- Rónán MacNamara
- Thu, Aug 15 2024
Rónán MacNamara reports from Tallaght Stadium
Shamrock Rovers secured UEFA Conference League Group Stage football for the second time in three seasons, but they will want much more than that as a place in the Europa League proper for the first time since 2011 beckons.
The Hoops needed two attempts to see off NK Celje, but Graham Burke’s extra-time strike capped off a brilliant night, and they will face PAOK in the Europa League playoff round.
‘We’re all going on a European Tour’ echoed around Tallaght Stadium, and it’s a matter of which competition for Stephen Bradley’s side, whose season has been reborn.
The standard of the League of Ireland has been questioned, but for the first time ever, there will be two sides in European playoff action after St Patrick’s Athletic’s heroics in Azerbaijan earlier in the evening, while Rovers have the safety net of the Conference League proper.
Shamrock Rovers thought they had secured European group stage football for the third time in their history after two quickfire goals from Dylan Watts and Neil Farrugia saw the hosts wipe out their first-leg deficit and go in front on aggregate, but a stunning Karnicnik volley seven minutes from time deservedly brought the tie to extra-time.
Having been within touching distance of the Conference League Group Stage, the Hoops deserve credit for how they started the first half of extra-time, although they were dealt a huge slice of luck for Burke’s goal in the 96th minute.
The former Irish international shot from distance, but the ball squirmed under the body of Lovro Stubjlar, who capped off a nightmare night after conceding a penalty in the first half of normal time.
A place in the Conference League Group Stages beckoned for both sides, with Rovers needing to overturn a one-goal first-leg deficit.
A cagey and probably slightly frustrating first half turned into a period the Hoops didn’t want to end as two goals in three minutes turned the tie on its head.
After a lengthy VAR review, which included referee Ovidiu Hategan being sent to the monitor to review a decision where he gave Celje goalkeeper Stubjlar a free kick when it appeared he had bulldozed through Aaron Greene to punch a ball away, the Romanian referee reversed his call and pointed to the penalty spot.
The ever-reliable Watts stepped up to convert and lift a massive weight off the shoulders of the Tallaght faithful.
From there, Rovers smelled blood, and they tore into their Slovenian opponents, playing slick, fast football that was impossible on a pothole-ridden pitch last week.
Farrugia went from being the nearly man in the first half to ‘the man’ as he unleashed a low bullet into the bottom right corner.
So often in the first half, he was guilty of overplaying the ball, but cutting in from an inside-right position, he backed himself this time and was deadly.
Rovers powered home to the whistle and might have put one foot into group stage football in first-half stoppage time. A flowing move between Darragh Nugent, Greene, and Farrugia saw the ball break to Trevor Clarke, who was denied brilliantly by the foot of Stubjlar, who redeemed himself by giving his side a lifeline heading into the second half.
Stephen Bradley’s side showed no intention of sitting back after the interval and started the second half as they finished the first. Clarke’s pullback rolled all the way out to the edge of the area, where Josh Honohan fired over.
Former Liverpool player Albert Riera has plenty of experience in pulling European results out of the fire, and he made a triple substitution at the break.
A gasp echoed around Tallaght Stadium as one of the substitutes, Karnicnik, saw a goalbound shot flicked over by Pico Lopes. A warning that one goal could flip the coin again.
Riera, still displeased with what he was seeing from his side, made a fourth change in the 53rd minute. Nino Kouter was the latest to deliver a shock to the Hoops as he curled over from inside the area, but he really should have hit the target, and if he did, it is likely he would have scored.
The Slovenians were enjoying their first spell of dominance in the match and looked a side reborn with the four new players. Armandas Kucys had a shot deflected wide of the far post with Rovers beginning to look edgy at the back.
A goal that had been coming finally arrived for Celje, and in sumptuous style. Karnicnik was on the end of a floated ball to the back post, and he volleyed back across goal with aplomb to level the tie on aggregate.
The hosts lost their way for a brief moment and were thankful to Leon Pohls that they were not behind in the tie as he denied Ivan Brnic a quickfire second moments later.
Neither side could find the elusive group stage goal in normal time, so we headed for another 30 minutes.
It took just six minutes of extra-time for the Hoops to regain their advantage as Burke’s shot found the net.
Just seconds after the restart for the second half, Darragh Burns thought he had secured group stage football in style when he turned home after Watts had won the ball on the edge of the area, but the flag went up for offside.
Some outstanding defending from Pico Lopes in particular meant the door would remain shut on Albert Riera’s Celje side.
Shamrock Rovers: Léon-Maurice Pöhls; Lee Grace, Seán Hoare, Pico; Trevor Clarke (Daniel Cleary 80), Neil Farrugia (Graham Burke 88), Joshua Honohan (Cory O'Sullivan 110), Gary O'Neill, Dylan Watts; Aaron Greene (Darragh Burns 91), Darragh Nugent (Richard Towell 80).
Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Seán Kavanagh, Markus Poom, Jack Byrne, Conan Noonan, Cian Dillon, Alex Noonan.
NK Celje: Lovro Štubljar; Matija Kavčič, Klemen Nemanič (Zan Karnicnik 46), Damjan Vuklisevic, David Zec; Luka Bobicanec (Marco Dulca 46), Ivan Brnić (Luka Menalo 46), Armandas Kučys, Mario Kvesić (Rolando Aarons 103), Aljoša Matko (Edmilson Santos 79), Jošt Pišek (Nino Kouter 53);
Subs not used: Matjaz Rozman.
Referee: Ovidiu Hategen
Attendance: 6,105
extratime.com Player of the Match: Pico Lopes (Shamrock Rovers)
