Rovers must travel at a certain disadvantage

EUROPA LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND, FIRST LEG: Shamrock Rovers 1 Bnei Yehuda 1 SHAMROCK ROVERS will have to go to Israel …

EUROPA LEAGUE SECOND QUALIFYING ROUND, FIRST LEG: Shamrock Rovers 1 Bnei Yehuda 1SHAMROCK ROVERS will have to go to Israel and score next week following this action-filled Europa League Second Qualifying Round tie at Tallaght Stadium.

Robert Bayly fired an injury-time equaliser into the roof of Bnei Yehuda goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba’s net after Omri Afek Haftke had put the visitors ahead with an away goal on 26 minutes.

On a wet night in Tallaght, Rovers started well and on eight minutes James Chambers got on the end of a quality long ball from Dan Murray on the right wing and sent a perfectly weighted pass into the danger area but Aiyenugba intercepted before Gary Twigg could get his foot to the ball.

Aiyenugba gave his side a scare on 11 minutes when he nearly allowed Hadad’s simple back pass to trickle past him but he chased back and stopped the ball as it was heading into his net.

READ MORE

The visitors were then forced into making a change on 19 minutes when Omri Afek replaced Moshe Biton who had suffered a head injury.

Rovers continued their good work and on 22 minutes Craig Sives put Thomas Stewart in on goal but the former Linfield man fired his shot wide of the right hand post.

Then against the run of play, Bnei Yehuda attacked on the break and Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus darted out to block Egiya Yavruyan’s attempt on goal but the ball deflected perfectly for substitute Afek Haftke to slot home.

On the stroke of half time Aiyenugba got down well to save from Twigg and when the ball was played back in it appeared to strike Kfir Ederi on the hand but referee Bergonzi waved play on.

Rovers started the second half well and on 47 minutes Chris Turner sent Stewart away down the left but his cross into the box was intercepted by Hadad.

Rovers appealed for a penalty on 65 minutes when Billy Dennehy clipped the ball up and it struck Garrido on the hand but the referee saw nothing in it.

Chambers took a fierce free kick on 77 minutes but it evaded everyone in the goalmouth. He sent another effort high and wide soon afterwards. With Rovers staring at imminent defeat, Bayly popped up on 90 minutes to meet a cross from the left to shoot past Aiyenugba from the tightest of angles.

SHAMROCK ROVERS:Mannus; Sives, Murray, Price (Dennehy 64), Stevens; Chambers, Rice, Turner (Bayly 71), Kavanagh; Twigg, Stewart.

BNEI YEHUDA: Aiyenugba; Azuz, Garrido, Viktor, Ederi; Sinisa, Zhairi, Baldut, Menashe (Abu Zaid 73); Biton (Afek Haftke 19), Yavruyan (Raly 57).

Referee: M Bergonzi (Italy)