Dave Donnelly reports from Tallaght Stadium
Sloppy goals either side of half-time cost Shamrock Rovers dearly as they travel to Prague next week more in hope than expectation of preserving their Champions League berth.
Veljko Birmančević and Tomáš Wiesner capitalised on unforced errors to leave Sparta Praha overwhelming favourites to close the tie off on Tuesday and condemn the Hoops to the Europa League.
A loose square pass from Dylan Watts evaded Daniel Cleary to hand Birmančević an opening goal, before Leon Pöhls allowed a tame effort slip through his palms just past the hour.
Those were rare moments of drama in an otherwise dour game that Sparta controlled, watched on by a contingent of roughly 100 travelling fans, without ever getting out of second gear.
The tie could have turned out much differently had Neil Farrugia taken advantage of a rare Sparta error just before the break, but his effort was blocked by the retreating Mathias Ross.
That would have come against the run of play in a game in which Sparta were comfortable without threatening to cut loose.
The first half-opportunity fell to the Hoops after just three minutes as Darragh Nugent was fouled and Dylan Watts’ clipped free kick just evaded Roberto Lopes.
Ever-impressive in a more advanced role, Farrugia turned his marker easily but, rather than shoot when the chance presented itself, he teed up Josh Honohan, who saw his shot blocked.
Albanian midfielder Indrit Tuci saw a half-chance saved by Pöhls before Farrugia’s big chance arrived from the foot of Sparta keeper Peter Vindahl.
The stopper passed the ball straight to the wideman but after dithering on the ball, Farrugia saw his effort blocked by Ross.
Another Farrugia break led to Johnny Kenny slicing over before disaster struck seven minutes before the break, and all of the Hoops’ own making.
Watts tried to play a ball across the box to Cleary but it was cut out by Tuci and, though Lopes cut the ball out, Birmančević made no mistake with the rebound.
More good work after the break from Farrugia presented Kenny with another half-chance, but this one he scuffed into a grateful Vindahl’s arms.
Sparta put the game to bed on 65 minutes as Jan Kuchta clipped the ball in for the late-arriving Wiesner, whose half-volley deceived Pöhls at his near post.
Pöhls made some form of amends moments later as he denied Kuchta with a smart stop after he twisted past Cleary, before substitute Ermal Krasniqi headed wide.
Another substitute, Asger Sorensen, nodded a free kick wide and a third, Lukáš Haraslín, shot straight at Pöhls as the visitors wound down.
Josh Honohan had two chances in quick succession in injury time, first missing with a header from Seán Hoare’s cross before bundling the ball wide at the back post.
The sides meet again in Prague next Tuesday with the victor set to meet the winner of FCSB of Romania and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, whose former boss Robbie Keane was in attendance in Tallaght.
Shamrock Rovers: Léon Pöhls; Daniel Cleary, Pico, Seán Hoare; Josh Honohan,Gary O'Neill, Trevor Clarke (Lee Grace 84), Neil Farrugia (Darragh Burns 66) Darragh Nugent, Dylan Watts, Johnny Kenny (Aaron Greene 66).
Subs not used: Toms Leitis (gk), Lee Steacy (gk), Cory O'Sullivan, Lee Grace, Seán Kavanagh, Cian Barrett, Darragh Burns, Markus Poom, Richie Towell, John O'Sullivan, Conan Noonan, Aaron Greene.
Booked: Markus Solbakken (58).
Sparta Praha: Peter Vindahl Jensen; Martin Vitik ( Asger Sørensen 46), Mathias Ross Jensen, Jaroslav Zeleny; Tomas Wiesner, Imanol García De Albéniz, Qazim Laci (David Pavelka 61), Markus Solbakken; Veljko Birmancevic (Lukas Haraslín 46), Jan Kuchta (Victor Olatunji 755), Indrit Tuci (Ermal Krasniqi 61).
Subs not used: Vojtěch Vorel (gk), Matěj Ryneš, Ondřej Kukučk, Martin Suchomel, Lukáš Sadílek, Jakub Pesek,Kryštof Daněk.
Booked: Darragh Burns (79).
