Mixed fortunes for Shelbourne

A night of highs and lows for Shelbourne as they salvaged their pride and an unlikely draw here in the Lerkendal Stadium, Trondheim, last night.

Richie Foran, as in the 3-1 first-leg defeat, was again the Shelbourne goal hero, but a more controversial score you'll not see. There was sadness too for the Irish double winners as midfielder Davy Byrne, making his first start for the club since his return from Dundee United, broke his right leg midway through the second half.

Needing to score three times to have any hope of winning the tie, Shelbourne were forced on the back foot from the start and were fortunate to be still in the game at halftime.

Rosenborg's Morten Knutsen, a replacement for the influential Jan Derek Sorensen, was instrumental in carving Shelbourne open within four minutes as he got to the end line from Roar Strand's incisive ball. The pull-back was precision itself only for Fredrik Winsnes to ruin it all by shooting a foot wide.

It was all Rosenborg for the opening half-hour before Shelbourne showed they could play with their only attack of the opening half.

The Baker brothers began and finished the move with Richie winning a tackle to enable Mark Hutchison find Dessie down the left flank.

The older Baker held the ball up well before trying his luck with a lobbed shot that was narrowly over goalkeeper Arni Arason's crossbar.

Apart for that, it was all Rosenborg, who really should have been a goal or two up at the break.

Shelbourne goalkeeper, Steve Williams, fluttered the nerves of his defence when dropping Winsnes' corner only for Orjan Berg to blaze over from just yards out.

Knutsen, who forced a save from Williams, then miscued in front of goal before crossing for Frode Johnsen to head flagrantly over.

The second half was featureless until the controversial lead goal which arrived on 58th minutes.

Richie Baker headed goalward from a Pat Fenlon cross and Arason appeared to catch the ball comfortably. However, Foran followed in with an old-fashion shoulder charge and the ball flew from the goalkeeper's grasp and into the net. Incredulously, the goal was given by Swiss referee, Massimo Busacca, as Rosenborg protested. Six minutes later Byrne was injured in a tackle and sadly stretchered away with a broken right shin.

Rosenborg continued to dominate and they got their reward 10 minutes from time when Berg got his head to a Bent Skammelsrud corner to direct the ball beyond Williams.

Rosenborg: Arason; Basma, B I Johnsen, Hoftun, Stansaas; F Winsnes, Berg, Skammelsrud; Strand, F Johnsen, Knutsen. Subs: Hernes for Knutsen (58 mins), Belsvik for Johnsen (78 mins), Svenning for Strand (88 mins).

Shelbourne: Williams; Heary, Scully, McCarthy, Hutchison; Byrne, Keddy, Fenlon; D Baker, S Geoghegan, R. Baker. Subs: Foran for Geoghegan (55 mins), Doolin for Byrne (64 mins).

Referee: M Busacca (Switzerland)