Kovačević too hot for Shamrock Rovers to handle as Celje cruise in Tallaght
CHEST IS BEST: Franko Kovačević of Celje scores his side's second goal during the UEFA Conference League 2025/26 league phase match between Shamrock Rovers and Celje at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Robert Lewandowski was the first player to be nicknamed with a goal reference but Uefa found a new contender in the slayer of Shamrock Rovers, Franko Kovačević.
Franko GOLačević was how the European governing body titled the Croatian after he followed up his hat-trick in the 3-1 win over AEK Athens by bagging both goals in this victory over the Hoops at Tallaght.
For a player eventually finding his groove at 26, there was also an unorthodox dint to his goals. His first on 12 minutes was finished with his thigh before his chest provided the final touch on the second on 33 minutes. Two touches and two goals were enough to inflict a fourth defeat in five on Rovers.
That may sound like relegation form but the two league losses came after they effectively wrapped up the title on goal difference. Avoiding defeat at Derry City on Sunday will conclude that piece of business before the FAI Cup final against Cork City beckons on November 9. Progression in Europe – replicating last year’s feat – will be a tougher task.
Zero points from six after two games is stark when Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine and AEK Athens are to follow. Meetings with Hamrun Spartans (Malta) and Breidablik (Iceland) are the more realistic route to points from the six-game league phase.
Three weeks ago in Czechia, Sparta Praha added a third soon after the restart to turn a stroll into what threatened to become a landslide before he outcome was a 4-1 defeat. Celje didn’t have to hammer home their supremacy in Tallaght.
Rovers may have made the last hour interesting had they converted one of the few chances they created but there was always the sense the visitors were capable of upping the tempo if required.
That they were able to introduce Kosovan midfielder Milot Avdyli as a substitute to consolidate their lead in the second half underlined the depth Albert Rieira has engineered his squad with.
While Rovers claimed the bragging rights from last season’s meeting, cancelling out a first leg deficit to win the Europa League tie 3-2 on aggregate, the Slovenians went deeper into the Conference League competition they both ended up in.
Compared to Rovers reaching the knockout playoff stage, bowing out to Molde on penalties, Celje hurdled that and the next last-16 round before succumbing to Fiorentina 4-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Domestically, similar to Rovers, they relinquished their title last season, slipping to fourth but claiming the Slovenian Cup. Rieira vowed to strengthen and in Kovačević identified a 26-year-old Croatian who’d lost his way on loan in South Korea.
Other reinforcements were recruited but the poacher’s instincts are responsible for accumulating maximum points from their opening pair of league games, setting up for progression from the group again.
For the second successive game in Europe, Rovers found the going rough, trailing by two goals at the break to leave too much ground to be made up.
Kovačević was too hot to handle and would have had another hat-trick only for a tug on the returning Pico Lopes that was spotted in the build-up to his finish on 12 minutes. VAR ruled that he’d remained onside but the Czech referee Ondřej Berka noticed the infringement.
With Graham Burke left in reserve, Rory Gaffney led the attack. His first pot on goal caused Zan-Luk Leban to gather at the second attempt.
Just past the half hour, Kovačević’s tasty footwork took Cory O’Sullivan, Lopes and Josh Honohan out of the equation. His follow-up curler into the corner was equally exquisite.
Celje’s roster was diverse but it was 33-year-old Bosnian Mario Kvesić who teed up the second approaching the break, dinking a cross for Vitaly Lisakovich to square for the alert Croat to prod home.
Rovers brought Burke and Michael Noonan into the fray but bar the odd scramble didn’t test the visiting ‘keeper enough to mount a comeback attempt. On to Greece in Cup final week to avoid their campaign descending into a tragedy.
E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, C O’Sullivan; A Matthews (L Grace 58), M Healy, C Malley (A McEneff 61), D Watts (J McGovern 82), J Honohan; D Mandroiu (G Burke 58), R Gaffney (M Noonan 82).
ZL Leban; Ž Karničnik, J Nieto, A Tutyškinas, Ł Bejger; D Hrka (P Daniel 55), M Kvesić (I Vidovic 83), V Lisakovich (M Avdyli 55); N Iosifov, D Šturm, F Kovačević (M Poplatnik 83).
Ondřej Berka (CZE) Attendance: 6,076.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
