Hoops up against it in Finland after letting first-leg lead slip

Shamrock Rovers' Manager Stephen Bradley acknowledges the fans after the game. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

UEFA Conference League Play-off Qualification round (first leg): Shamrock Rovers 1 KuPS Kuopio 1 

The concession of a late equaliser leaves Shamrock Rovers with it all to do in Finland next week if they are to make it four Conference League group/league phase qualifications in five years.

While they have impressed at home, and did so for much of the night again here, Rovers have conceded nine goals in losing all three away legs in Europe this season.

Enda Stevens, veteran of their first ever European group stage qualification 15 years ago, rolled back the year to look set to emerge Rovers’ hero on the night when putting them ahead early the second half.

Negligent defending undid Rovers, though, to allow Piotr Parzyszek level five minutes from time and leave KuPS in the driving seat ahead of the second leg.

The eight-times Finnish champions are currently five points clear in the Veikkausliiga having lost just once in 20 games this season to date.

They brought decent recent European pedigree to Dublin 24 having lost just once in their six Conference League league phase games last year, including a most creditable 2-2 draw away to eventual competition winners Crystal Palace, before exiting to Lech Poznan in the play-off knockout round.

As with Rovers, KuPS started four senior internationals, if a little diverse in comparison with caps from Finland, Ghana, Gambia while striker Jaime Moreno has scored 15 times in 49 appearances for Nicaragua.

Hoops’ boss Stephen Bradley unsurprisingly opted for an experienced side, with Roberto Lopes, Stevens, Dylan Watts, Graham Burke and Matt Healy among six changes from that which surrendered a 2-0 lead in being dumped out of the FAI Cup at St Patrick’s Athletic last Sunday.

As the teams sized each other up, the game had a cagey opening, a promising Rovers move on 12 minutes seeing Jonathan Afolabi’s shot blocked by Argentine Valentin Gasc.

Rovers were enjoying good spells of possession with Jack Byrne and Burke orchestrating proceedings from midfield.

But it was 28 minutes before they really opened KuPS up. Stevens, left of a back three, did well to get forward to cross from the end line. Though defender Kasim Nuhu nicked the ball off the toe of Afolabi, it broke for the well-positioned Tunmise Sobowale who merely succeeded in blazing wasteful over the top.

Burke worked Johannes Kreidl between the KuPS post for the first time with a right-footed drive while Sobowale had a shot blocked to win Hoops’ first corner on 35 minutes as they probed further in what transpired as a frustrating first half for the home side.

That changed within four minutes of the restart when Rovers’ deserved lead arrived.

Byrne’s free kick wasn’t gathered by Kreidl under pressure from Lee Grace. The ball dropped for Watts whose looping header came back off the crossbar. Stevens would pounce on the loose ball to volley a side-footer to the corner of the net. A short VAR check, for a possible foul by Grace on the goalkeeper, gave the goal.

With the game opened up, substitute Danny Mandroiu was inches from doubling Hoops' lead on with a clever effort on 77 minutes.

Picked out by Sobowale, Mandroiu’s hoodwinked the defence with a concealed shot that came back out off Kreidl’s left hand post.

Rovers then survived a right let-off a minute later when the Finns’ sub Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba raced in behind the home defence only to scuff his shot wide of the far post.

But KuPS weren’t to be denied as they chased the game late on.

First Ed McGinty made a fine save to parry away an 85th minute drive from Gustav Engvall.

Scarcely a minute later fellow substitute Parzszek nipped in ahead of Lopes to meet Bob Nii Armah’s acred ball into the area and steer it past McGinty.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Grace, Lopes, Stevens; Sobowale (Brennan, 80), Watts, Healy, Byrne (Mandroiu, 69), Fitzgerald; Burke (Noonan, 68); Afolabi (Greene, 68).

KuPS Kuopio: Kreidl; Savolainen, Magassa, Nuhu, Antwi; Gasc, Touray (Engvall, 77); Jyry, Pennanen (Parzyszek, 58), Armah (Kujaslo, 87); Moreno (Luyeye-Lutumba, 58).

Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark).

Attendance: 4,522.