UEFA Europa League Qualifier Report: Sheriff Tiraspol 1 - 1 Dundalk (Dundalk win 5-3 on penalties)

Dundalk are just one win away from a return to the Europa League group stages after they fought back from a nightmarish start to emerge victorious, after penalties, on a memorable night in Transnistria.

Captain Chris Shields struck the decisive fifth penalty after Gary Rogers had saved Faith Obilor’s spotkick to book a date at the Aviva Stadium with Faroese side Kí Klaksvik, who beat Dinamo Tbilisi of Georgia 6-1.

The Lilywhites had trailed early on in Stadionul Sheriff in Tiraspol to Beaceslav Posmac’s opener, but Sean Murray equalised on the stroke of half time and the teams couldn’t be separated.

The opening minutes of this game broke Dundalk hearts and almost their hopes. In the eight minute, Posmac thundered into the Dundalk box to head past Gary Rogers,

Given Dundalk’s recent run of poor form, fans could be forgiven for turning off the jumpy feed showing the game.

Compounding their misery was Sean Gannon’s injury minutes later. Unsurprisingly Dundalk looked rocked after these two blows and it could well have turned into ‘one of those nights’.

But as the game matured, so too did Dundalk, and their resolve (the television engineers got their act together too). The Louth side looked more comfortable on the ball and began to string passes together.

Something clicked in the game, the team looked more cohesive, hungrier than they have so far this season.

The extra yards off the ball to win back possession was inspiring. And have possession they did, for swarthes of the game.

Dundalk showed the courage to overcome their poor start and, although clear-cut chances were at a premium, there was a sense they could rise to the occasion.

Murray was the hero needed. Enabled by Michael Duffy’s cross, he headed past Zvonimir on the cusp of half time. It was no less than Dundalk deserved and a timely tonic to start the second half on a level footing.

The Moldovans’ game-plan in the second half seemed to centre in on disrupting Dundalk from playing.

They resorted to more direct football and fouled insistently when the Lilywhite players got by them. A compliment of the highest order.

And then, at long last it looked as if Greg Sloggett put Dundalk ahead on 71 minutes: Hoban challenged with the ‘keeper for the ball and looked to have nicked it, Sloggett’s diving header pushing it home.

But referee Aleksandar Stavrev, of North Macedonia, chose to give a free out. It seemed harsh. The absence of a replay of the incident on the big screen was, perhaps, telling.

Duffy was causing all sorts of problems and Shields was the start of so much of what was good about Dundalk, and the end of so many Sheriff moves. There were great individual performances across the park, buoying the team up.

Filippo Giovagnoli introduced Patrick McEleney in an effort to break down the stubborn Sheriff vanguard, but huff and puff as they might, Dundalk couldn’t nab a goal in normal time.

In extra time, Dundalk still looked more likely to create something from play. But, to their credit, the Sheriff defence stood strong and their centre backs gallantly protected their besieged box.

With the time on the clock running out, surety that Dundalk would convert their dominance to a score started to fade.

You’d be forgiven for thinking the tired Moldovan Champions, on the face of it, would have been far happier to see penalties on the horizon. But they did rally late.

Indeed, as extra time closed, there were a few nervy moments for the visitors, as Sheriff peppered the Dundalk box with balls. The Moldovans appeared to be getting a second wind right at the end.

It would have been a very remarkable, and unfair steal, had the home side snatched it at the death. Dundalk sat deep, something they hadn’t done all game and composed themselves to see the game out.

Then came the penalties, the oft lauded lottery of football (why not check out our live updates section to relive the tension).

Stefan Colovic eased nerves with his initial penalty, but Rifet Kapic was his equal to make it one apiece.

Hoban showed no hesitation in taking a penalty after some recent misses, and he powered it home, before Gary Rogers made a crucial save from defender Obilor.

So long as Dundalk scored theirs, they were through; Sean Hoare, McEleney and, finally, Shields did the needful, propelling Dundalk through in a famous night for the club.

1-1 after 120 minutes of open play and 5-3 on penalties, this enthralling game defied the omens of the opening phases to see Dundalk bounce back to a well-deserved victory.

A date in Oriel against Shamrock Rovers is next, but the journey home will seem all the shorter after another memorable European victory for the Irish Champions.

Sheriff Tiraspol: Zvonimir Mikulic; Ousmane N’Diaye, Faith Friday Obilor, Veacesalav Posmac, Cristiano; Ionut Peteleu (Charles Petro, 63), Benedkt Mioc (Max Veloso,100), Willam Parra, Andriy Blyznychenko Frank Castaneda, Dimitris Kolovos (Dabney Dos Santos, 88).

Subs not used: Dumitru Celeandnic (gk), Sebastian Dahlstroem, Richard Gadze, Rifet Kapic.

Booked: Veaceslav Posmac (38), Andrei Peteleu (61), Ousmane N’Diaye (90), Max Veloso (100).

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon (John Mountney 13 [Daniel Kelly,88]), Brian Gartland, Daniel Cleary, Darragh Leahy; Greg Sloggett, Chris Shields, Sean Murray (Patrick McEleney, 72), Michael Duffy (Stefan Colovic, 102); Patrick Hoban.

Subs not used: Aaron McCarey (gk), William Patching, David McMillian.

Booked: Sean Murray (69), Chris Shields (70), Filippo Giovagnoli (107).

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia).

Extratime.com Player of the Match: Chris Shields (Dundalk).