The Road to the Europa League Groups
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On August 25th 2011, Shamrock Rovers made history by becoming the first Irish mens side to qualify for a senior European competition. Expectations weren’t overly high from Hoops supporters ahead of their European campaign, but they had no idea of the history about to be made right before their eyes.
Despite a record of European competition that stretches back to 1957 and includes 22 campaigns, Rovers had never progressed through a Champions League (or European Cup) round. The last time the Hoops took part in this competition was in 1987 when it was still titled the European Cup and the club suffered a first round exit at the hands of Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia.
Shamrock Rovers were drawn against Estonian side Flora Talinn. In contrast to Rovers, Flora made their European debut as recently as 1994 when they went out of the UEFA Cup at the first time of asking, losing 6-0 on aggregate to Danish side Odense BK. Rovers also competed in the UEFA Cup that year, going out at the same stage to Gornik Zabrze of Poland by an aggregate score of 8-0.
Their journey started back in July. A home tie against Estonian side Flora Talinn was Rovers first task; a task many expected them to complete successfully.
Shamrock Rovers Gary Twigg in action again Talinn (Image by George Kelly)
Champions League Second Qualifying Round, First Leg: Shamrock Rovers v Flora Talinn.
The bookmakers had Rovers favourites going into this tie, with a partisan (pun intended) crowd behind them, confidence was high in south Dublin. A key aspect to Rovers’ success in this European campaign was the video analysis of opposition sides. In this particular occurrence, O’Neill had the opposition scouted. “I wasn’t able to make it out to Tallinn, but we have looked at them and done our research. We expect it to be a stiff test for us, but we do feel that we are capable of progressing through the tie, if we play to our abilities.”
As referee Jakob Kehlet of Denmark blew his whistle to begin proceedings, he may aswell have just skipped to the half hour mark, as all the action took place within a four minute spell. Craig Sives firstly took down Markus Jurgenson inside the box, and the Danish referee has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. In what was to be his second last ever game for the club, Alan Mannus produced a fine save to deny Silm Luts from twelve yards.
In a matter of moments, Rovers got their first goal of the European campaign. As Ronan Finn broke on the right, he centred well to pick out Turner. His original shot was fumbled by the Talinn keeper, and the same man, Turner, smashed home from a minimal distance to send Tallaght into raptures.
The game filtered out without any real threat from Talinn, although Rovers’ Dean Kelly did have a goal disallowed for offside. Part one of their task was completed, but Rovers knew their trip to Estonia would be a far more daunting task.
Champions League Second Qualifying Round, Second Leg: Flora Talinn v Shamrock Rovers.
After dominating the first leg, Rovers knew they had the better of their Estonian counterparts, but every Hoops fan feared that they would rue their missed opportunities to score a second goal in Tallaght. Rovers brought a huge travelling support to Talinn for this one, and perhaps that was the deciding factor in what was a decisive night for the club.
Rovers dominated once again from the very first whistle. Intelligent defending was the key in the first half, with Rovers pushing up their back four to constantly frustrate the lone striker Henri Anier. Flora's approach play often looked threatening but their shooting was generally poor. Ronan Finn had a great chance for Rovers on 21 minutes, scuffing his shot wide inside the Flora box. Enda Stevens had put a good cross in from the left for Gary Twigg, who headed it down for Finn.
The second half appeared to be just a countdown until Rovers would score. Unfortunately for the away fans, that goal wouldn’t arrive despite good chances for Dean Kelly and Chris Turner. Another pinpoint cross from Enda Stevens found the head of Dean Kelly on 83 minutes, but Flora 'keeper Pedok pushed it wide. Flora had a free-kick just a few yards from the Rovers penalty area on 90 minutes, but Anier put the shot well over. Rovers saw out the last few minutes without too much worry, sealing their meeting with FC Copenhagen in the third round.
Shamrock Rovers fans artwork (Image by Fergus McNally)
Champions League Third Qualifying Round, First Leg: FC Copenhagen v Shamrock Rovers.
In what must have been seen as a stressful week for O’Neill, the Northern Irish native was extremely calm about his side entering the biggest game the club had seen. A win in this two-legged affair would see Rovers guaranteed at least a spot in the Europa League group stages.
Rovers were to make do without Karl Sheppard and Stephen O’Donnell due to injury and Chris Turner due to suspension. However, Rovers knew what was required, and the words of Michael O’Neill were spread around Tallaght. "Preparation has been going well and we're all looking forward to the game. We know it will be a big challenge for us facing Copenhagen, but we are ready to face it.”
No man, woman or child expected Rovers to do overly well in Denmark. Their opposition had qualified for the last sixteen of the competition last year, and has secured a draw against Barcelona. However, the Hoops were to surprise everyone with the resiliency they showed in Copenhagen.
The game began however, as planned for the home side. Solvi Otteson scored for Copenhagen in the early stages, with many people writing off Rovers’ chances within five minutes. It was however, the home fans that would boo their side of the pitch by the end of this one.
Rovers could have easily succumbed to the charm of their illustrious opponents after the early sucker punch, but up stepped Conor McCormack and Stephen Rice to steady the ship, and showed that the Hoops could be as composed on the ball as anyone.
The best chance for Rovers arrived just ten minutes after the restart when a perfectly floated by Gary McCabe found Ken Oman, whose header was just inches wide. This was to be Rovers’ biggest opportunity, and their last.
The remainder of the game became a test of Rovers’ nerve and an evaluation of their defensive mechanisms was to begin. Copenhagen pressed more and more players up the pitch, and Rovers had to subsequently deal with the added threats. Heroic defence aswell as fantastic organisation yielded a full time whistle that brought about a feeling of hope, and a certain level of optimism. A result was possible.
Champions League Third Qualifying Round, Second Leg: Shamrock Rovers v FC Copenhagen.
Michael O’Neill was in a confident mood ahead of what, at the time, must surely have been the most important game of his managerial career in terms of prestige, pressure and potential cash rewards. He was calm due to the amount of preparation gone into this tie and he believed both himself and his squad knew all they possibly could about their opponents ahead of their Tallaght showdown.
Michael O’Neill spoke ahead of the tie. He said: “They haven’t conceded at home, which I’m sure they’re delighted with. They hold the advantage in the tie, they’re fully aware of, if they manage to score, how strong of a position that is. We obviously have to play in the same kind of mindset we played in last week. We might have to wait longer into the game before we believe we can take the upper hand. It won’t be an approach where we look to score straight from the off. We have to approach it in a sensible fashion, not a reckless one. Conceding a goal puts us in a very tough position, so we have to keep the tie as tight as possible. We’re well capable of scoring, but hopefully we can more bodies in the box than we were able to out in Copenhagen.”
As Tallaght stadium was decorated with elaborate fan displays and the die-hard roar of support echoed far into the Wicklow Mountains, the players entered a cauldron of noise. Rovers took a foothold in the game, and deserved to lead after just eighteen minutes when a sublime Enda Stevens cross was met by the head of Chris Turner who saw his effort crash off the bar and back into play. Rovers may look back on this moment and wonder what may have happened had it gone in. It was a certainly a “what if” moment.
After this opportunity passed Rovers by, it seemed to encourage the Danes, who began to claw their way back into the tie. They got their goal, perhaps undeservingly with just three minutes to go until the break. Christan Bolanos took the corner, which was deflected to the foot of Dame N’Doye at the back post. He side footed past Thompson to put the tie beyond Rovers.
A battling performance ensued from Rovers in the second half, although even the most optimistic of players wouldn’t have found reason to believe three goals were on the agenda. With seventeen minutes left, the result was confirmed. Bolanos was on hand to tap home after N’Doye’s header was magnificently saved by ‘keeper Ryan Thompson. Rovers were deflated, but they were still only a two legged tie away from Europe.
Shamrock Rovers hero Pat Sullivan in action (Image by George Kelly)
Europa League Playoff Round, First Leg: Shamrock Rovers v Partizan Belgrade.
The general reception of this tie was positive, if not somewhat pessimistic regarding the away tie. Belgrade is an extremely hostile environment, and somewhat of a fortress for Partizan. A result was highly possible at home, but going to Serbia was going to be as tough a task as Juventus was, given the surroundings.
Partizan had dominated their domestic league in recent years and in their four title winning seasons they have also managed to add three Serbian Cups. Aleksandar Stanojevic’s men also opened their latest league campaign with a 5-0 win over FK Novi Pazar, a game that Rovers’ boss Michael O’Neill attended. Partizan had played almost 200 European games throughout their history and reached the European Cup final in 1966 when they lost 2-1 to Real Madrid. More recently they reached the last 16 of the Champion’s League in 2004/05 and made it to the Group stages in the 2010/11 season where they failed to win a single point, losing 3-1 (home and away) to Arsenal.
O’Neill reported his findings on Partizan before the first leg in South Dublin. He said: “They have very good players in the middle of the park, Sasa Ilic is one. Vukic is another player with great technical ability who’s played at some of the top clubs in Europe. They play a very technical kind of game with a lot of movement through the middle of the park. I think if we can manage to stifle that it will give us a good platform to go and play from there.”
Prior to the game Rovers’ boss Michael O’Neill had stressed the need for discipline and concentration among his men. The scale of the task was epic as they sought to overcome a side that had the technical ability to punish any errors and this seemed to foster a sense of foreboding among the ranks of the home team.
The early stages of the encounter saw Partizan move the ball freely around the pitch, with Rovers showing a little too much respect to their visitors if anything. The visitors made the most of this, as sloppy defending from Enda Stevens allowed Rankovic to find Jovancic in behind the right channel. He crossed for Tomic, who had the easiest of finished to put Partizan in front. However, as the half progressed, Rovers obeyed their call of duty and began to close down Belgrade in every area of the pitch – this lifted the home crowd. Half time arrived and the first half proved that Rovers were more than capable of coming away with a result.
As the game was drawing to a close in the second half, O’Neill introduced the tireless Ciaran Kilduff. His energy made a difference and upped the tempo of Rovers’ attacks. In the 81st minute, Tallaght erupted. Gary McCabe strode forward from midfield, slipped past Medo and played a delicate one-two with Twigg. He poked the ball past the last defender and then tucked it wide of Stojkovic and into the Partizan net.
Rovers left with a well deserved point from Tallaght, but with Partizan now having an away goal, and a monstrous home support awaiting them in Serbia, the boys from Belgrade were hot favourites going into the second leg.
Europa League Playoff Round, Second Leg: Partizan Belgrade v Shamrock Rovers.
“The Serbian Showdown” - the biggest game in terms of Irish football's progression in European competition. Some bookmakers had Rovers priced as long as 11/1 to progress. If only they had known the heroics about to unfold in Belgrade.
Judging by the noise levels alone, it would be easy to mistake the 16,000 strong crowd for a six figure attendance. The Rovers players were booed as they arrived on for their warm-up. Tension rose, hairs stood on backs of necks, and somehow expectation levels remained as low as they had always been.
The ball was centred off. There was no turning back at this stage, Rovers had to score. The first half was forty five minutes of complete domination from the home side, as expected. Partizan were unlucky not to be in front sooner than they were. The goal arrived for FK Partizan after 35 minutes when a lapse in concentration from Rovers allowed Vladimir Volkov to head home from all of six yards. Heads were down.
Rovers spent most of the remaining ten minutes praying for the whistle, due to enormous amounts of pressure from the Serbians. Eventually, the whistle sounded, and Michael O’Neill's men could enjoy fifteen minutes of respite. Whatever was said in those fifteen minutes by O’Neill should be put into print, framed, and hung in the dressing rooms at Tallaght Stadium, because a different side emerged for the second forty-five, this new machine was hungry for success.
Within fifteen minutes of the restart, arrived what will most likely be the most coveted and repeated clip in the history of domestic football in this country. As McCabe swung in the corner, Pat Sullivan lingered on the edge of the perimeter. As the ball was cleared, from all of twenty five yards out, Sullivan swung his right boot at it, and in the space of a second which felt like an eternity, the ball floated through the air, and nestled into the bottom corner of the Partizan net.
Rovers looked as though they would get the extra thirty minutes that their performance deserved. A few late scares from Stefan Babovic almost caught out the hoops, but the full time whistle sounded, and the extra period beckoned.
The decisive tactical change arrived after the century of minutes had elapsed. Ciaran Kilduff replaced Gary Twigg. It was Kilduff’s energy that would eventually allow for the most glorious moment in the history of Irish football to occur. It was the ex-Galway mans positioning which allowed him into space just inside the Partizan box. His shot was parried, only to find the feet of inrushing team mate Karl Sheppard. Sheppard took his touch around Ilic and looked up to see the referee indicate the award of a penalty kick. Stephen O’Donnell is the name that will go down in history as being the man to send Shamrock Rovers into Europe as his calmly slotted penalty found the back of the Partizan net. The full time whistle sounded only moments later. It was in this moment that dreams became reality, and the club who had been through so much heartbreak, so much drama and so much hardship had finally broken through, into Europe.
From almost certain extinction in 2005, to First Division champions in 2006, to the building of Tallaght in 2009, to their first League success in 2010 for over fifteen years. Shamrock Rovers had done it. The promised land had been reached, the holy grail for Irish clubs had been found, and it had been found by Shamrock Rovers.
Despite a record of European competition that stretches back to 1957 and includes 22 campaigns, Rovers had never progressed through a Champions League (or European Cup) round. The last time the Hoops took part in this competition was in 1987 when it was still titled the European Cup and the club suffered a first round exit at the hands of Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia.
Shamrock Rovers were drawn against Estonian side Flora Talinn. In contrast to Rovers, Flora made their European debut as recently as 1994 when they went out of the UEFA Cup at the first time of asking, losing 6-0 on aggregate to Danish side Odense BK. Rovers also competed in the UEFA Cup that year, going out at the same stage to Gornik Zabrze of Poland by an aggregate score of 8-0.
Their journey started back in July. A home tie against Estonian side Flora Talinn was Rovers first task; a task many expected them to complete successfully.
The bookmakers had Rovers favourites going into this tie, with a partisan (pun intended) crowd behind them, confidence was high in south Dublin. A key aspect to Rovers’ success in this European campaign was the video analysis of opposition sides. In this particular occurrence, O’Neill had the opposition scouted. “I wasn’t able to make it out to Tallinn, but we have looked at them and done our research. We expect it to be a stiff test for us, but we do feel that we are capable of progressing through the tie, if we play to our abilities.”
As referee Jakob Kehlet of Denmark blew his whistle to begin proceedings, he may aswell have just skipped to the half hour mark, as all the action took place within a four minute spell. Craig Sives firstly took down Markus Jurgenson inside the box, and the Danish referee has no hesitation in pointing to the spot. In what was to be his second last ever game for the club, Alan Mannus produced a fine save to deny Silm Luts from twelve yards.
In a matter of moments, Rovers got their first goal of the European campaign. As Ronan Finn broke on the right, he centred well to pick out Turner. His original shot was fumbled by the Talinn keeper, and the same man, Turner, smashed home from a minimal distance to send Tallaght into raptures.
The game filtered out without any real threat from Talinn, although Rovers’ Dean Kelly did have a goal disallowed for offside. Part one of their task was completed, but Rovers knew their trip to Estonia would be a far more daunting task.
Champions League Second Qualifying Round, Second Leg: Flora Talinn v Shamrock Rovers.
After dominating the first leg, Rovers knew they had the better of their Estonian counterparts, but every Hoops fan feared that they would rue their missed opportunities to score a second goal in Tallaght. Rovers brought a huge travelling support to Talinn for this one, and perhaps that was the deciding factor in what was a decisive night for the club.
Rovers dominated once again from the very first whistle. Intelligent defending was the key in the first half, with Rovers pushing up their back four to constantly frustrate the lone striker Henri Anier. Flora's approach play often looked threatening but their shooting was generally poor. Ronan Finn had a great chance for Rovers on 21 minutes, scuffing his shot wide inside the Flora box. Enda Stevens had put a good cross in from the left for Gary Twigg, who headed it down for Finn.
The second half appeared to be just a countdown until Rovers would score. Unfortunately for the away fans, that goal wouldn’t arrive despite good chances for Dean Kelly and Chris Turner. Another pinpoint cross from Enda Stevens found the head of Dean Kelly on 83 minutes, but Flora 'keeper Pedok pushed it wide. Flora had a free-kick just a few yards from the Rovers penalty area on 90 minutes, but Anier put the shot well over. Rovers saw out the last few minutes without too much worry, sealing their meeting with FC Copenhagen in the third round.
In what must have been seen as a stressful week for O’Neill, the Northern Irish native was extremely calm about his side entering the biggest game the club had seen. A win in this two-legged affair would see Rovers guaranteed at least a spot in the Europa League group stages.
Rovers were to make do without Karl Sheppard and Stephen O’Donnell due to injury and Chris Turner due to suspension. However, Rovers knew what was required, and the words of Michael O’Neill were spread around Tallaght. "Preparation has been going well and we're all looking forward to the game. We know it will be a big challenge for us facing Copenhagen, but we are ready to face it.”
No man, woman or child expected Rovers to do overly well in Denmark. Their opposition had qualified for the last sixteen of the competition last year, and has secured a draw against Barcelona. However, the Hoops were to surprise everyone with the resiliency they showed in Copenhagen.
The game began however, as planned for the home side. Solvi Otteson scored for Copenhagen in the early stages, with many people writing off Rovers’ chances within five minutes. It was however, the home fans that would boo their side of the pitch by the end of this one.
Rovers could have easily succumbed to the charm of their illustrious opponents after the early sucker punch, but up stepped Conor McCormack and Stephen Rice to steady the ship, and showed that the Hoops could be as composed on the ball as anyone.
The best chance for Rovers arrived just ten minutes after the restart when a perfectly floated by Gary McCabe found Ken Oman, whose header was just inches wide. This was to be Rovers’ biggest opportunity, and their last.
The remainder of the game became a test of Rovers’ nerve and an evaluation of their defensive mechanisms was to begin. Copenhagen pressed more and more players up the pitch, and Rovers had to subsequently deal with the added threats. Heroic defence aswell as fantastic organisation yielded a full time whistle that brought about a feeling of hope, and a certain level of optimism. A result was possible.
Champions League Third Qualifying Round, Second Leg: Shamrock Rovers v FC Copenhagen.
Michael O’Neill was in a confident mood ahead of what, at the time, must surely have been the most important game of his managerial career in terms of prestige, pressure and potential cash rewards. He was calm due to the amount of preparation gone into this tie and he believed both himself and his squad knew all they possibly could about their opponents ahead of their Tallaght showdown.
Michael O’Neill spoke ahead of the tie. He said: “They haven’t conceded at home, which I’m sure they’re delighted with. They hold the advantage in the tie, they’re fully aware of, if they manage to score, how strong of a position that is. We obviously have to play in the same kind of mindset we played in last week. We might have to wait longer into the game before we believe we can take the upper hand. It won’t be an approach where we look to score straight from the off. We have to approach it in a sensible fashion, not a reckless one. Conceding a goal puts us in a very tough position, so we have to keep the tie as tight as possible. We’re well capable of scoring, but hopefully we can more bodies in the box than we were able to out in Copenhagen.”
As Tallaght stadium was decorated with elaborate fan displays and the die-hard roar of support echoed far into the Wicklow Mountains, the players entered a cauldron of noise. Rovers took a foothold in the game, and deserved to lead after just eighteen minutes when a sublime Enda Stevens cross was met by the head of Chris Turner who saw his effort crash off the bar and back into play. Rovers may look back on this moment and wonder what may have happened had it gone in. It was a certainly a “what if” moment.
After this opportunity passed Rovers by, it seemed to encourage the Danes, who began to claw their way back into the tie. They got their goal, perhaps undeservingly with just three minutes to go until the break. Christan Bolanos took the corner, which was deflected to the foot of Dame N’Doye at the back post. He side footed past Thompson to put the tie beyond Rovers.
A battling performance ensued from Rovers in the second half, although even the most optimistic of players wouldn’t have found reason to believe three goals were on the agenda. With seventeen minutes left, the result was confirmed. Bolanos was on hand to tap home after N’Doye’s header was magnificently saved by ‘keeper Ryan Thompson. Rovers were deflated, but they were still only a two legged tie away from Europe.
The general reception of this tie was positive, if not somewhat pessimistic regarding the away tie. Belgrade is an extremely hostile environment, and somewhat of a fortress for Partizan. A result was highly possible at home, but going to Serbia was going to be as tough a task as Juventus was, given the surroundings.
Partizan had dominated their domestic league in recent years and in their four title winning seasons they have also managed to add three Serbian Cups. Aleksandar Stanojevic’s men also opened their latest league campaign with a 5-0 win over FK Novi Pazar, a game that Rovers’ boss Michael O’Neill attended. Partizan had played almost 200 European games throughout their history and reached the European Cup final in 1966 when they lost 2-1 to Real Madrid. More recently they reached the last 16 of the Champion’s League in 2004/05 and made it to the Group stages in the 2010/11 season where they failed to win a single point, losing 3-1 (home and away) to Arsenal.
O’Neill reported his findings on Partizan before the first leg in South Dublin. He said: “They have very good players in the middle of the park, Sasa Ilic is one. Vukic is another player with great technical ability who’s played at some of the top clubs in Europe. They play a very technical kind of game with a lot of movement through the middle of the park. I think if we can manage to stifle that it will give us a good platform to go and play from there.”
Prior to the game Rovers’ boss Michael O’Neill had stressed the need for discipline and concentration among his men. The scale of the task was epic as they sought to overcome a side that had the technical ability to punish any errors and this seemed to foster a sense of foreboding among the ranks of the home team.
The early stages of the encounter saw Partizan move the ball freely around the pitch, with Rovers showing a little too much respect to their visitors if anything. The visitors made the most of this, as sloppy defending from Enda Stevens allowed Rankovic to find Jovancic in behind the right channel. He crossed for Tomic, who had the easiest of finished to put Partizan in front. However, as the half progressed, Rovers obeyed their call of duty and began to close down Belgrade in every area of the pitch – this lifted the home crowd. Half time arrived and the first half proved that Rovers were more than capable of coming away with a result.
As the game was drawing to a close in the second half, O’Neill introduced the tireless Ciaran Kilduff. His energy made a difference and upped the tempo of Rovers’ attacks. In the 81st minute, Tallaght erupted. Gary McCabe strode forward from midfield, slipped past Medo and played a delicate one-two with Twigg. He poked the ball past the last defender and then tucked it wide of Stojkovic and into the Partizan net.
Rovers left with a well deserved point from Tallaght, but with Partizan now having an away goal, and a monstrous home support awaiting them in Serbia, the boys from Belgrade were hot favourites going into the second leg.
Europa League Playoff Round, Second Leg: Partizan Belgrade v Shamrock Rovers.
“The Serbian Showdown” - the biggest game in terms of Irish football's progression in European competition. Some bookmakers had Rovers priced as long as 11/1 to progress. If only they had known the heroics about to unfold in Belgrade.
Judging by the noise levels alone, it would be easy to mistake the 16,000 strong crowd for a six figure attendance. The Rovers players were booed as they arrived on for their warm-up. Tension rose, hairs stood on backs of necks, and somehow expectation levels remained as low as they had always been.
The ball was centred off. There was no turning back at this stage, Rovers had to score. The first half was forty five minutes of complete domination from the home side, as expected. Partizan were unlucky not to be in front sooner than they were. The goal arrived for FK Partizan after 35 minutes when a lapse in concentration from Rovers allowed Vladimir Volkov to head home from all of six yards. Heads were down.
Rovers spent most of the remaining ten minutes praying for the whistle, due to enormous amounts of pressure from the Serbians. Eventually, the whistle sounded, and Michael O’Neill's men could enjoy fifteen minutes of respite. Whatever was said in those fifteen minutes by O’Neill should be put into print, framed, and hung in the dressing rooms at Tallaght Stadium, because a different side emerged for the second forty-five, this new machine was hungry for success.
Within fifteen minutes of the restart, arrived what will most likely be the most coveted and repeated clip in the history of domestic football in this country. As McCabe swung in the corner, Pat Sullivan lingered on the edge of the perimeter. As the ball was cleared, from all of twenty five yards out, Sullivan swung his right boot at it, and in the space of a second which felt like an eternity, the ball floated through the air, and nestled into the bottom corner of the Partizan net.
Rovers looked as though they would get the extra thirty minutes that their performance deserved. A few late scares from Stefan Babovic almost caught out the hoops, but the full time whistle sounded, and the extra period beckoned.
The decisive tactical change arrived after the century of minutes had elapsed. Ciaran Kilduff replaced Gary Twigg. It was Kilduff’s energy that would eventually allow for the most glorious moment in the history of Irish football to occur. It was the ex-Galway mans positioning which allowed him into space just inside the Partizan box. His shot was parried, only to find the feet of inrushing team mate Karl Sheppard. Sheppard took his touch around Ilic and looked up to see the referee indicate the award of a penalty kick. Stephen O’Donnell is the name that will go down in history as being the man to send Shamrock Rovers into Europe as his calmly slotted penalty found the back of the Partizan net. The full time whistle sounded only moments later. It was in this moment that dreams became reality, and the club who had been through so much heartbreak, so much drama and so much hardship had finally broken through, into Europe.
From almost certain extinction in 2005, to First Division champions in 2006, to the building of Tallaght in 2009, to their first League success in 2010 for over fifteen years. Shamrock Rovers had done it. The promised land had been reached, the holy grail for Irish clubs had been found, and it had been found by Shamrock Rovers.
About Andrew Cunneen
Andrew joined Extratime for the 2010 season and covers all the on-goings down in Limerick. Having first experienced the League of Ireland in 2002, Andrew became hooked, even at such an early age. He is … View Full Profile