Pohls stood big to bravely deny Jost Pisek from inside the 6-yard box, following a set piece straight off the training ground.
The hosts did get themselves in front just after the half hour mark when Bosnia & Herzegovina winger, Luka Menalo, produced a genius moment of skill to break the deadlock.
Having found a pocket of space, the 28-year-old showed quick feet to turn and nutmeg Sean Hoare before drilling his shot low into the bottom corner.
The Hoops ended the half on a positive note when Hoare took responsibility to step out from defence, unleashing a rasping strike from 30-plus yards to force Stubljar into a good save.
Rovers started the second half on the front foot throwing more bodies forward and looked as if they grew in belief. The hosts didn’t look overly comfortable defending a barrage of corners from the restart but just about managed to keep Rovers at bay.
Ex-Newcastle United man, Rolando Aarons, forced Pohls into a good stop at his near post before Aaron McEneff had a glorious chance to equalise moments later getting in behind the Celje backline but like Aarons shot straight at the front post.
There was a nervy moment at the back late on but The Hoops, despite the defeat, will have taken a lot of confidence ahead of a potential thriller in South Dublin next week.
: Lovro Stubljar; Klemen Nemanic, David Zec, Marco Dulca (Matija Kavcic, 45’); Luka Menalo, Luka Bobicanec, Mario Kvesic (Edmilson, 67’), Ivan Brnic (Denis Popovic, 67’); Jost Pisek, Aljosa Matko (Nino Kouter, 67’), Armandas Kucys (Rolando Aarons, 45’)
Luka Kolar, Matjaz Rozman, Aljaz Krefi
: Leon Pohls; Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Sean Hoare; Trevor Clarke (Darragh Burns, 57’), Dylan Watts (Markus Poom, 78’), Gary O’Neill, Darragh Nugent (Aaron McEneff, 67’), Joshua Honohan; Neil Farrugia (Graham Burke, 78’), Aaron Greene
: Lee Steacy, Lee Grace, Sean Kavanagh, Richie Towell, Cory O’Sullivan, Jack Byrne, Conan Noonan
: Damian Sylwestrzak (Poland)
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