Work to do for Rovers as they head into home second leg a goal down to Ballkani
WORK TO DO: Shamrock Rovers fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Kosovan side Ballkani in their Uefa Conference League Third qualifying round 1st leg. Pic: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile
Shamrock Rovers fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Kosovan side Ballkani in their Uefa Conference League Third qualifying round 1st leg. In the perfect surroundings of the Stadium Fadil Vokrri in Pristina, it was Sunday Adetunji’s second half goal that proved the difference against a battling Shamrock Rovers side who not only defended resolutely in the most part and were unlucky not to get a goal on the night.
The hosts, nicknamed “The Gabriels” started sharply, proving they have pedigree at this level having qualified for the group stage in the last two seasons, and showed their threat early on with danger man Adetunji – who also scored against Rovers for Shkupi – showing good pace to get in behind a couple of times.
It took until the 12th minute for either side to come closest to opening the scoring and it was the hosts who were inches away from breaking the deadlock. Brazilian attacking midfielder Giovanni burst down the left inside channel and looked to put the ball on a plate for Adetunji but thankfully for Stephen Bradley’s charges put too much pace on the ball.
The home side were building a head of steam and minutes later Ed McGinty was forced into an excellent save to deny right back Geralb Smajli who struck powerfully from distance.
But this is an experienced side with 14 games in Europe last season alone and Rovers showed great maturity to weather the little storm and carry a threat going forward with both Darragh Nugent and Josh Honohan fizzing dangerous crosses across the area.
Despite missing the likes of Jack Byrne, Aaron McEneff and Graham Burke to name a few, the visitors finished the half the stronger.
Roberto Lopes, making a record 48th European appearance for the Hoops, and subsequently overtaking Ronan Finn’s tally in the process, made a nuisance of himself from the visitors first corner of the game which saw the ball scrambled off the line.
And from the resulting set piece Josh Honohan thought he had scored only for his downward header to be frustratingly scooped out of the bottom corner at the very last second by Adnan Golubovic.
Having started the second half relatively slow, the hosts got their noses in front 11 minutes after the restart. An intricate passing move in the middle of the park sucked the Rovers rearguard just out of position, with front man Adetunji eventually being found in the area. The Nigerian frontman showed great feet to turn Dan Cleary and poke the ball home to net his fourth goal of this season’s European campaign.
Minutes later McGinty was called into action yet again to make a wonder save, going one way and somehow shifting his body back across goal to parry the ball to safety.
Stephen Bradley opted for the fresh legs of teenage sensation Michael Noonan and new recruit Conor Malley in a bid to find a leveller but just couldn’t find the right precision on the all-important final ball.
As the game ticked over into injury time and in almost identical circumstances to his chance at the end of the first half, the impressive Honohan powered another downward header aimed at the corner only to be spectacularly denied by the acrobatic Golubovic.
The result is certainly not insurmountable for Rovers who had shown enough on the night to be confident of getting a result in the home leg next week, where the eventual winner will face either Larne or the more likely Santa Clara for a place in the desperately sought after Group phase.
A Golubovic; G Smajli, I Batarelo, G Halili, A Potoku (E Letaj, 85’); A Deliu, Giovanni, A Diene; W Hamidi (B Tolej, 65’), A Kryeziu, S Adetunji
A Illjazi, M Bajraktari, V Serebe, D Vokrri, A Maksutaj, A Engjell, L Kolgeci, B Jashanica, L Mursell
: E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, L Grace; D Grant, D Watts, M Healy, D Nugent (C Malley, 60’), J Honohan; D Mandroiu, R Gaffney (M Noonan, 60’)
: L Steacy, A Noonan, A Matthews, A Greene, S Kavanagh, G O’Neill, C Barrett, C O’Sullivan, J McGovern
: D Panchyshyn (UKR)
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