Shaktar Donetsk claim narrow win over Shamrock Rovers
NARROW LOSS: Mykola Matviyenko of Shakhtar celebrates after his side score their second goaL. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
If Shamrock Rovers want to test the boundaries of their success, they’d better get used to comfort-zone free challenges like this.
Five titles in the space of six years cements their status as the team of their generation but manager Stephen Bradley continues to strive from more.
Last season’s march through the Conference League phase to the knockout stages was unprecedented, yet it’s the superior levels in the Europa and Champions League equivalents that the ambitious boss yearns for a barometer.
Shakhtar Donetsk have dined at the top table for years, reaching the group phase of the Premier competition for eight seasons in a row.
Their scalps include Manchester City in 2018, Benfica in 2020 and Real Madrid, both home and away, the following season.
There was also the 2023 victory over Barcelona to reach their first knockout stage for five years.
Last year’s relinquishment of their Ukrainian title tumbled them into the Europa. Only a shock defeat to Panathinaikos in a penalty shootout deepened the plummet to the third tier.
Chelsea didn’t mind inhabiting that company last season, beating Rovers along the way to lifting the trophy that they felt acted as a catalyst for that strange mantle of world club champions.
Bradley was correct to circle these opponents as the toughest of any they faced on their European circuit this season.
He’ll be pleased that they pushed the Brazilian-influenced outfit to the slenderest of triumphs while also bemoaning how they spurned opportunities of daring to dream of their best European result of this purple patch of years.
Nobody could argue that the visitors deserved their interval lead through Kaua Elias but a litany of spurned Hoops chances preceded the second, a deflected free-kick by Yehor Nazaryna, with 13 minutes left.
Rovers survived a third disallowed by VAR for offside to push late on and were rewarded by a first for the club by Conor Malley, part of a treble substitution for the last 20 minutes.
A point here, adding to the one they accrued last time out away to AEK Athens, would have set Rovers up nicely heading into the final two matches of the six-games series in December.
Although Breidablik (Iceland) and Hamrun Spartans (Malta) were always going to the best windows for wins, the margin of error is watertight if they’re to launch a late revival to excavate a playoff in February for a last -16 berth.
Shakhtar’s model centres on moulding the finest of their domestic talent with gems recruited from South America, capable of being sold off for multiples.
That was the case here with all five Ukrainian starters being full internationals. They were complemented by Georgian international Irakli Azarovi and five precious Brazilians. Former Barcelona player Arda Turan could even afford to introduce two additional Ukrainian internationals within his first substitution.
Maybe Rovers being idle since completing the double 18 days ago explained their turgid start. That was seized upon by the Ukrainians seeking to expand their points haul to nine, neat interplay dissecting the defence.
A shot cleared off the line sounded the warning that elevated to a stunning breakthrough midway through the half.
A fusion of Ukrainian steel, via Dmytro Kryskiv’s role, and Brazilian brilliance combined to drag the Rovers rearguard out of position. Kaua Elias was well-placed to stab Vinicius Tobias' cross home from close range.
John McGovern had the best openings for a leveller, nodding Danny Grant’s cross wide nine minutes before the break before he saw his shot hacked off the line after being forced wide.
Soon after the break, Bradley went into the referee’s book for seeking a penalty when Grant hit the deck. From the resultant corner, goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk was required to dive full stretch to deny Matt Healy’s rising rocket.
The crowd of 9,226 featured a portion of the Ukrainian populace re-settled in Ireland since Russia’s invasion three years ago and they were treated to a thrilling climax.
Ed McGinty went from producing a wonder-save to being wrongfooted by a free that deflected off Graham Buke in the wall.
Malley made it interesting but Rovers will head to Iceland in a fortnight once again learning the importance of ruthlessness at this level.
E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, L Grace; D Grant, D Watts (A Greene 88), M Healy, C O’Sullivan; D Nugent (C Malley 69), J McGovern (M Noonan 68); R Gaffney (G Burke 68).
: D Riznyk; V Tobias, V Bondar, M Matviyenko, I Azarovi (O Ocheretko 74); Y Nazaryna, D Kryskiv (A Bondarenko 74); Newerton, Isaque, Lucas Ferreira (Pedro Henrique 74); Kauã Elias.
Filip Glova (SVK) Attendance: 9226.
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