Rovers make life difficult for PAOK

SOCCER: EUROPA LEAGUE: Paok Salonika 2 Shamrock Rovers 1:FOR 15 fleeting minutes last night the Toumba Stadium in Thessalonika looked like it might just prove the place, as suggested when the draw was made, where Shamrock Rovers could pick up a result in Group A.

Having conceded yet another early goal in a backs-to-the-wall first half, Karl Sheppard’s equaliser early in the second half stunned the raucous home crowd to put PAOK on the back foot for the first time in the game and make Rovers believe.

But a second brilliantly struck goal restored PAOK’s lead and they deservedly saw out their first win in the pool.

It did belie yet another courageous display by Michael O’Neill’s side against physically and technically superior opponents.

All the more so as Rovers’ preparations were dealt a blow early in the day when striker Gary Twigg was ruled out after his hamstring stiffened up overnight. Sheppard thus had to play a somewhat unfamiliar lone front role.

O’Neill then also made a big call in defence in his starting 11, deciding to rest Craig Sives, who had been carrying a groin injury for several weeks.

That meant a gamble on playing central defender Ken Oman, who was making his first appearance in almost three months since he damaged knee ligaments in the Champions League qualifier away to Copenhagen.

Also missing several players due to injury, chief among them Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Garcia, PAOK manager Laszlo Boloni nonetheless had the luxury of fielding five full internationals with almost 100 caps between them in a side which started seven different nationalities.

Containment was Rovers’ early aspiration as PAOK came at them, Enda Stevens taking a heavy early knock in clearing under the challenge of Stefanos Athanasiadis.

But, as in three previous ties this season, the curse of Rovers conceding an early goal in Europe soon struck again.

Portuguese winger Vieirinha initially had a shot deflected for PAOK’s second corner with 12 minutes played.

Dan Murray’s clearance from Vieirinha’s delivery looked decent. But PAOK’s Romanian international midfielder Costin Lazar thought nothing of it as he killed the ball with one touch some 25 yards out and, with scarcely much back-lift, unleashed a right-foot drive that arrowed to the net with Ryan Thompson flatfooted on his line.

An energetic, incisive diagonal run and shot, which was narrowly wide, by Billy Dennehy proved Rovers would be a treat on the counter-attack, before a real let-off back at the other end on 21 minutes.

Murray’s poor clearance under little pressure fell for Lazar with the Rovers captain fortunate to retrieve his error when blocking the shot.

PAOK’s technique was superb and they continued to open up Rovers in the final third. It was their finishing which let them down.

On 34 minutes a delightful ball from right back Bruno Cirillo dropped for Vieirinha who went for the glory of a first time volley which was yards over the top.

The Finnish referee then gave Oman the benefit of the doubt when he appeared to catch Lazar on the edge of the area as PAOK claimed for a penalty.

Approaching half-time, Rovers availed of more poor finishing as the influential Lazar broke into the box, Athanasiadis’s flick set up Vladimir Ivic, but again the shot was ballooned over. Thompson then comfortably held a free-kick from Vieirinha.

Undaunted, Rovers came out for the second half and enjoyed their best spell in the match, helped greatly by their equalising goal three minutes in.

Miroslav Sznauchner was booked for a foul on Dennehy on the right. Dennehy put plenty of pace on the free-kick as Sheppard rose to power a majestic header past Kostas Chalkias.

Parity lasted just 15 minutes, though, as PAOK came alive after a subdued period, to regain the lead with a stunning strike.

Ivic touched the ball through for the run of the effervescent Vieirinha, a target for Blackburn Rovers in the summer, and the right-foot drive flew to the corner of Thompson’s goal.

The goal having revitalised them, PAOK again began to carve the openings, Pat Sullivan deflecting a shot from Lazar out for another corner while Sznaucner drilled wide.

PAOK:Chalkias; Etto, Cirillo, Malezas, Lino (Sznaucner, 28 mins); Lazar, Arias, Ivic; Salinities (Papazoglou, 88 mins), Athanasiadis (Georgiadis, 61 mins), Vieirinha.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Thompson; Sullivan, Oman, Murray, Stevens; Dennehy, Turner (Kilduff, 74 mins), Rice, O'Donnell, Paterson (Finn, 74 mins); Sheppard (McCabe, 83 mins).

Referee: Tony Mikael Asumaa (Finland).