Shamrock Rovers' rescue mission falls short as Champions League journey ends
Bruno Wilson of Ararat-Armenia celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Shamrock Rovers didn’t put a foot wrong for 74 minutes in their pursuit of an extended Champions League stay and the come-from-behind win that would have secured Conference League group phase football at a minimum.
They enjoyed 17 attempts on goal compared to Ararat’s five, but Rovers’ only lapse in concentration and judgement proved a costly one as Sandro Lima scored to send the Armenian champions through and leave the Hoops contemplating their switch into the Europa League and a clash with Albanian outfit Egnatia here next week.
Two weeks ago against the Maltese side Floriana, Rovers made history by becoming the first League of Ireland club to overturn a two-goal, first-leg deficit to progress in a European competition.
They needed to repeat the same trick here, but were full value for their two-goal lead at half-time. Another great escape was on the cards.
It might have been a different sort of night altogether had Lima turned the ball home at the far post when at full stretch in the opening minutes.
But World Cup hero Pico Lopes did just enough to put him off and, relieved to be let off the hook, Rovers never looked back thereafter.
They played with a tremendous swagger and the intricate nature of their stitched-together passing left Ararat tied up in knots at times, with goalscorer Matt Healy and Jack Byrne superb at linking the best of Rovers’ play, with the right side proving a rewarding avenue of attack.
And just as they did against Floriana, Rovers ate into their aggregate deficit early and often. Their opening goal came in the 12th minute, when Healy swept home left-footed from the edge of the box after a brilliant move down the right involving Graham Burke, Byrne and Aaron Greene, who provided the assist on the turn.
The English match officials - referee Sam Barrott will take charge of the upcoming Community Shield decider between Arsenal and Manchester City - took five minutes to clear the goal on a VAR check, but it was the foothold Rovers needed.
They continued to apply pressure and although Dylan Watts fired wide, the build-up play itself was something to behold with every outfield player in a green and white shirt playing some part in a two-minute display of keep ball with intent.
Ararat struggled to escape their own half, never mind test goalkeeper Ed McGinty.
On a rare counter, Max Carlier fired high and wide from distance with all sorts of anger and pent-up frustration dripping from the wild strike. Very little was going their way.
Adam Brennan, the livewire teenager capped by Ireland in Canada last month, headed over from close range but Rovers got the second goal that their tenacious approach deserved with nine minutes to go before the break.
Alexandros Malis undercooked a backpass to his goalkeeper Joao Bravim who was immediately hounded by Greene. Byrne snaffled the loose ball, rounded the Brazilian keeper and squared for Greene to tap home at close range.
Rovers had done all the hard work to claw their way back into the tie - now they needed to finish it off and win.
They retained their hold into the second-half with Bravim at full-stretch to keep out a Lopes header before Burke drilled straight at the goalkeeper from 10 yards when teed up by Brennan.
And yet Shamrock Rovers’ night of adventure and graft counted for nothing as the Armenian champions landed a killer blow that few among the 6,731 attendance saw coming when Lima stabbed home Franca’s ball across the face of goal with 16 minutes to go.
It punctured the mood at Tallaght Stadium, but not the home side’s endeavour as Byrne and Lopes both went close to forcing extra-time late on, but it wasn’t to be for Stephen Bradley’s men who have Europa League football to focus on now.
McGinty; Sobowale, Lopes, Grace (Mandroiu 85); Mulraney (Stevens 78), Watts (Razi 85), Healy, Brennan; Byrne, Burke (Noonan 88); Greene (Afolabi 77).
: Bravim; Bueno, Bruno Wilson, Malis; Oliveira, Carlier (Ayvazyan 84), Muradyan, Grigoryan; Serobyan (Franca 72), Lima, Banjaqui (Shaghoyan 84) Referee: S Barrott (England)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
